Long hair lesson

[illiswiller]

Anybody else with long hair & impeller problems?
I just learned a serious lesson in tank maintainence! I have little longer than shoulder length blonde hair that is hard to see in the water - but I realize that sometimes it falls into the tank during cleaning or is on my hands or arms (b/c I find it stuck to the bottom of the filter intake (wrapped on the basket) Anyways, I ususally clean out my Penguin 125 filter and rinse the impeller and wheel every couple months. But I dont' take it apart in little pieces....

So suddenly yesterday I smell a burning motor and realize it's coming from the 10 gallon QT tank - the filter stopped! I couldn't figure out what the heck the problem was....

I can't see anything wrong after rinsing and cleaning - but low and behold UNDER the little blue impeller wheel were a couple strings of hair wrapped tight - It took forever to get them out w/ a tweezer. I have no idea how long it was stopped and burning up....I'm just lucky it didn't break!
Lesson learned - look UNDER the wheels and rotating parts if you (or your partner) have long hair! (and check your carpet vaccumm too!)

 

[vtmechie]

Thanks for the tip. I have long hair too, but I never thought about it getting caught in the impeller. Long hair can be bad for vacuum cleaners too

 

[MamaBarb]

AMEN! :bowing:

I have lite brown hair down to the middle of my back - and bcuz I have "natural" gravel substrate, strands of my hair are also hard to see. I used to have to clean it off the bio wheels as well as the impellers, until I got smart and started putting my hair up in a pony anytime I needed to open the lids on the tank.


BTW - I also burned up 3 belts for the beater brush on my vacuum cleaner - until I wised up and started cleaning the brush every time I use the vacuum!

 

[Dragon Queen]

Does that apply to cannisters as well?
illiswiller do you have a sponge on your intake?
My parents had a Kirby, but they had to keep rebuilding the motor because of me when I was still at home.

 

[Maj0rFiSh]

Jus got my hair cut.

 

[Ems]

Good to know... my hair is down to my mid-back, so I'll keep this in mind

 

[racingjason]

The hair on my head is 1/2"... will this be a problem? Of course my back hair might be of concern since it is 15" long.

 

[FishKeeper-16]

I have seen my hair in my impellers on my 2 penguin 125 filters but I never had a problem with them interfearing with the operation of the filter, but it is best to clean it though.

 

[illiswiller]

Hi Dragon Queen - I'm not sure if it would affect canisters or not....but I would guess so - I'll surely check my canister in the future just in case. Maybe someone w/ mechanical engineering can tell us?

As for a sponge on the intake - I'm not sure how to do this w/ a penguin - off the top of my head I can't think of a way to add a sponge to the intake before the impeller without impeding flow?? It'd be a good precaution though - Ideas Anybody?

MamaBarb - I'm going to check my biowheel - jeeze hadn't thought of that one either! YIKES

Thanks