Aquaclear 50 Noise Fixes Aren't Working

Hey everyone, I've got an Aquaclear 50 that's making a terrible noise from the impeller/motor area and I can't seem to get it to stop. I've tried the fixes I found online and Youtube (vaseline on impeller shaft, impeller shaft has zero wear as it hasn't been used much, I have plumbers tape under the impeller as well to keep it from rattling) and I can't figure out what to try next. Is it time to buy another filter? Really sucks that I haven't hardly used it and it sounds awful already.

 

I've always speculated that Aquaclears have a certain resonance by nature, where vibrations from the impeller somehow is amplified through the plastic body under some circumstances.

After I had fixed some duct work in our attic, I had some duct sealant putty left over.

Our Aquaclear 110 would make the usual noises intermittently that everyone describes.

I tore off some pieces of the duct putty and rolled them up in little balls the size of 2 erasers at the end of pencils.

I placed them on the rI'm where the lid fits on. Basically one on each corner and one on the middle of the back and sides. Then I press down the lid onto the putty, which acts like a cushion.

I then rolled up 3 larger balls of the putty, maybe between the size of a nickel and quarter. I pressed them up onto the outer plastic reservoir body on the left/right sides and on the bottom.

The result is that the sound has been eliminated mostly with only an intermittent noise. When it does make some noise, it sounds nothing like it did before.

I believe the mass of the putty is absorbing the resonance.

Very similar how automakers lay down sheets of adhesive mastic material on the floor boards of cars to absorb road noise.

I got the idea from the car audio world and the use of products like Dynamat to absorb noise and reduce panels from shaking.

Here is a LINK to the duct sealant putty I bought from Home Depot.

 

Fast check, take the top off. Noise stops? If not, yeah it's your motor most likely.

 

Fast check, take the top off. Noise stops? If not, yeah your motor most likely.

No, the noise does not stop after removing the lid. I can get the noise to stop, or lessen to a great degree, if I empty the filter, remove the motor, start the motor dry, then as it's running put it back in the filter and add water. If I have to unplug the filter or shut if off for any reason then the noise comes back. It's super annoying. My Aquaclear 110 is doing the same thing, but I couldn't get that noise to stop at all. Maybe it's time for a different brand? Any suggestions?

 

Well let's not get too excited yet. Could be just a bad impeller.

First both are covered under Aquaclear's warranty. So I would call them and have them send you 2 new motors. As far as a different brand, the Seachem Tidal series are great for the benefits over all other HOB's.

Store has the best price I've heard on the web.

 

Well let's not get too excited yet. Could be just a bad impeller.

First both are covered under Aquaclear's warranty. So I would call them and have them send you 2 new motors. As far as a different brand, the Seachem Tidal series are great for the benefits over all other HOB's.

Store has the best price I've heard on the web.

I emailed their customer service. I'm not up to speed on how long their warranties last. I guess I'll find out.

 

I emailed their customer service. I'm not up to speed on how long their warranties last. I guess I'll find out.

I'm sure they will be able to send you a $2 pump.

 

Is the impeller in check? 3 or 4 blades (depending on model) and they seem balanced? Have you tried cleaning the impellor chamber with qtips or a bottle brush? I'm assuming so, but just in case.

I have mostly ACs on my smaller tanks, they are silent and I have them in my bedroom. Something is off for sure.

 

Is the impeller in check? 3 or 4 blades (depending on model) and they seem balanced? Have you tried cleaning the impellor chamber with qtips or a bottle brush? I'm assuming so, but just in case.

I have mostly ACs on my smaller tanks, they are silent and I have them in my bedroom. Something is off for sure.

Yeah, impellers on both my Aquaclears appear to be good. I did use Qtips to clean out the impeller chambers on both as well.

 

if their customer service won't cooperate with you, you can order a whole new one from Amazon or the retail pet stores. keep the box, receipt, instruction manual, etc, wait a week or two, then return the old one. They'll give you a full refund for a faulty product, or at least store credit.

 

The Vaseline fix (for others) is :

Take the motor off, remove the impeller. (just twist the motor housing a little and it comes right off).

Clean (rinse in tank water) the impeller and motor shaft.

Insert a tiny bit of Vaseline in the shaft, then insert the impeller and spin around so it's coated.

Totally silent thereafter. Seems to work indefinitely.

Is that how you did it? Worked for me.