Hey guys what's up? So about a month ago I installed a Fluval Q1 air pump for tanks up to 80 gallons (in my 60 gal) to only a single 24 inch bubble wall line. It was a bit noisy at first but it quieted down after a few hours and hasn't been an issue since. Tonight I unhooked it for a few hours while doing a substrate change on the tank, and when I hooked it back up... Ho. Lee. Crap. The thing sounds like it's going to rattle itself apart. Can be heard rattling throughout my entire apartment even with the tv blaring. Tried placing it up higher above the water level and sitting it on a sponge. Nothing. Then I did some experimenting and realized that if I just stick the hose/hoses directly in the water, no sound at all. However, as soon as I try to connect them to the bubble wall or another bubbler I have, all hell breaks loose again. Again, it was no where near this loud before unhooking it for a few hours. Any idea what's going on or how I can fix this? I'm very inexperienced with air pumps so I haven't a clue. Thanks guys.
Sudden severe rattling with new Fluval Q1 air pump
- Thread starter Jriley
- Start date
What substrate did you have before the change and what did you switch to?
Is it possible your wand was clogged during this change? It sounds like the pump is encountering more resistance than it was previously.
Is it possible your wand was clogged during this change? It sounds like the pump is encountering more resistance than it was previously.
Hello; This sounds like too much restriction in the lines somewhere . I have had to vent some air to the room to prevent this. If you do not have a gang valve that may be a good investment. Over the years I have amassed a collection of such valves.
If you are getting plenty of bubbles out of the bubble wall line that would indicate there is not a restriction.
The pump is likely putting out more air than can flow thru the bubble wall creating backpressure, so some of the air needs to be sent somewhere else. Maybe more air operated stuff or vent some into the room.
A note, running an air pump with a enough restriction to cause it to rattle will shorten the life of the soft parts inside. I do not know about your pump but some have replacement parts available so do not throw it away until you check.
Good luck
If you are getting plenty of bubbles out of the bubble wall line that would indicate there is not a restriction.
The pump is likely putting out more air than can flow thru the bubble wall creating backpressure, so some of the air needs to be sent somewhere else. Maybe more air operated stuff or vent some into the room.
A note, running an air pump with a enough restriction to cause it to rattle will shorten the life of the soft parts inside. I do not know about your pump but some have replacement parts available so do not throw it away until you check.
Good luck
Hey thanks man I agree I think it's too much back pressure. I tried plugging another hose into the second nozzle and just letting that air escape into the room but it didn't make a difference. And like I said it's doing it whether connected to the bubble wall OR another bubbler that I tried. So it seems that apparently hooking it to anything creating bubbles is causing too much back pressure. Which is pretty ridiculous considering that's what it's made for. It appears to be creating the right amount of bubbles when hooked up to something, it just starts rattling like crazy. So how does the gang valve work? I can go buy one, just not familiar with how to use it.
hello; An air valve is a way to adjust and direct the amount of air flowing thru it. Most can be adjusted from allowing all the air a tube size can flow to down to no air at all. Think of a faucet on a sink and water flow.
Now picture linking several of the valves together. I have them with four valves built together. So it is a gang of valves. The air comes in the common tube and each valve can be adjusted from zero flow to wide open. Hook an output tube to each valve and run the tubes where you want air. Open and close the valves to adjust the flow.
Hello; Sorry to say but seems likely the air pump has been damaged from the restrictive back pressure. Sometimes they can be repaired. I have taken a few apart.
Inside likely will be a U shaped metal construct with electrical wire wrapped around it. The wall current runs in the wire coils making an electromagnet. I think the alternating current (AC) which reverses at 60 cycles per second is a key to the function.
facing the U shaped metal likely will be a thin strip of metal with a permanent magnet attached at the end. That magnet will be close to but not quite touching the metal U. As the AC runs in the coils and reverses it causes the magnet to be pulled first one way and then back the other 60 times a second. This makes the thin metal strip vibrate.
Attached to that thin metal strip in various fashions will be a rubber cup of some sort. Usually there are two such rubber cups, one on each side of the metal strip. These rubber cups are the first thing to check. They may have splits or cracks in them and if so are ruined. This is where you start checking to see if the pump has a rebuild kits available.
If the rubber cups are still good then you have to look into the control body the rubber cups are attached to. Inside that control body will likely be found some small flat and very flexable silicone strips which cover holes. These silicone strips essentially control the movement of air into and out and forcing it to move only one way. These strips may be damaged but often are only dirty. I have cleaned a few and gotten air pumps to work again.
As always you are the biggest help around. I'm going to take it to the LFS tomorrow and have them look at it. They said they have a guy who's an expert at them who can take a look. Hopefully he can figure it out. So, just to make sure I'm understanding. Presumptively, the particular air pump is likely too powerful for the bubblers I have tried attaching it to, so it's pushing more air through than they can take causing it to back up. Correct? So perhaps making a valve set up like you described above would allow me to have some of the air redirected and just spraying out into the room, lessening the load entering the bubble wand, right?
