Any Way I Can Get Sand Outta My HOB?

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KittyKatFish100

KittyKatFish100

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 17, 2009
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Once upon a time I had two Topfin HOB filters. Then one fine day the newest of the two began to falter. It would make a dreadful noise unlike any I've ever heard. It ran fine, only once in awhile stopping but I could always get it to run again. But alas, I grew tired of it's dreadful noises, so I put it away in the laundry room thinking it would never be seen again.

Time has passed now. I've had many a filter, and good filters at that.. But today I realized that I needed one more. With no money in my pockets, and a dilemma on the horizon I decided to venture into my laundry room once more. There it sat, the Topfin, looking sad and unused. I decided that I would try to fix it.. but it was a venture that I couldn't do alone... and that is why I have posted this. I need the experience of you MONSTER FISH KEEPERS.

Upon inspecting my old filter I discovered some sand. Not much sand but I knew that it was the source of the horrid sounds. The sand was down deep inside the tiny hole where the impeller is inserted. Hoorah! I had found the problem.. but now what? I tried many things to get out the dreaded sand out, sloshing water in it, using a pipe cleaner, and still I could not get it out...

So, now to you. Can you help me? If it is futile then I will just have to deal with the loud sounds that come from it.. and thanks in advance. I know it was long to read and I hope writing it in a story telling fashion helped. Lol :ROFL:
 
So sand is where the rubber piece of the impeller is pushed in? If so, that is a pretty small hole. I would try a very very tiny piece of sand paper wrapped around a q-tip and try and sand it out.
 
No sand paper, just q-tip. Take the impeller apart as much as possible. Clean it thoroughly and soak the little parts in olive oil. It only takes a single grain of sand to create that grinding sound. The olive oil should help get it out. Note that your best effort to clean out the sand may not do it. Sometimes you need to run the filter for several hours before it clears out.
 
It's not in the impeller though. It's down in that little hole.. the filter ran doing that sound for awhile until I finally got tired of it and shut 'er down
 
Do you have an air compressor? Or those canned air things for electronics? You can try blasting it out with a few jets of air.
 
PostalPenguin;4520524; said:
Do you have an air compressor? Or those canned air things for electronics? You can try blasting it out with a few jets of air.
Click to expand...


Yes, I would use air. It may be that you can go to your local gas station and use their air for the purpose?
 
Yeah, I was thinking air might work. I almost went and got a straw to blow in it before but its still wet. I do have an air compresser so I could try that. Thanks!
 
Ha ha.. well I went and blew in it with a straw just for the heck of it. The sand appears to be gone now but won't know if its fixed until I use it. I'll post the result here

P.S. I'm light headed right now lol
 
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