Help! Going to be giving up soon!

[Justikanz]

*Sigh* Dunno what went wrong with my Ehiem external filter. It's stopped moving water but the impeller is still moving. I didn't realise that the water is not being filtered till I was doing water changes and see that nothing is coming out of the outlet!

Switched off the filter and cleaned the filter (the water in the filter is hot!! *yikes*). Switched it back on and had a HARD time getting water to flow! Water flow reinstated after a long time (and alot of pespiration) but the water flow is VERY small... Then the impeller start to make funny noises! It was very late by then and I had to let it be for the time being.

What is the matter?? There was no instructions to open the impeller compartment and I dun wanna anyhow open and spoil the filter. Obviously, something is wrong with the impeller...

Furthermore, the filter is spewing alot of fine particles into the water (when it is working lah)! The surface skimmer attached to the inlet is not working well too... Arrgghh!!... I am really very frustrated with this filter. It is not cheap and yet is giving me a lot of problems...

Somemore I am sick these few days and this is really making me fell very stressed... Help?...

[confusekid]

Sound like you filter is air lock. Removed the surface skimmer and make sure the filter is working properly. ie not noisy and good flow rate.

Jack

[juggler]

Hey, relax....

Is filter flow all right now?

For the particles spewing out, maybe you did not put the top white piece of fine filter media well and left some holes where big chunks of debris are not filtered. Maybe put more or re-adjust.

Apart from the priming methods discussed here, can also try:

1) fill up cannister with water before closing.
2) connect the end of the filter output tube to the intake tube of a water changer (commonly those with a blue colour pump which you squeeze)
3) turn on the filter and start pumping to suck the water to begin the flow.

It should work.

Cheers!

[Justikanz]

Thanks... Really quite fed up... Things not being going the right way for the last month and when you are sick, everything seems at least twice as worse! Imagine feeling drowsy, headache, perspiring and aching all over and still have to deal with the wet floor, etc... *Sigh*...

The flow rate is still bad... impeller still making a lot of noise... Think I will attempt to break into the impeller compartment tonight after work and see if something is stuck to the impeller...

The white filter material on top seems not enough... I will try to see if I can add another piece of fine filtering material... Most important thing for me now is the flow rate...

[bclee]

which model Eheim do you have?

BC

[Justikanz]

Eh... Think its the 2026... Can't recall the model number... Checked the impeller, nothing stuck to it, but there's still zero flow... The indicator ball is always at the bottom... And there is A LOT of noise from the impeller area... Could it be that the impeller is spoilt? It looks ok leh... I am really fed up with this filter... Cost a lot, supposed to be good, yet in 6 months giving me problems liao... *grrr...* If not for the fact that impellers for Fluval cannot be found, I would not have changed the filter!

What IS wrong?!?!?!

[PeterGwee]

Is the priming proper in the first place? Did you check the impeller and shaft properly?

Regards
Peter Gwee

[Justikanz]

I am thinking, could it be that there's air trapped inside the filter due to the inlet tubing? But if there is air trapped, it should be expelled thru the outlet, right? There was some air being expelled when I was priming leh... Took the impeller out and nothing seems to be wrong with it...

[aquarius]

I think you should just bring over to Qian Hu service centre this weekend to let them check and solve the probelm for you.

[vinz]

I am thinking, could it be that there's air trapped inside the filter due to the inlet tubing? But if there is air trapped, it should be expelled thru the outlet, right? There was some air being expelled when I was priming leh... Took the impeller out and nothing seems to be wrong with it...

I can feel your frustration.

I'll PM my number later. Give me a call.

Meanwhile, it sounds like 2 things... either the impeller shaft is broken. Or something is creating an airlock.

1. Broken impeller shaft. Sounds like you already figured out how to open the impeller chamber. When you take out the impeller, there is a off-white ceramic rod in the middle of the impeller. Is it one piece (sorry, at this point I have to assume you know nuts and catch every possible problem)? It should be long enough to stick out of both ends of the impeller. If it's broken, give a call to any of the LFS that sells Eheim and ask if they sell the spares for your model (be sure of the model, else the length might be wrong. Worse case, bring the power head of the filter down).

2. Airlock. this happens when gases get into the filter.

2A. Are you injecting CO2 directly into the filter (some people do that to make the filter act as a reactor)? If so, stop that.

2B. Disconnect the skimmer. Eliminate this as a source of airlock.

2C. Check the seal between the filter chamber and the filter power head. Is the rubber-like o-ring (seal) in correct position and whether it is in good condition? The Eheim Pro and Pro II should come with a tube of vaseline. Apply some of that on the rubber seal. Every 3 to 6 months, my Pro series filter gets this problem... applying the vaseline always solves the problem.

If you have lost the tube, go to the supermarket or pharmacy and get the vaseline petroleum jelly like this one. Don't get those in the tall plastic bottles for moisturising hands, face, and what not.

[BFG]

Your surface skimmer is the source of the airlock. It is either you adjusted too much for the water to go through the top portion part of the surface skimmer than the bottom part. Bubbles of air are being sucked in through the top portion part and end up in the impeller compartment. Thus the airlock.

[kadios]

I faced the same problem with my 2026 before. It was only after serveral frustrations and trial and error that I learned how to remove air trap inside the filter. Here's what I do to remove the air.

Close the inlet and outlet valve
Switch off filter
Take out your outlet tubing and fill it with water until it is full
Use your thumb to cap the opening of the tubing and place it halfway into the tank
Get someone to help switch on the filter
Open both the inlet and outlet valve
Remove your thumb from the opening and keep the tubing inside the tank

At this instance, air bubbles should rush out of the outlet tubing. Thereafter, water will get suck in from there. The pump will make a gurgling noise as well. If there is water inside your filter, then the process should take less than a minute. Once the gurgling noise is gone and the pumping noise is back to normal, the outlet will start to dispel water into the tank as per normal. The flipside of the method is mulm inside the filter will be dispelled into your tank.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!

[Justikanz]

Dear all. Many many many thanks!

After I opened up the impeller chamber (yes, I actually had to figure it out... Me very technically challenged for an engineering trained guy!!), I realised that the white plastic portion of the impeller is not attached to the impeller body. So, I tot that that might be the problem (remembered something like dat with previous filters) and switched off the stupid filter.

I went to C328 and talked to auntie. I tell you, I am regarding her as a superwoman! I don't even know the model number and all she did was ask a few questions and she knew what went wrong and which impeller to use.

I changed the impeller and now, the flow is back! There was an airlock problem but after several pumpings using the self-priming function of the filter, all (at least almost all, I think) the air got expelled thru the outlet. And FINALLY, the filter is functioning like before again...

Yes, the air getting into the inlet tube can be VERY irritating. The first time I was using this filter, I really had to work like I had more than 2 hands! Inserting and submerging the inlet tube in the water and making sure it is fully filled with water and at the same time, priming the filter... *Sigh*...

I was so embarrased by making these much fuss! Guess when you are sick, everything seems to be much worse than it was... And at the same time, several problems with my other tanks also popped up... I am feeling better now and decided to take things slowly...

Many thanks again!

[PeterGwee]

Just apply some vaseline to the inner rim of movable priming area and things should move smoothly. No 2 hands needed nor brute force.

Regards
Peter Gwee

[vinz]

One note... try to shorten both hoses so that they never dip. This is especially so for the outlet hose.

When you prime the filter, always make sure that the outlet hose is complete empty as well... it makes it a WHOLE lot easier, to start the water flowing down the inlet tube, whether there's bubbles in it or not.

[Justikanz]

Hmm... Ok, noted. But I'll try not to do anything to it till *touch wood* the next time it is giving me some problems... Thanks!