AC 20: slight but growing noise

irishspy

irishspy

There is a stargate in my aquarium.
Nov 6, 2002
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Hi all,

I set up a brand new AC 20 last night: I'm really impressed with it -- simple, efficient design; easy to prime. But, there's one small problem. :eek:

When I first started it, it was silent as a graveyard at midnight after clearing the trapped air. After about a half-hour, I noticed a hum that gradually got louder. Not gear-grinding loud, but a vibration that was louder than I thought it should be. I played with the flow control and cleared some more air, but the noise isn't what I'd expect from trapped air. This morning I tried turning it off, letting it sit for a minute, then turning it on again -- the noise was a bit louder.

My suspicion is the impeller is misaligned a bit, or perhaps a bit of grit got stuck in it. (The filter is off while I'm at work today, since I don't have a heater running yet, and I don't want it damaging itself.) Is that a reasonable guess? How easy is the impeller to access on an AC?

thanks much,
 
I don't have an AC but I would assume that the impeller should be very accessible because it needs to be cleaned regularly. Just left out the intake tube, should be able to access the impeller there.
 
The lids vibrate & make noise on all my AC's. Does taking it off help?

If not, try this....... there's a little tab where the outside/bottom of the AC filter rests against the outside of your tank. Put a piece of felt or soft rubber behind the tab/against the tank & the noise transfer may be reduced.
 
The lids can vibrate, usually reseating it works, if not put a small stone on top.

The impeller is in the motor. Take the filter off the tank and empty the water. The motor unscrews with a twist and the impellor can be pulled out of it. Use a small brush to clean the well. Reverse the steps and you are good to go.
 
Thanks for the tips. :clap:

It seems to have quited down, for now. Reseating the lid helped a bit. I think I'll let it run a couple of days and see (hear?) how things go.
 
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