# Reducing filter noise



## doobiw55

Hi has any one got any ideas to reduce the noise from external filters? I used to have a eheim 2213, which was fairly quiet untill i added a hydor inline heater and the noise increased loads. i thought this was due to power of the filter so i upgraded to a fluval 205 but there has been no difference in noise ( if not anything, its louder).
The filters not in a cabnit which does'nt help, but i was wondering if i would be able to bulid a cabnit then insulate it with cavity insulation or other sound reducing materials. Do you think this would make much differnce?

Tom


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## foxfish

Sounds like vibration? Try lifting the filter off the ground to see if this quietens it, if so you can put it on some polystyrene of foam.


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## doobiw55

It makes no difference, I placed a pillow underneath. It sounds like the propeller going round, it turns over 680lph so I can't see theres not enough flow! I think the only way to reduce to noise is by concealing it in a cabinet and try to soundproof it. But unsure what the best material would be?

Tom


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## foxfish

Obviously very difficult to diagnose the noise problem without hearing it but i dont think it should be noisy!
If you disconnect the filter remove the powerhead & switch it on you would then know if is the actual pump making the noise or some form of restriction cause the fitter to be noisy.
As regards making a box, most filters just live inside a basic MDF cabinet but there again most filters are not noisy!


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## dw1305

Hi all,
The Eheim should be almost silent unless you put your head right up against the filter head, when you should hear a very slight hum. I like both filter and heater, so the easy option is to sell them both to me. 

More seriously I'm not sure about the Fluval, but for the Eheim 2213 the rattling is air getting into the impeller housing. The 2 most likely options are a slow air seep around the heater (although I think these are usually pretty secure), or the reduced flow causing cavitation (basically the impeller pumps out water quicker than it arrives). If the heater is on the inlet?, if you change it to the outlet it should solve your problem.

I don't have much head between my kitchen tank and filter (my wife wouldn't let me drill holes in the work-top), and any constriction of the flow in the inlet side (the in take from tank) causes rattling, although you can get away with much more on the outlet (spray-bar etc.). I know as soon as the filter start rattling that I need to clean the hoses (I have a sponge pre-filter, taking this of would help stop the rattling, but I'd much rather keep the pre-filter). If I had more head between the filter and the tank I could do much less maintenance.

cheers Darrel


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## doobiw55

Thanks for the reply, my heater is on the outlet pipe, but the inlet hosing is about twice the length of the outlet! Do you think the difference in length could cause this?

Tom


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## dw1305

Hi all,


> but the inlet hosing is about twice the length of the outlet! Do you think the difference in length could cause this?


 Certainly could if it was at all dirty, had lots of bends, or was at all kinked. I used to just loop all the spare hosing rather than cut them, but now I cut them to length, and use double taps (so I can take off a section at a time and easily clean all the short lengths of pipe with a brush). As soon as the hoses are in the light all sorts of algae grows in them.

Could you take the spray bar off and see if it is still noisy? the rattling may stop with no constriction, and you might be able to use "Eheim Outlet Pipe 12mm Fish Tail", part no. 400470.

cheers Darrel


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## biffster

i take it didn't make this noise before the in line heater 
was added so you now know were the problem lies 
i am sure i read some were that in line heaters restrict
the flow and if it dose thats what i would put it down 
to because it is putting back pressure on the impeller
is there a limit on what filter can run an inline heater 
and what hight are you pumping the water in to your tank 
and it all will reduce your head hight


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## skeletonw00t

Wrap a towel round it & cover in pillows!


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## biffster

i would find out why it went noisy rather than 
hiding the noise as it could burn the filter out


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## foxfish

skeletonw00t said:
			
		

> Wrap a towel round it & cover in pillows!


Sounds like you want to kill it


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## thingymajig

clean out the impeller housing,use cotton buds to clean down the impeller shaft
column,make sure the impeller shaft isnt bent,use petroleum jelly vaseline to
lubricate the propeller shaft...and check for them darn snails.

cheers....


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## doobiw55

Thanks for all the help. The noise has reduced a bit but I'm looking to upgrade my filter now so not to worry.

Tom


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