HELP!!!! Leak on 90 gallon!!

[traco]

PLEASE help. I had hooked up a AC 70 filter two days ago. Today when doing a water change, I notice inside the cabinet of the stand was some water. The motor to the filter was leaking slowly down the wiring, to the carpet and base of the stand!

The carpet is wet and the particle board on the stand is wet!!! Do I need to move the tank off the stand and vacuum with a wet/dry vacuum the carpet? Is the stand hooped now and will not be as strong?

[AmberC]

So its the filter that is leaking? Not the tank right?

Amber

[poconogal]

PLEASE help. I had hooked up a AC 70 filter two days ago. Today when doing a water change, I notice inside the cabinet of the stand was some water. The motor to the filter was leaking slowly down the wiring, to the carpet and base of the stand!

The carpet is wet and the particle board on the stand is wet!!! Do I need to move the tank off the stand and vacuum with a wet/dry vacuum the carpet? Is the stand hooped now and will not be as strong?
I don't think you have to worry about your cabinet. I had an AGA cabinet, the black enamel looking particle board one, that was in a flood. My house was flooded, I had 10 inches of water and the cabinet with tank on top was standing in the water. I used that cabinet for a year after that, and only stopped using it because I moved elsewhere. It was still nice and strong. In fact, about a year ago, I gave it to a friend of my husband's, who opened a tank and is still using that cabinet.

Connie

[wolfbane]

If it was mine Barb, I would move the stand and wet vac the carpet, the put a fan blowing on there for a day or two, depending how much water leaked. Mildew will get started if you don't DRY it out all the way. Assess the condition of the stand after it dries out, but may need to replace any damaged particle board, it tends to fall apart after a soaking.

[lhforbes12]

Barb,
First thing is to calm down, take a deep breath.
Your stand will be fine, don't worry about it (don't forget this is coming from a master cabinet maker).
1. Remove the filter
2. Take a towel and dry everything as best you can.
3. Take a hair dryer and dry the stand
4. Dry the carpet as best you can

Take the filter to a sink and disassemble it. Clean everything as well as possible. Reassemble. Put on the front of the tank to easily check if it's still leaking. If it is, remove it and get a different filter. I have heard stories like this often about AC's, usually it's just a matter of reassembling it correctly.

Larry

[tpl*co]

I agree with the rest. I had a problem with an AC when I had part of that biological media bag hang out of my filter and it was dripping due to capilary action!

Errr, I still don't have my rug completely dried off from my filter incident :(. Cases like these make you wonder about keeping tanks :(.

Tina

[Kindredspirit]

So its the filter that is leaking? Not the tank right?

Amber



I was wondering the same actually ~ Call me Barb if ya want:p

[traco]

Sorry, yes it is the filter, the motor itself. I could have not tightened it properly when I took it all apart or the seal itself is gone. I've done what you suggested Larry, about placing it on the front and I'll be watching it today to see if it still leaks.

I've wet/dryed the carpet, and now have a fan blowing on it. The baseboard heater is right there also. Too bad it is not winter or I'd have that one.

Lucky we have a wet/dry vacuum, although my husband bought it for automotive uses, not fish tanks.:p

Thanks all. My main concern was the stand itself; if it would crumble.

* and I had to squeal on myself to my husband about it leaking. I figured I incur his wrath over the phone rather than in person! No wrath so that was good:(

[marilyn1998]

Barb,

I took the motor off my AC110 to clean it and didnt get it seated right. I had refilled it and set it on my kitchen table while I cleaned the rest of the tank. I found the leak as I went to put it back on the tank. (good thing). Hope that is all it is.

Remember my thread about the vortex filter I was trying to get primed and it leaked all over my carpet twice?? Hubby had promised he would move out if I ever got THIS carpet full of mildew since he is very allergic. Well, I also squealed on myself as I figured better for him to stew a few hours before he got home from work rahter than it greet him when he got here. HE took it like a trooper since I was so upset about it.

That is a sign of a good hubby. Yours is one too! Good Luck! If you need a replacement filter I have one here just sitting in the basement you can have. I will ship. :)

[Alight]

Fortunately, you live in Canada, not Texas, so you probably can dry out your carpet without a mildew problem.

I'm guessing your problem is with the O ring that seals the motor assembly to the filter box. Take a good look at it. If you "pinched" it when putting it back in the box, you may have damaged it, and may have to replace it. I believe Fosters and Smith sells replacement rings, and so does Big Al's. It is best to lubricate these O rings with a bit of silicone grease, or petroleum jelly when you take the motor off to clean it and replace it.

Al Light

[traco]

Marilyn, it's nice to read there is someone out there like myself.:)

Al, thanks for that info about the seal. That is what happened. I either did not tighten the motor all the way or the seal was maybe pinched. It has been running on the front of the tank since this morning and no leaking so far. I've had a fan going on the carpet and even turned the baseboard heater on also. It is drying up quickly thank goodness.

Learned from this mistake. I now tell myself to always "inspect your tank thoroughly after any fiddling on anything to do with the tank!!!"

But in all this chaos, go check out my thread in "Breeding".:D

[AmberC]

* and I had to squeal on myself to my husband about it leaking. I figured I incur his wrath over the phone rather than in person! No wrath so that was good:(

But.. when they break something on the vehicle its ok right? lol.. I am glad you had the wet/dry to get that all cleaned up! I hope it doesn't start again.

I had the filter on my 55 (its a up to 70 AC) start leaking a while ago.. it was more of a drip tho, not a full on leak, but it was getting the floor pretty wet after a while (how I found it lol). I thought the leak was coming from the motor box too.. for like months.. but it turns out there is a crack in the side. :/

Amber

[CatKing]

Hi Barb,

I am sorry to hear your experience.

Anyway you have done a good job is to post your experience and alert all of us about what we should check after cleaning the AC filter.

Do make a serious assessment of your tank or at least even nothing had been happened, we should check our fishing tank and the stand periodically. Most of us used to be focus on if our discus are eating or swimming around or not and might forget these hidden risk.

Wish everything is fine.


Dennis