# HOB filter making a grinding noise



## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

My HOB has just recently started making occasional grinding noises. Sometimes it will be every other second, other times it will go hours with out doing it once. Any ideas of what this could be and how it can be resolved?

I have an AquaTech 30-60 which has been running for a little over a month, I haven't cleaned it yet because I want to make sure my bacteria is strong enough to survive first. I was going to wait another 3 weeks before doing regular cleanings of the filter. I also have a sand substrate, I know this has been attributed to damaging HOB filters before.

Thanks


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## tarpleyg (Jan 4, 2010)

It probably has sand in it...my AquaClears both did that with sand in them.

Greg


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## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

tarpleyg said:


> It probably has sand in it...my AquaClears both did that with sand in them.
> 
> Greg


So what should I do about it?


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## bosco0633 (Dec 31, 2009)

not sure about the aqua tech, but here is how you fix an aqua clear. It may be the same but I am not 100% sure. So with the aquaclear, you spin the motor off of filter. You then lift the propeller out,, you first rinse the center of the magnet under the tap.

The take a pair of needle nose plyers, grip the tip of the metal shaft and slowly wiggle it upwards. This will dislodge the shaft from the motor. Rinse the motor under the tap and use a paper towel and wipe out the the inside of the motor. Then push the shaft into place, add the propeller and thats it.

You can tell if it was sand because the metal shaft will have scratch marks on it from the sand being in there.

Anyways, thats it. hope this helps you out


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## wheatbackdigger (May 11, 2008)

tokyo said:


> tarpleyg said:
> 
> 
> > It probably has sand in it...my AquaClears both did that with sand in them.
> ...


take the sand out and go with gravel or a bare tank. Sand will always find its way into filters


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## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

bosco0633 said:


> not sure about the aqua tech, but here is how you fix an aqua clear. It may be the same but I am not 100% sure. So with the aquaclear, you spin the motor off of filter. You then lift the propeller out,, you first rinse the center of the magnet under the tap.
> 
> The take a pair of needle nose plyers, grip the tip of the metal shaft and slowly wiggle it upwards. This will dislodge the shaft from the motor. Rinse the motor under the tap and use a paper towel and wipe out the the inside of the motor. Then push the shaft into place, add the propeller and thats it.
> 
> ...


Thanks, it wasn't exactly the same but it was close enough that I was able to figure out how to take it apart and clean it from your instructions. It seems to have improved the noise problem a little, the occasional loud grinding seems to have stopped, but it is still louder than when it was new. But I think part of the problem is just that AquaTechs are not very well made, probably one of the worst HOB filters. Oh well, should have done more research before I bought it.



wheatbackdigger said:


> take the sand out and go with gravel or a bare tank. Sand will always find its way into filters


Thanks for the thought, but I'd much rather have to do a little extra filter maintenence than replace my sand with gravel. I really just wanted to know what to do when the sand does get into the filter. Bosco did a good job of explaining that too me.


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## bosco0633 (Dec 31, 2009)

google the shaft replacement part, if you change that your noise will be gone, as the shaft grinds down it loosens the propeller so it moves and makes noise, just replace that once in a while.


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## tokyo (Jan 19, 2010)

bosco0633 said:


> google the shaft replacement part, if you change that your noise will be gone, as the shaft grinds down it loosens the propeller so it moves and makes noise, just replace that once in a while.


Thanks I will. For now though, I found that raising the intake about a half inch really helped quiet down the motor. The propeller is attached to the intake and turned, I beleive, by a magnet in the motor. I layered some surgicalgauze(I have some left over from a hospital visit, I like using it because I know its sterile) where the intake tube rests which raised it up high enough so that the propeller section won't vibrate against the bottom of the motor. It seems to work well, I'm just worried about losing some of the suction since it no longer fits quite as snug as it usually does.


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