Filter Maintenance - All Pond Solutions 1400EF Instruction Manual

O-rings
It is vital that O-rings are regularly inspected and replaced as the rubber
watertight seal will perish over time, which may cause your canister to leak.
Before replacing your o-rings, ensure they are well lubricated.

Filter Maintenance

In general, it is recommended to disconnect your filter and clean the pipes,
impeller and filter media monthly. Pipework will become blocked with waste
and protein slime over time, so regular cleaning is important for optimal
performance.
The frequency of how often you will need to clean and inspect your unit of
course will depend on a lot of factors like how dirty the water is when you first
start using an external filter, the volume of your water and also how many fish
you have. How often you feed your fish and how long your lighting is on for will
also affect how quickly your aquarium water gets dirty and will need to be taken
into consideration when planning how often to clean your external filter.
Impeller and Shaft
A clogged impeller is often the primary cause of all filter faults, so it is extremely
important to clean and inspect your impeller every month to ensure it is
functioning correctly and remove any debris. Keeping the impeller clean will
improve the performance of your filter and lengthen the life of the motor. The
impeller itself is a perishable part and will be subject to wear and tear overtime.
As a result, it is also very important to replace your impeller and ceramic shaft
annually.
To gain access and clean your impeller and shaft open up
the filter (disconnect the pipes and turn the filter off). You
should be able to then see the impeller through an impeller
guard in the middle of the motor head. Turn the impeller
guard and pull it away and out of the motor head - you will
then have full access to the impeller and shaft.
Simply wash this and clean this with your aquarium water (from a water change)
- whilst doing this you will be able to check that the impeller and shaft are both
in good condition. When returning this to the motor head ensure this is seated
correctly with the two rubbers on either end of the shaft (sometimes the
rubbers stay in the holes that they fit into and will not be obviously evident when
first removing the impeller and shaft).