# Sluggish starting Aquaclears, how to fix 'em ?



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

My AquaClears are all used, and I've no clue how old any of them are. They all still function. Mostly they were very cheap.. the AC70 was around $35, but the other 3 or 4 of them were less than ten bucks a piece, and only one is missing any part.. the media basket, which is easy enough to live without. 

One 50 and one Mini, though they do work just fine, now take a VERY long time to restart after they've been stopped for cleaning. They're pretty quiet, except when trying to start up, when they make a fair racket while they struggle to get water lifting up the tubes to get going again. It can take quite awhile before they begin to run again.

I have little experience with trouble shooting them. Is the sluggish start up more likely to be because they need new impellers, or is it more likely that they need new motors ? I believe they all use the same motor, but I know each model takes a different impeller.

If anyone can advise me whether a new impeller or a new motor is more likely to be successful in fixing up the sluggish restarting, I'd sure appreciate it.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

All my smaller ones do this. I just fill them up first and then let them run. If not it can take more than ten minutes to start flowing. I think it's from normal ware and tare. 

If they run and run quiet you should be happy. Mine run but they sound like chain saws lol


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

I use a measuring cup to add water to them as they're starting up (leave the lids off). Just scoop in some water and it helps them start smoothly.


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## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

I fill my 110 up with a cup and it starts right away otherwise takes like ten mins as well. It also sounds like a chainsaw tho what i did that helps that a bit was sanded the impeller down till it was smooth with a dremel and added some vaseline on the impeller. It drastically cut down the sound for awhile heck one week i had to check if it was even working it was running as quiet as a canister filter lol till i had a power failure and it seems the grinding came back.

But i always fill it with tank water first and it starts right away on both ac filters i use.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

So this is typical behaviour for these things and replacing anything won't help it go any faster ? Figures .


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Fishfur said:


> So this is typical behaviour for these things and replacing anything won't help it go any faster ? Figures .


The parts cost a lot and IMO not worth it. It will only start to do this again over time.


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## Lee_D (Jun 11, 2010)

What's your definition of a slow start? If the impeller doesn't start spinning as soon as I plug them in, I use a wooden skewer to give the impeller a boost. They usually blast off pretty good if you give them a little nudge.

Lee


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

The impeller starts up fine, near as I can tell. What bothers me is how long it takes for the water to get all the way up the lift tube into the pump compartment. One can take close to ten minutes to start pumping water, the other is a bit faster than that. But I also have an Aquaclear 70 and it's so much faster than the small ones are.. it will be pumping within a couple of minutes from a dead stop. So I figured the small ones must have either worn impellers or worn motors, because they are SO much slower to lift the water and get pumping again. I have never had a new one so I don't really know how they perform when new.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I know I usually have to check and make sure that the u tube is sitting properly. Sometimes I push it too far on the side that dips into the tank which makes the side in the filter not flush.

Sometimes that plastic shelf that sits right above the impeller isn't pushed all the way in if you have taken it apart to clean. This makes the U tube sit up too high as well.

I tend to wiggle the u tube back and forth a few times, sometimes I get bubbles stuck in there. 

Just some of the issues I have.  Hope they help!


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## RevoBuda (Sep 3, 2011)

I agree with everyone here... just fill'er up with a cup. If the impeller is not spinning, I just pull apart the motor clean it and plug it in before putting it back onto the body and make sure I give it a good manual spin to free it up. My AquaClears are close to 15 years old now :| Great little things to keep around for projects, I always keep some.


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

the other thing I have noticed that helps the ACs is to have the water in the tank up at a good level so that the intake tube doesnt have to lift water too high. this tends to speed up the refilling as well.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

+1 fill tank and add water to the AC before turning on. If the impeller spins, yer fine, if not a nudge should suffice


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Well, it's totally possible the tubes have been knocked out of their proper place, and I had not realized that would happen. Makes sense, don't know why it didn't occur me. I do clean the motor/impeller periodically, as well as the uplift tubes, but not as often as I rinse the media.. I know if the uplift tube bottom gets clogged with bits of plant stuff that will really impair the filter function, so when I clear that off, I might be knocking the tube out of place. I'll check.. and thanks for all the advice. I use a simple pond water pump when I'm adding new water to the tank, so if I took out enough to have to stop the filters, I just let the hose from the pump fill the filters.. easier than a cup . Too hard to lift the bucket up and pour it, and at this point I'm unwilling to spring for the Python version of WCing..it's good exercise, hauling buckets, or so I keep telling myself.


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## Fijidevil (Dec 7, 2010)

Top up with water & make sure the seting is set to minus (low) on right


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## AquaticPulse (Jun 19, 2011)

I just realized this today when cleaning my aquaclear. 

Make sure that the small hole next to the intake tube isn't covered when starting it up. I had a sponge in that area for extra filtration that was covering the hole which caused it to take a really long time to start. I knew about the hole, but i didn't realize it was being covered.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I'll have to have a look for that... don't remember a small hole.. I don't often take them off the tank, I just remove the media and tubes and then replace them. And I also didn't know you could adjust any settings.. where's the switch for that ? Because I got them all used, I never have seen any instructions for proper use. I put in media and water after I cleaned them and they worked, so that's all I've done with them, other than rinse out the media and clean the tubes now and then.


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Here is the users guide for the Aquaclear 20/Mini from the Hagen website.
http://ca-en.hagen.com/File/ede567c9-42ac-4895-b81e-f032a71517e6
--
Paul


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

The manual ! now, why didn't 'I' think to look for that ? Very helpful and I think I know what I've been doing that may be causing the problems. So thanks again, appreciate the tips and especially the link to the manual.


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## Egonsgirl (Feb 28, 2012)

Hey guys, you may not believe this, but I have a small AC (20 I think - brown) that I got back in around 1985, when I lived in Alberta. It still works like a charm.


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