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AC 70 Leaking?

2951 Views 11 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  justshoe, 
J
*** done some searching around and cant seem to find a solid answer or others with the situation so i thought i would post up. My 20G has an AC70 on it got it used from a friend. Had it on for about 4 days when i noticed my tank level was down about a gallon or so. So i looked to tank over from top to bottom and couldnt find a leak. But i noticed the puddles were directly under the filter. So i took it apart and found the oring on the motor was cracked and dry rotted. I replaced it and put a small amount of vaseline on it for some lube. Put everything back together and it ran for another two days for me to come home to the same water loss maybe more. I saw the same puddle directly under filter. I looked close at the motor but didnt see it coming out. It almost looked as if the water ran out from the top of the back side on the filter that was the only location i could see any water. Anyone else have this happen?
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N
Is the filter level? Is the media 'basket' assembly firmly in place? Sometimes if the 'basket' doesn't 'hook' properly to the piece that fits over the impeller it can rise up and cause overflow.

BTW& FWIW--vaseline (petroleum jelly) is an improper lube for o-ring material--It has a detrimental effect on most materials commonly used for o-rings. Use silicone based or if that's unavailable, vegetable oils in your kitchen are a better choice. Not applying anything is better than using vaseline.....

"Since petroleum jelly is oil-based, it interferes with the structure of latex. Using petroleum jelly with latex condoms weakens the material increasing the chance of rupture"--Wikipedia
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Joea
See if the water is overflowing over the top of the filter. This is a common problem with AC filters. As the media starts to fill with sludge, it can rise up in the water and cause a small overflow that can, in time, turn into a big leak.

I have a quick easy fix to prevent the basket from rising up. Glue a couple pieces of plastic above the handles.


nick a, I have to disagree with using Vaseline as a lubricant for o-rings. While petroleum jelly can have an effect on the structural integrity of latex, it doesn't affect rubber in the same way. I've used it on several filter o-rings and various rubber seals. It's effective and non-toxic, which may not be true of silicone based lubricants.
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N
Some samples of silicone lubes safe for tanks--and in general safer to use than the petroleum based products--which is why the manufacturers recommend silicone.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9708

http://www.eheim.com/base/eheim/inhalte/indexd718.html?key=neuigkeiten_31172_ehen
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J
Wondering if the basket is rising although its odd only because the filter has only been in use about a week or two with all new media. I just would not think it would be trying to float already. Also shouldnt where the basket catches the impeller cover help keep it in place? Maybe i'll have to try gluing a piece in and running the filter in a bucket for a few days to see what happens.
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shumway
Check the filter body over real good for fine cracks.

My ac70 had a very fine crack that you could barely see and it leaked out pretty good :(
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J
That more what im thinking might have happened. But i went over it pretty well using a flashlight and saw nothing. I think i may just keep it round for spare parts but otherwise i think im just junking it.
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moneygetter1
8) Buying used is always tricky. I'm leaning more toward the 'hairline' crack theory. I seem to remember an old '200' that had a crack right near where the motor twists to base. (I probably did it.) Testing it on a bucket isn't a bad idea. Maybe add some red food coloring to the water. (harmless) Good luck, 'T'
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J
Yea im thinking about the red dye idea may work. *** done the flashlight in a dark room thing to try and find the leak but it showed nothing. Im not to worried about it. I had it on my 20g and i ended up finding a brand new eheim 2026 like i have on my 44g off petsmart for 175shipped so im going to use that on the 55 and then swap over the other ac70 i have on it now to the 20g
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A
*** had the same problem with my ac50 that i got with my used tank i woke up one morning my carpet was wet and i was like what the heck and then i filled it up again to see if the tank was leaking and boom again water all over my carpet then i saw that it was my filter that i got so i just dont use that filter anymore :thumb:
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A
*** had the same problem with my ac50 that i got with my used tank i woke up one morning my carpet was wet and i was like what the heck and then i filled it up again to see if the tank was leaking and boom again water all over my carpet then i saw that it was my filter that i got so i just dont use that filter anymore :thumb:
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J
Could you ever tell exactly where it was coming from? for me this is pretty much a moot point cause *** already ordered new filter i would just like to find the fix to have it as a backup
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