Pentair Lifegard Fluidized Bed Filters

scissorfight

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2006
23
0
0
Norway
I just felt it would be right to give a general warning about these filters.

They are horrible contraptions when it comes to 'priming' and restarting because of inefficient 'mock-backflow-valves', but that is not the biggest problem.
Today I found that my last Fluidized Bed Filter (FB300) was leaking, just like my two FB900s did 6 months ago. This time the result was about 100 liters of water under the floor boards.

What happes is that the bottom plate is halfheartedly glued to the base and in time it starts to spilt open.

Even though I love the concept this must be the worst quality product I have ever had my hands on. The fist impresstion when you take it out of the box is not very reassuring, but you'd think that "surely, it cannot be that bad, they would not make/sell them if there was a good chance for it emptying your tank onto the floor", apparently I was wrong.

I will never trust anything that is labeled Pentair again.

PS: When I contacted Pentair with my problems with filter no1 they tol me to glue the bottom plate back on... HA!
 

dde1878

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 17, 2008
523
1
0
madera, ca
thanks for the heads up. i wont be buying any of pentair's products either. customer service is what sells me and apparently they don't believe in that.
 

Fish Eat Fish

Piranha
MFK Member
Sep 24, 2007
1,917
48
81
Mankato
thats why DIY is such a miracle

In thpse situations I know and trust the manufacturer...not to toot my own horn lol
 

Nic

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Oct 8, 2005
15,790
14
119
outside philly
mine started to leak but i move it into my sump.... you need to get a better check valve cause the one they give you is junk..mine is no longer in service and im gonna diy one for my next set up..
 

unknownuza13

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 27, 2005
1,580
3
0
43
Sorry to hear about the problems with yours. I can't argue with the priming issue. They are a royal pain to get started. Once they are running though, they are terrific. I have three running on my tanks for close to three years with no problems.
 

fishdance

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Jan 30, 2007
1,788
952
150
They re-start much easier if they are kept at water level. Actually I hang them inside tanks so both leaking and restarting problems are minimised.
 
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