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Re: System 1 Diatomaceous Earth Filter



Merrill Cohen said, in part:

> As the former manufacturer of the "System 1" Filter, I know that the
> motor
> is still the same!  You can run it continuously without any problems
> if you
> are getting a good flow!

I think this means that I can't walk away with it running unless I know
that I can get back within 3-4 hours because it will probalby clog in
that amount of time.  That might not be a problem for most folks.

>  The reason for the "4 hour" use is that it
> normally gets very dirty in that time and should be cleaned.  If it
> is dirty
> and the flow is minimal, then the motor is working against the filter
> (an
> really not doing much).  The filter does have a thermal cut-off,
> should it
> overheat;

Well, isn't the thermal cutout really to prevent risk of shock or fire
from overheating, as opposed to preventing excessive bearing wear?
I would prefer a moter that can withstand the load of a totally blocked
media -- that design feature would be a better guaranty to me.

> but you are not getting the benefit of diatomaceous
> polishing of
> the water if you run it extremely dirty.

Absolutely so.  But I'd rather not have to buy a timer to go with the
filter or, instead, make sure that I get back to it in 4 hours so that
I don't void the warranty or damage the thing.  Actually, I want to set
it up, go to bed, and let it run overnight. OR set it when I go to
work.

> You can shut it off, let the diatomaceous earth drop off and run it
> once
> more -- getting two runs out of one filling of the diatomaceous
> earth.

Because you get very little pass of diatoms while the media holder is
loading up, you can do this with very little fuss -- just turn it off,
wait a few secs for the gunk to drop, then turn it back on -- that
feature is very convenient.

> Regarding the person that has the squeeling noise from the belt, a
> dab of
> Vaseline (just a dab) on the belt will stop that instantly!

Apparently not if the the pully wheel/bearing themselves are making the
noise.

> I still find this filter to be the very best diatomaceous eart filter
> on the
> market and you will never get the powder in your aquarium using it
> properly

Well, actually, it's not totally difficult to get a little bit passing
by the media holder while it is loading up.  This happens if the media
holder doesn't seat just right on the nipple -- so technically, it is
not being used properly.  The hole in the media holder, where it fits
on the nipple can become enlarged with use -- this is a situation that
calls for a few winds of duct tape to enlarge the diameter of the
nipple.  But very little leaks in these situations, anyway.

IMO, the basic design is a great advance over the basic canister style
of the Vortex.  I just wish it had a tougher motor and quieter bearings
-- in fact I suspect that many that come off the line have quieter
bearings and I happen to have some that should have been caught in
Quality Control -- IMO.

I could live with that situation too, if I could get the company to
respond to emails with more than a wink and a feint.

Scott H.

> and cleaning it (which takes only a few minutes).

> If you have any other problems with this filter and can't get an
> answer from
> the "new" company, please feel free to write me directly.  I will try
> to
> help you  as I do like this piece of apparatus.



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