CPR Auqatics HOB overflow repair

[pseudorand]

I have a CPR Aquatics CS102 HOB overflow on my 120. It stopped working today. When I did a water change, it was draining slow. In troubleshooting I was able to suck air out of it manually and get the siphon working, but when I hooked it back up to the Auqalifter pump, it didn't restart. I tried doing it manually again, but no dice. It seems pretty obvious it has an air leak, and the valve at the top where you suck the air out is the obvious place. I've put some silicon around it in the hopes of repair, but I won't know if that worked until it dries.

As far as I can tell, buying another one of these is my only option. I hate to do it, because that valve really is a very cheap piece of plastic that should have been designed better.

Does anyone have experience with these or any ideas other than buying a new one? At one point you couldn't even get one because the Aqualifter pumps were unavailable, but it looks like they're back in stock now.

For the record, I got almost exactly 2 years out of it. Not the most expensive piece of the hobby, but at over $265 I would have expected something a bit more durable.

 

[Peace River]

Is it possible to add acrylic glue (or comparable) around the problematic valve? I always had issue with the aqua-lifters but not the CPR HOB. I have had success with weld-on 4 and 16 with acrylic repairs. Good luck!

 

[pseudorand]

We'll, my silicone around the air out-take may have worked. It takes longer to get the siphon working now, but it does eventually come to balance with my Sicce return pump. There's a visible bit of air at the top of the overflow, but it shrinks it 1 cm or so within 10-15 minutes.

I bought a spare of the same CPR overflow just in case. I should probably put it in, but I've been too lazy.

For anyone considering the product, i guess I reluctantly recommend it, but only because if you're considering it at all it's because you can't drill your tank, and I think it's the only option that works (or is supposed to work) by just turning the power back on. I don't have experience with the ones that don't have a pump.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Life Reef for the WIN!

 

[pseudorand]

Life Reef for the WIN!

This: http://lifereef.com/siphon.html

First, how does it work? I get that a lot of the j tubes hold water if the flow stops so you can probably just turn the power back on and the siphon hasn't broken, but how do you start the siphon in the first place? Am I sucking on an airline that I have to fish up there? They claim safety first, but why is this unlike to stop the flow?

Second, where was this reply a few weeks ago before I bought the second CPR?

 

[Snoopy 67]

Second question first -- Did you ask for a better solution? If so I did not see it.
Years back when Supreme HOB filters with the motor in the box they had a cap for the siphon on a stick.
Unfortunately it has disappeared with the dinosaurs. I also used the airline.
Perhaps invert the siphon & wrap the end with glad wrap until it's in the box.
How it works -- the siphon is in a separate compartment that holds water above the siphon end.
Maybe Jeff @ LIfereef has a solution, he has been building them forever.
I still have a unit based on the same principal but it is a bear to ship because of the size.
IF you are close to me it's a bargain. Suffolk County LI.