Aqua Clear HOB Spilling Onto Floor?

[Toby_H]

I'm starting a new thread to prevent derailing another current thread in this folder…
　

Also be careful with the felt. If the felt clogs and the water has no way around the media then the filter will over flow onto your floors.

　
I've heard this many times... but have never experienced it despite using many Aqua Clear HOBs...
　
So I started looking at and toying with an AC 110 that is in use trying to understand how / why it would spill onto the floor... and I think I did...
　
When we buy a new Aqua Clear HOB, they come with a little black tab thingie. It plugs into the bottom of the filter and is used to hold the bottom of the HOB out away from the aquarium.
　
If we choose not to use this the filter will not sit level. This will allow the back of the filter to sit lower than the front.
　
When this happens… and the media clogs a bit… restriction increases thus raising the water level in the HOB… If the back wall of the HOB is lower than the point where the intake tube comes into the HOB… then it will overflow out the back and onto the floor…
　
But if the HOB is kept level, or tilted forward even, then the break where the intake tube comes into the filter is lower than the back wall of the HOB. This way when the media clogs a bit and the water level rises… the water will spill out where the intake tub comes into the filter, thus spilling the water back into the tank, not on the floor…
　
Naturally water spilling out of the HOB at the Intake tube means that water is not filtered through media, and is therefore not a good thing. So when we notice this happening, or hopefully before then, we can rinse the media, thus allowing the water level in the HOB to drop back down to where it’s supposed to be and the filter performs as designed.
　
I must admit though, I’ve lost just about all of the little black tabs that came with my Aqua Clears. Most of mine are held away from the aquarium by pieces of plywood I’ve cut from scraps.

 

[bigspizz]

I think you are correct.

I have also noticed my media tray floating all together, just from lack of maint. One time the water was just at the edge of the back, and looked to have spilled a few drops. I have all of my AC's level.


The one part I did throw away on ALL of my AC's was that thing that connects the intake snug against the impeller...I think that also leads to the water being in the wrong side of the filter.


My AC 70's seem to have the most issues. Maybe 1 or 2 issues with a 20 none with the 50 or the 110.

 

[slimmer]

I lost most of mine also but find an old cassette tape box works well.

 

[spaulding]

i try to keep my acs tilted forward just a bit for the ease of sleep factor.

 

[bigspizz]

I think they work at their optimum ability when they are level.

 

[tcarswell]

Good call. I keep mine level. Ive never (Crosses fingers) had water come out near the intake or a tray float. But I use the sponge then 2 - 250 ml bags of purigen in 180 micron bags then a bag of substrate pro. No real special micron media.
I was curious to see why hybridtheory does not like his aquaclear as he mentions in his sig. I love mine.

 

[fishbum]

So basically,use as directed.

 

[Toby_H]

Most of mine tilt just a touch forward... It's one of those, "error on the side of safety" things.
　
I almost listed a host of other items I've used to tilt them, but thought that paragraph was just distracting. The one HOB I was toying with before writing this is propped up by a hand held pencil sharpener
　
　
Hybridtheoryd - I hope you don’t mind me pulling your quotes from one thread to another. Also, I mean no disrespect, it’s simply that your words inspired my ponderings that I decided to share…
　

Feel free to test it. I will give you a guarantee that the gap by the tube can't handle 500gph.
　
I wrapped my sponge in a 5 micron sheet. Installed in the filter and 3 days later
the floor was soaked. I am sure that if I did not catch it when I did that the filter would have continued to overflow until the water level dropped below the intake.
　
The ac line of filters do not offer the (fail safe) safety feature that all other HOB filters have.
　
I caused the overflow no doubt about it. I was just trying to implement the little tricks that work so well for other filters.
　
Lesson learned don't tinker with the ac110. And never trust one on hardwood floors again.

　
I generally clean my AC110 media every week, so I don’t often have to deal with clogged media… At least I haven’t in a long time (I’ve learned my lesson with not cleaning filters).
　
Your (Hybridtheory’s) words were posted in a thread where we were talking about using felt, batting and other things to more thoroughly filter water with Aqua Clear HOBs. Which is a very relevant point here…
　
Typically, a level AC will clog slowly thus the water level inside will slowly rise. Then we will have plenty of opportunity to notice the water spilling through the intake gap. In situations where we are exploring the use of finer media, naturally it will clog much faster. Which means the gap in the front may quickly be over burdened with over spilling water. In which case it could spill out elsewhere.
　
If the filter is perfectly level, it could spill over anywhere…
　
If the filter is tilted slightly to the front, meaning the back wall is slightly higher than the back wall… then it will spill over to the front, thus spilling into the aquarium.
　
Always keeping in mind though, that when water is spilling over anywhere, it is bypassing the media and thus not benefiting from any of the media used. So cleaning media often enough to prevent overflows is ideal…
　
　
Hybridtheoryd - Again, no disrespect and thank you for inspiring thoughts. Although I knew to use the tabs or some replacement, I had never thought the reasoning through quite that far. I now better understand my filters thanks to you

 

[cozmo]

The one part I did throw away on ALL of my AC's was that thing that connects the intake snug against the impeller...I think that also leads to the water being in the wrong side of the filter.

so removing this part has no effect on flow?

 

[bigfishrcool1193]

my ac 70 started to leak just like you guys have stated..

it was because I added the ammonia remover with the sponge, carbon, and bio media. making the amount of media 4 instead of 3, thus the water lever rose to the back and started to slowly overflow all over our wood floors.... fun to clean up