Eclipse 12 Filter Pump Not Working

D

dimsem

Getting Feet Wet
Dec 25, 2004
43
0
0
Norfolk VA
I just noticed that the filter in my Eclipse 12 is not moving water. The pump makes a kind of grinding noise, but no water is moving up into the filter area. It would be tomorrow before I get to the store to exchange it. I assume that this thing doesn't really have any user serviceable parts, but I thought I would ask for ideas. Marineland has no CS hours today.

Edit: I let my bio-wheel float free in the tank, for the bacteria. Was that sensible?
 
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One thing to try is take the power head off and pull the vertical intake tube from the unit. Thoroughly rinse and clean the impeller tube as best you can. A small pipe cleaner or small bristle brush should work fine. It sounds as if your impeller is dirty and gunk has frozen it. The same thing happens to my Eclipse 12 impeller about every 12-18 months.

My money is on the dirty impeller theory, lol. Let us know how it turns out.

Good luck!
 
Rebgen said:
One thing to try is take the power head off and pull the vertical intake tube from the unit. Thoroughly rinse and clean the impeller tube as best you can. A small pipe cleaner or small bristle brush should work fine. It sounds as if your impeller is dirty and gunk has frozen it. The same thing happens to my Eclipse 12 impeller about every 12-18 months.

My money is on the dirty impeller theory, lol. Let us know how it turns out.

Good luck!
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Mine is only a 1 month old! Still, this could be it, thanks.

Edit: I appreciate the suggestion, but it was clean as a whistle. :(
 
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dimsem said:
Mine is only a 1 month old! Still, this could be it, thanks.
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Okay, then maybe I won't bet as much money now....LOL! Try the impeller cleaning and check back. Hopefully you'll be up and running in a few minutes.
 
Rebgen said:
Okay, then maybe I won't bet as much money now....LOL! Try the impeller cleaning and check back. Hopefully you'll be up and running in a few minutes.
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You posted just as I edited. So that everyone sees it, no, the impeller was clean. I bet the motor burned out. :(
 
Well doesn't THAT suck?! I'm sorry your motor flamed out. I'm glad you'll at least have a warranty to ease the pain a bit. Good thinking in getting your bio-wheel in the water so fast. I just wish the simple fix took care of the problem. Hang in there.
 
Can the fish make it until tomorrow without the filter? I have no idea how long they could go.
 
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Unless your fish are very sensitive, I'd guess you're going to be alright if you find a fix sometime tomorrow. You could always do a water change to stir things up and add some O2 if you're nervous. They should be fine.
 
Well, I'm back in action. It was a real hassle... and now I'm not sure that any of it was needed. Drove 12 miles to PetSmart, swapped out powerheads. FORGOT to get the impeller and the unit that holds it; I left those attached to the old powerhead. Drove another 12 miles back to PetSmart. :mad: Got what I needed. Drove back. Still didn't work. Took a drinking glass and started pouring water down into it from the top. Now it started working. Makes me wonder whether the old one would have started working again if I had thought to try that last night.

If there is a bright spot, it is that on the second trip the PS manager gave me the entire plastic bag that holds the impeller assembly. This means I got a free filter, some free food and chemicals, and some spare parts.

Anyway, thanks Rebgen for your help.
 
Thanks for the update. I'm glad you ended up all right and your tank is back in business again. Nice to hear the manager comped you a few things for the trouble. That kind of thing can go a long way towards encouraging you to come back for future purchases.

I'm assuming your fishies camped out in a quiet tank overnight and are doing well? Lucky for them you weren't on vacation, lol! ;)
 
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