AC filter and their hard plastic housings crack!

Well I suppose anyone who has own some have had it happen. I just didn't expect it to happen while I was holding it with one hand only partiality filled 1/4 (8 ounces) preparing it for bare root Photos plants on my 125 tank.

Suddenly as I was holding it by its side a hand size piece I was holding just snapped like peanut brittle, something that could never happen with my Penguin or Aqua-Tech.

Even though the brake is not a load bearing portion, it broke low enough to allow water from the top to spill out, a piece facing the top right side then diagonally down to the edge of the overflow.

So rather then buy a new housing for $25 plus $10 shipping I plan to repair broken piece with J-B Weld. Never tried it but they claim non toxicity for potable water and a waterproof tensile sheer strength of 3000 PSI.

For $5 don't you think its worth a try, has anyone tried and succeeded at repairing their brittle cracked AC housing. I guess they have to be cradled when carried. I know I could play "kick the can" with my Marineland HOB housing and it would still work fine.

Seriously this type plastic is hardly used anymore except for some cheap floating breeders, but then that is exactly why they sell it as a replacement part.:thumbsdown: Ill post DIY pics if and when I get it repaired, If I don't you'll know I failed LOL.

jackiomy said:

That exact same thung happened to me and in the very same place. I used silicone on it, let it set for a couple of days and it has been fine for over 6 months.

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Well your post about your success boosted my confidence. What one man can do, another can do right LOL? So I decided not to spend a dime on special adhesive and rather use what I have on hand, and even though I have silicone sealant, I decided to wait and use something with more tensile strength first the go back later if necessary and seal with a layer of silicone, although I doubt Ill need it.

I already have Gorilla glue on hand which is water proof and aquarium safe so I used that on the inside as a strong bond sealant. Midway through the cure (1 hour) I placed the basket inside to press the bead so the basket would have room after full cure (6 hours).

On the outside I decided to laminate with pure aluminum adhesive tape about 8 times thicker then foil in a crisscross pattern building up about 5 layers which is almost equivalent to plate aluminum.

Now Ill just let it fully cure and will resume the Mod for my nitrate filter tomorrow after 2 hours of running wet. If it leaks a little Ill redcoat the inside weld with silicone sealant which will surly fix it.

Ill post the results but in the mean time below are the photos of my Frankenstein filter LOL.

JimL said:

I see you finished it off with Duct tape. It'll last a lifetime now!

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Actually far better, its pure metal aluminum adhesive tape. Duct tape eventually (6 months) falls apart. This stuff you can use on your gas grill outside and it never comes apart. I use it to seal up my gas grill vents to increase temperature to 700 degrees for high heat broiling like in restaurants. Steaks come out awesome.

nc0gnet0 said:

Its foil tape right? It is used on ducts, its just not the cloth duct tape. Sticky stuff, used to bind rolls of foil backed duct wrap together and in applications were heat/cold are an issue.

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Exactly only much thicker and stiffer then foil and actually pretty reasonable for what it can do in special applications such as rigid none moving repairs as it is strong but in a different way. Duct Tape actually much stronger then aluminum tape for its special flexing applications like hoses. I just hate it when Duct Tape starts to melt, get gooey and and you cant get it off cleanly and have to use a solvent to dissolve it. Aluminum tape for ridged non-flexing applications always comes off clean.