# leaking canisters



## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

I want to know how many of you expierienced a leaking canister..I think that this problem a lot more common than I thought.Also vaseline does not always solve the problem as I have recently found out.Does warranty cover you for this?


----------



## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

i'm assuming you're refering to a canister filter that's leaking. usually it's because of a damaged/old o-ring, and normally vaseline will help. if that's not the case, you can just easily get another one from the store you purchased your filter from.


----------



## cstevens75 (Dec 12, 2008)

i currently have a leaking c 360. when i first bought it about a month ago it would suck air when it was running and when it was turned off it would leak out water. so i contacted marineland and within about a little over a week i got some replace parts. i put the parts on and it now leaks constantly easily well over a few gallons a day. so i emailed them again and am now waiting for a reply. overall i would say that the c series filter is a poor design but i am impressed with customer service. if a filter is leaking the manufactur should take care of it under warrenty. i think that i am switching over to rena


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I agree, the o-ring is usually the problem when they leak.
They just plain wear out after a while, so it's always a good part to have on hand.

What type of filter do you have?
I use Ehiems and they are pretty reliable, but if you need a source for their parts, let me know and I'll provide the link. 

Wow freydo, I hope you can get that issue resolved.


----------



## ching4ever (Apr 9, 2005)

I bought a cheap canister filter few years back, it was running fine on my 4ft planted tank. At first it does leak a bit but then it stop and running perfectly after that, been serving me for years. Recently the 4ft tank has been tear down and that filter has been used on a 2ft tank. Due to it was designed for 4ft tank, I had reduce the outflow to half of it, it was running fine for few months and then suddenly it start to give leaking problem, put some silicone oil on the o-ring, served me another month and it just kept on leaking. Bought myself a Eheim 2213 for the 2ft tank, put this filter to one of my 4ft gold fish tank, switched back the outflow to normal and no more leaking. I guess sometimes you might to check if the pressure is acceptable by the tank itself or not too.


----------



## goldfishes (Nov 26, 2008)

My Eheim is leaking right now. The outlet valve is leaking and I have not been able to get it to stop with the Vaseline either.


----------



## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

It seems that leaking is part of the game.period.A good canister is a canister which does not leak and not one that keeps working for years.Who cares if you have to change a canister every 3 years?


----------



## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

:laser:leaking canisters


----------



## goldfishes (Nov 26, 2008)

Good ole duct tape got rid of my leak!


----------



## trackhazard (Sep 20, 2006)

I would be hesitant to use vaseline on rubber o-rings as vaseline can vulcanize certain types or rubber (same reason why you don't use it on condoms).

Most manufacturers (including Eheim) recommend silicone based lubricants.

Charlie


----------



## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

Where can I find such a thing?


----------



## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

JanS said:


> Wow freydo, I hope you can get that issue resolved.


ummm... huh?


----------



## trackhazard (Sep 20, 2006)

You should have no trouble finding silicone based lubricants at any hardware stores or auto parts stores. Your local drugstore or Walmart/Target should also carry it.

Charlie


----------



## intothenew (Aug 1, 2008)

As has been said, auto parts stores for spray silicone lubricant. You can also get it at sporting goods stores, I use it on bows and some gun parts, it has very little scent. 

I do worry that the o-ring is damaged. If that is the case, I doubt spray silicone will fix it. I use it as a preventative measure only, to lube for assembly and not damage the o-ring. It is an extremely thin lubricant.

Leaks I have always fixed with vasoline until I could get a new o-ring.



And I must comment on the condom, we just had the plumbing reconfigured years ago to take care of that issue.


----------



## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

Buy a new filter.

Two things to do until then.
1. Latch the filter closed when it is empty. The fill the canister with water. It can make a difference.
2. Wrap the seam in waterproofing tape such as:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100206050&N=10000003+90048
or
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100197267&N=10000003+90048

I've used the stretching Silicone Sealing Tape with great success.


----------

