Odyssea CFS 500 Can-filter review and circumference modification

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CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
Well like the FX5 they are really stiff when new and like allot of parts they were never meant to be forced. Even my FX5 valves when having sat for months in the open position require controlled hand pressure back and forth pressure rocking until the seals brake loose allowing the valve to move. The real problem is that becasue the valve handles have so much accommodating palm leverage un-mechanically inclined people think they can just apply as much pressure as it takes as if the valve was made of solid brass, you just cant do that. I had a tenant complain to me that the lower drawers in the kitchen rental were defectively made overseas becasue when she pulled the drawers out to use them as step ladder stairs to stand on the counter-top they all brake beneath her and that's not the way cabinets are supposed to be made in America, what a great excuse.:uhoh:

My point is they are much weaker relative to a brass gate valves and maybe a little weaker then the FX5 gate valves but it doesn't mean you cant make this human observation and determine this determine the appropriate handling. I know first hand that its takes Vaseline on the spout O-rings to get the valves to click in all the way to the base while pressing in firmly on the lock button, some people complaining of leaks when only half way seated. Iv also heard people complain about the FX5 gate valves as well one person complained haveing to use a steel wrench only to snap the cheap valve handle and giving up never realizing it was their own fault. Perhaps the distributor is partially right, only time will tell, in the mean time however being the owner of seven FX5's I have seven spare gate valves as FX5's come with 3 but not becasue they brake, but wouldn't you know the FX5 gate valve is perfectly interchangeable and work perfectly on the CSF500, although a little smoother.

You yourself are taking about removing the CSF500 internal plumbing and installing an exterior dry pump, how much harder can replacement of a simple gate valve be that required no mods. We just have to have light handed patience when dealing with machines before we make a determination that the machine and not "the operator" is at fault.
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
Just so everyone knows Im not mixing words, I just ordered my 2nd CFS500. I now feel very comfortable placing these 2 filters on my twin CL 80 tanks to replace their two cycled FX5's that I will use to power my recent CL 150 & CL 142 tanks, saving money in the process. Im more then comfortable that the CFS500 can fill the role as a smaller powerful replacement for my two FX5's and will be assisted by the Sunsun 302 which will make a good standby when filter cleaning is required.
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
That was a good piece of information becasue it supports something that I noticed on the orange valves that they are tight and have sharps on the inside probubly from not being de-burred after molding. Since I have so many extra FX5 coupler valves (7) and they click in place easily without being tight Im going to use them instead and de-burr the original vales with 1000 grit sandpaper I have or maybe a rag and rubbing compound. Only sharp edges from a molding would cause cutting like that. I suspected it but now I know thanks to your posted link (thanks) and will be inspecting and comparing the inside of both the FX5 valve coupling which I know fits easily and operates smoothly and the CFS500 coupling which I know binds a bit. Ill post my findings.
 

thebrandon

I like fish
Jan 29, 2009
1,846
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36
Tucson, AZ

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
BREAKING NEWS!

I discovered the problem of the snapping canister lid gray flow ports. It is not from cutting as I have confirmed no sharp internal edges or protruding edges. The braking off is due to inadvertent operator handling stress of the orange connector valves being forced on and off . I have measures and compared the gray port thickness with that of the FX5 which have identical port thickness and design, even the orange coupling valves are identical except the CFS500 orange couplers are a little thinner. I repeat the gray lid ports are being overstressed and snapping off right at the location of the O-rings not because of cutting but sheering due to stress from both the user struggling to seat the coupling valves on and off, but also the O-rings themselves over time are creating stress fractures at these points because they are over-sized and have no tolerance and in fact are being over compressed into the gray plastic lid ports at the o-ring site with hundreds of PSI.
Upon being told to read reading this thread from where I home at AC I decided to investigate because I have modified this filter for my needs as well and have been puzzled by the over-tightness of the couplings and reports of failures. I noted that the orange couplings and gray ports are identical to my FX5 in design and that although both the FX5 and CFS500 orange couplers snap easily into place on the FX5 lid ports and hold water under operation, conversely both the FX5 and CFS500 orange couplers have a very harder time installing onto the CFS500 lid ports only with great downward pressure do they install and do not swivel easily at all. What I discovered was that after comparing the 0-ring sized on the identical ports of the FX5 and CFS500 the FX5 O-rings are much thinner by ½ and can be removed with a finger nail while the o-rings on the CFS500 are twice as thick and tight and are extremely difficult to remove even with a rounded edge screwdriver because they fit so tightly and are so fat. After experimenting by swapping out the o-rings on opposite canister lids I discovered that the problem and difficulties were duplicated on the FX5 using the thicker o-rings and conversely the couplers of both brands (FX5 & CFS500) installed easily with only slight hand pressure almost falling and clicking into place on the CFS500 lid using the FX5 thinner O-rings and did not leak any water under operational pressures even while twisting the coupler easily with 1 finger from side to side, all binding previously experienced was gone.

CONCLUSION. Buy the thinner O-rings identical to the FX5 which I hope can be purchased at a pluming hardware store, or buy FX5 O-ring replacements for the CFS500 filter lid coupler. This will eliminate the heavy handed binding to install and remove orange valve couplings on the CFS500 that even I had a hard time with, the thinner O-rings will allow the tolerance needed to without over-stressing the plastics due to high PSI O-ring pressure between the plastics which unlike metal will fail. The difference in taking this step is like night and day. Note in the photo below the thicker CFS O-rings on the left compared to the FX5 O-rings on the right, the fat O-rings are the culprit here.
 

thebrandon

I like fish
Jan 29, 2009
1,846
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36
Tucson, AZ
could the plastic it self be a factor in this as well? O-rings of all sizes should be easy enough to get, but what if the plastic it self is the defect part here? Could it be a different plastic on the FX5 than the other? Even things like manufacturing can be a huge player in what makes a product defective and successful.

Kind of like with cars. Something I have learned is that some parts should never be made of plastic (with cars) lol.
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
could the plastic it self be a factor in this as well? O-rings of all sizes should be easy enough to get, but what if the plastic it self is the defect part here? Could it be a different plastic on the FX5 than the other? Even things like manufacturing can be a huge player in what makes a product defective and successful.

Kind of like with cars. Something I have learned is that some parts should never be made of plastic (with cars) lol.
You have to read the post, completely as the reasons and answers are clearly given why and what-for, If one knows how O-rings work they know O-rings are much larger in size tolerance then the surrounding support structure. This isn't about speculation or conjecture, believe me I'm in "the-know" on this subject so I cant speak to what your trying to say.
 
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taksan

AC Members
Mar 24, 2005
63
0
0
58
Australia
I just took out a couple of FX5's to wrap the pads in polyfilter.

Neither one will turn back on ! The motor on both is just going clunk, clunk, clunk as if the motor can't overcome the magnet to run the impeller or something.
Cleaned out the motor housing and impellers lubed and reseated then to no avail.
Thought there might be shaft issues so I replaced one with a spare we had in stock....nothing !
It back to Fluval for these two !
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
I just took out a couple of FX5's to wrap the pads in polyfilter.

Neither one will turn back on ! The motor on both is just going clunk, clunk, clunk as if the motor can't overcome the magnet to run the impeller or something.
Cleaned out the motor housing and impellers lubed and reseated then to no avail.
Thought there might be shaft issues so I replaced one with a spare we had in stock....nothing !
It back to Fluval for these two !
The only time 1 of my 7 FX5's stopped pumping is when setting up my 244 tanks I allowed a Diatom bloom to get out of control becasue I did not know how to prevent them. Suffice it to say I had chucks of diatom jello floating around the tanks and covering everything. I was the only time was unable to get the FX5 restarted until I cleaned out the filter and the flow tubes which were clogged solid. I also cut 3 poly-batting's to match the rectangle size of the sponge face and then I split them in half to make 6 thin face covers. Are you sure you did not rap the outside of the baskets with poly batting layers and a chuck unraveled and got sucked into the impeller? I also have all my FX5's on timers 30 minutes on 30 minutes off, giving them a brake, saving power, and lower hours without any appreciable loss in performance, just like a refrigerator compressor motor.. But now we are OFF TOPIC
 
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