HagenKB

Fluval Hose Lock leaks

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium.

Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium.

Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi
The Fluval 03 series has been discontinued for quite some time and it is difficult to troubleshoot it accurately without actually looking at it. Thus, I suggest you inspect the area around the hose locks very carefully. We have had very few instances during the original lifecycle of the product where there were air leaks, there were a few areas to inspect and check off that may help. This can also be a similar problem for newer versions of the Fluval Canister filters.

1) Is there an air pump in the aquarium. Air pumps, even if they do not appear to be creating bubbles in the siphon area, can often be trapped by the intake and make it appear that there is an air leak in the system since air continually gets expelled. Shut any aeration devices off and let the tank operate for an hour or so to see if the air input is actually being generated by them. To expel air trapped in the output areas, shake the unit vigorously to allow air to be mixed into the output water. This may have to be done occasionally for a number of hours, if not days to expel all trapped air.

2) Was the unit serviced recently and new filter media added. Filter media such as Carbon and filter floss retain a lot of trapped atmospheric gasses when they are added to a closed system. Follow the procedure above to eliminate any trapped air as the gasses are expelled form the media as it becomes fully waterlogged.

3) Ensure that the hose lock nut is not damaged. The Hose Lock nuts have been designed to be hand tightened only. If they are tightened with a tool they can break the nut and allow it to never be properly tightened.

4) Ensure the actual shaft from the motor head is not cracked or broken. Even if properly tightened, if the outlets are cracked and are below the hose, air can be drawn into the system just like the Venturi of a Power Head. Ensure there is no breakage of the outlets from the motor head that might offer this problem.

5) It may not be the hose lock nits at all. Ensure that the hoses from the aquarium are intact and there are no small punctures that could be drawing in a airstream as the water passes. One way to check this might be to exchange the hoses, input to output and vice versa and see if the problem persists. If it does not, there is a possibility that the hoses are the culprit not the seal from the hose lock nuts.

Hope that gives you an idea of what to look for in the closed system. Most of these checks can also be used for the later versions of the Fluval as well.

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Hagen

Fluval Hose Lock leaks

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium. Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium. Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium.

Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi

A friend who no longer runs an aquarium recently gave me one of your Fluval 403 Filters for my 35 gallon aquarium.

Problem is: I cannot seem to get a water tight lock between the in- and out- take hose lock and the hose luck nut. What am I doi