# Aqua clear 70 help



## box1992 (May 17, 2013)

Hi guys, I bought a used aqua clear 70 yesterday for 30 bucks. It seems to be making a lot of noise. While I was moving the plastic tube that conencts to the motor from the top I broke the little pointy part on top which allows you to control the flow when the cover is on. There is a hole in that tube now and the water is no getting filtered. I covered it with tape to stop the air from going in the tube. So that might work. The filter is still very loud though. 

Please help


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

What kind of noise? Gurgling water sucking air or just a sort rattle sound? If the first you will need to seal that hole up much better, if the second it needs a new impeller shaft.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

The only fix would be to silicone over the hole. You can often buy a replacement tube in LFS.

Your filter will not work properly until it is fixed or replaced


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## box1992 (May 17, 2013)

Ok so I went to big als and bought a new silver pin. I put vaseline on it and the rattaling stopped. The water noise was still occuring slightly, so I put silicone in the hole. Will find out tomorrow if it worked


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

is Vaseline even safe for aquariums? It is an oil based product


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## box1992 (May 17, 2013)

well the vaseline is put on the silver shaft which goes inside the impeller. A lot of people have been doing this apparently as well


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Cool, I'll try this myself then to help quiet some filters


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## box1992 (May 17, 2013)

IT worked  you can barely here the noise at all. Cannot hear it if you are 5 feet away from the tank.


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## TorontoBoy (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks for teaching me something today: LUBE THE SHAFT

extra reading


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

I have a 3 year old AC70. It has a different problem. It is powered off for water change, and powered on after. Very often the impeller does not spin right after connecting power. I can feel the motor vibrating, but it just cannot spin up. I have to remove the intake u-tube, and gently tough the impeller to get it going.

Is there a fix for this? LUBE THE SHAFT?

Sorry OP for hijacking. But this is an AC70 help thread, right?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

clean the inside of the motor housing around the shaft and clean impeller and LUBE it. I bet it will work fine then. I have had to jump start them myself before, cleaning often fixes it and this new lube fix should make it even better.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

After watching a few online videos on removing/replacing impeller and motor on AC70, I am ready to take a spin on mine.

This is the vaseline I have. Is it the right one?


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## box1992 (May 17, 2013)

max88 said:


> I have a 3 year old AC70. It has a different problem. It is powered off for water change, and powered on after. Very often the impeller does not spin right after connecting power. I can feel the motor vibrating, but it just cannot spin up. I have to remove the intake u-tube, and gently tough the impeller to get it going.
> 
> Is there a fix for this? LUBE THE SHAFT?
> 
> Sorry OP for hijacking. But this is an AC70 help thread, right?


Hey might as well make it that, the more people helped the better. I had that problem in the beginning, I emptied some of the water in the filter, and then it started. maybe the u-tube needs to be moved around?



max88 said:


> After watching a few online videos on removing/replacing impeller and motor on AC70, I am ready to take a spin on mine.
> 
> This is the vaseline I have. Is it the right one?


I cannot find the vaseline tub I used. but that looks like it. I got it from shoppers. It is the only vaseline that they have.

edit - this is the one


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

box1992 said:


> Hey might as well make it that, the more people helped the better. I had that problem in the beginning, I emptied some of the water in the filter, and then it started. maybe the u-tube needs to be moved around?
> 
> I cannot find the vaseline tub I used. but that looks like it. I got it from shoppers. It is the only vaseline that they have.
> 
> edit - this is the one


Thanks.

So I went ahead, took out the motor and used vaseline. I also took the opportunity to soak the filter case, tubes and media basket in vinegar solutions to thoroughly clean it for the first time.

After spending well over an hour, and putting everything back together, the impeller span as soon as power was connected.

The bad news is that the filter is noisier, despite lubing the shaft. I did try to clean the motor housing of gunk with a brush that is for cleaning tubes. That may have pushed the shaft out of centre balance. grrrr!

I have to wait for bacteria population to recover, and try to balance the shaft tomorrow.


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## TorontoBoy (Mar 14, 2013)

I have lubed 4 Aquaclears and it does make the filter much quieter. I used Walmart petroleum jelly. Lubing will now be standard procedure for my ACs.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Fwiw, all my ACs are used, and all sometimes are quirky about starting up after being turned off for any reason. Sometimes it's a bit of gunk in the impeller well.. I remove the impeller shaft to clean the well. Never tried lube, so I will def' try that next time.

I found that older motors sometimes will stop working, but after a rest, will start up again. One I thought was toast, I forgot to mark it, put it back on another filter later on and it worked ok. They're pretty reliable, and mostly the only noise I hear is water running if the level drops in the tank.


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