When setting up our aquarium a couple years ago, I purchased a Hydor 250 canister style filter. The filter has been fantastic, performing flawlessly, and completely silent in our living room.
During the evening a couple days ago, I noticed that it wasn’t moving any water. I promptly unplugged the filter, and shut off the valves to and from the tank. I had just cleaned the filters 3 or 4 weeks earlier, but cleaned everything again, including the impeller. I did notice that the blades spun freely of the magnetic cylinder, but I couldn’t remember if that was the way it was supposed to be, but nothing appeared broken or damaged otherwise.
I cranked up the aeration in tank, and went online and found the Hydor website, and filled out a contact form, and explained my situation. The company is based in Italy, so I wasn’t expecting a response for a couple days, so after work the next day I went to Big Al’s here in Edmonton, expecting to buy a new canister filter. While looking at all the different filters, a saleperson came over to assist, and I explained what happened. They checked their parts and found they had no stock of the impeller for my particular model, so asked if I could bring the filter in and take a look.
Bringing the filter back to the shop, they immediately confirmed that the problem was with the impeller – and no, it wasn’t supposed to spin freely. They applied some aquarium safe adhesive to cement the impeller blades back onto the magnetic cylinder, we tested the filter in the store. It’s moving water again!
After I got back home and reconnected the filter to the aquarium, I checked my mail, and had a reply back from Hydor, asking for a photo of the impeller. I told them that I was able to get things resolved at Big Al’s, and told them about the repair. The next day, I got another reply, and they told me they are sending me a new impeller, at no cost!
I was very pleased with the Hydor filter to begin with, very impressed with their prompt replies, and very surprised about them sending me a new impeller! Big kudo’s to Big Al’s and to Hydor for their excellent customer After this experience, I think that I might add a second filter to the aquarium, just to be on the safe side!
UPDATE:  January 5th, 2018
The new impeller arrived today!  Thank you Hydor!