What is up with my filter?

Every single time I go to do a water change I go through the same routine. Turn the plug strip off, which has all the electric to the tank, heater, light, filter, bubbler etc. Anyhow every single time I go to turn the dang thing back on the filter just sits there like a bump.
I put fresh water change water in it to prime it so it doesn't start "dry" I can manually trun the impeller with my finger, nothing seems clogged. Oh it is a AC 20 by the way.
Am I doing something wrong? This is my first AC filter and I am hating it! It didn't do this the first few times I did water changed and well now that I can't stand for to long messing with it because of my back surgery it seems it wants to pull this crap. It is only about 2 months old maybe a little longer???
Anyone have any ideas as to what I am doing wrong or is there a way to pull it apart to see. I can get the gray disk that covers the impeller off but that is as far as I can go, my hand wont fit to the finer of the area.
Thanks:wall::wall::wall:
Hugs
:help:

I usually just pull the impellar out and put a bottle brush in the motor and clean up around the needle

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will have to try this as I have not yet but maybe there is something that got in there I can't see.

If it truly is faulty you might be able to return it to the company if it has a warrenty

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I still have the receipt and original packaging I believe so will try to contact the company today. Maybe it is just a faulty one.

Is the upside down U shaped tube that sucks up water seated properly

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Yes that is the one thing that I made sure of since I fugred it was the problem but so far not so good, everything was reset 2 times and still it didn't start or even make a sound. But then after fudging with it, it worked.

Thanks I just don't know what it might be.
Hugs