Canister Filter Repair

[LivingLegacy85]

Good Morning HFB,

Inquiring if anyone knows of any filter repair shops around central Houston. I purchased a used Eheim canister filter and I'm suspicious that I may have bought a lemon, as it doesn't seem to be working properly.

I'm not experienced enough to diagnose and troubleshoot the problem and the eyes of a professional would help greatly.

Thanks all.

[morpheus]

what exactly is wrong with it? leaking? suction? motor? etc.

i am not versed in repair, but people in GHAC were glad to help when I needed some spare parts or help. I had a leak in one of my canisters, brought it to a GHAC meeting and people took a look. havent gotten them hooked back up into my tank yet, but they diagnosed it and gave good suggestions.

[LivingLegacy85]

Thanks for the reply Morpheus. Possibly suction. The output is very poor. The canister is also making quite a bit of noise, and from what I understand it shouldn't be this loud.

[morpheus]

Generally yes they are pretty quiet, so a lot of noise could be something with the motor or impeller not settled in place.

This is just my amateur stab for low flow rate:

1) Make sure all the hoses are clean and clear of obstructions, especially at elbow joints and where water enters/exits unit.
2) Ensure no kinks in the intake/output hoses
3) Clean around the impeller to ensure its spinning freely and settles in place

Otherwise next thoughts that come to mind are:

1) Is it fully primed? If air is left in the canister it can cause low flow.
2) Too much media in canister can impede the flow
3) Some people say too long of a hose from unit to tank will cause low flow too

[Timber317]

What Eheim canister is it? I have had quite a few of these. Best guess on the information supplied is an impeller issue. There are small rubber bearings at both ends of the shaft that can wear out. Other than that the fins may be broken or have some kind of blockage. Check those first and LMK if you need any further information.

[LivingLegacy85]

Timber, I have the eheim ecco pro 2236. The rubber bearings and fin seem to be intact. I don't know where the blockage could be.

[Timber317]

Last thing I can think of, make sure you valve on your disconnect is open . Lastly , purge all the air out.

[LivingLegacy85]

Found the problem. I was substituting the inlet strainer with nylon and a rubber band. I did NOT realize the importance of the strainer. I do now!

[morpheus]

glad to hear you found the issue. amazing how something seemingly harmless can cause a bigger issue.