Anybody out there own a Fluval 404?

[CWO4GUNNER]

Oh OK, now I see. Parts are interchangeable only their are different year impeller and impeller cover matched sets, curved and clear and strait and colored. I know my impeller is strait I just cant remember if its clear, I certainly don't remember it being dark in color. Wonder what happens if you mix a clear with a strait impeller?

(Off topic) Oh man its 5:30 AM and I'm waiting for the day light to go outside and replace the air conditioning compressor fan because the bearing are bad and noisy (Wa-wa-wa-wa). It has to be a pit stop replacement cause the wife is going to wake up in 15 minutes as the house temp climbs up past 80. I have the right replacment part just getting ready like before a high school relay race LOL.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

So overall Im impressed with what you can get used compared to what it cost new which is essentially the same. I got weak and bought another good one on "Buy Now" for $35 LOL

Well it arrived and I must say its remarkably in better shape and cleaner then the first one I bought. It seem to have new parts on it that are not like the other I received. The plunger looks and acts new (not bent), the impeller is strait not curved and the housing is clear. The guy must of likes ceramic rings cause I got enough for two trays full. The side latches are different as they have no hanging cogs but simple cam locks. The O-ring looked new and still had white powder on it. The bad and I was warned it has no stock intake or out flow fixtures but rather besides the hoses some elaborate 5 piece spray bar kit, fly in the ointment LOL. And lastly the sponges are missing cause he said they were too dirty to send-TO ME! Now I just have to order some end hardware to get things rolling. Other then that its a great deal at $35

"WANNA Buy!, a fixture for my outflow"
"WANNA Buy!, a swivel for my in-flow"
"wanna buy, a spongy for my 404, Ill find it on Ebay...."

 

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

All the parts you need are available on ebay do a search for the sponges there is 1 guy who way under cuts the other sellers on them and has dirt cheap shipping I buy from him and hes fast. And today I got a great deal on a fluval 405 it was a local guy who was asking 35.00 or best offer of course I had to get right over and check it out fired it up ran perfect but had a real slow leak due to a damaged top seal. I said oh it needs a new gasket he said well hows 25.00 for it I said SOLD lol so I just finished ordering a new seal for 7.99 and free shipping so in a few days it will be up and running

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

All the parts you need are available on ebay do a search for the sponges there is 1 guy who way under cuts the other sellers on them and has dirt cheap shipping I buy from him and hes fast. And today I got a great deal on a fluval 405 it was a local guy who was asking 35.00 or best offer of course I had to get right over and check it out fired it up ran perfect but had a real slow leak due to a damaged top seal. I said oh it needs a new gasket he said well hows 25.00 for it I said SOLD lol so I just finished ordering a new seal for 7.99 and free shipping so in a few days it will be up and running

Thanks Rod, glad to see you have a sense of humor LOL. I will definitely look into that mosh skosh.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

today I got a great deal on a fluval 405 it was a local guy who was asking 35.00 or best offer of course I had to get right over and check it out fired it up ran perfect but had a real slow leak due to a damaged top seal. I said oh it needs a new gasket he said well hows 25.00 for it I said SOLD lol so I just finished ordering a new seal for 7.99 and free shipping so in a few days it will be up and running

Oh I forgot to say congrats on a super deal, I'm going to have to get you to place me in your will lol, just kidding.

 

[rinmouse]

Hi there,

oddly enough I started a thread just today about problems with my Fluval. I had some leakage problems, (which when I googled it -seemed to be VERY common) bought a new o ring and then it seemed to work just fine...

until two weeks later when the power went out when we were camping and 404 emptied my fish tank onto my livingroom floor... So now I totally don't trust it and want to get a new filter.

 

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

after reading your leak flooding problem on your other thread/post i did a test on my 404's and 405's i unplugged them just like a power failure would and just waited 3 hrs to see if any leaked.......I'm glad to say there wasnt any leaks but i will keep a eye out for any and test them again in 6 months for leaks.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

When it comes to being almost problem free with something you are in "the know" about, something you completely understand whether it be mechanical or a certain type of craft, business, or baking donuts, someone who doesn't understand yet tries to conduct maintenance is going to have operator error problems.

Being an engineer the first thing I did on my used canister was to inspect the o-ring then grease all the O-ring and O-ring contact surfaces with petroleum jelly just like it says in the instructional video. I lubricate the valves so the are easy to open and close without snapping off (another common error complaint), I disassemble and lubricate all the hose fastener connections so they don't leak. I then practice installing and uninstalling the lid to make sure I understand how to evenly apply lid pressure so that the O-ring designed to seat itself and fall into place along the canister sealing edge and side fall in place evenly and properly. When people just cam the lid down without thinking about these they don't realize they may be pinching the O-ring just like pinching your fingers when not paying attention using tools. Almost all name brand filters that require disassemble, cleaning, maintenance, and reassembly require a cognitive understanding of how and why these pieces fit together and their relationship with water under pressure.

Even when you do everything right you should always test an assembled canister by shutting the power off so that tank water pressure can be tested against the canister ensuring a sound seal rather then having a power outage test the canister for you. Doing this doesn't eliminate a catastrophic failure outside your control, but it will eliminate over 99% of them.

All the advice I can give as a prior military man with respect to anyone because we have all been there when these things go wrong, is to learn and know your gear and maintain it properly and it will more often then not work for you without failure.:thumbsup: