# eheim nightmare



## freemundo (28 Sep 2010)

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone could help me in gettting my Eheim Professional 3 2073 filter to start pumping water.

I am running both the spray bar and inlet installation kits. All connecting pipes are under meter long and the filter is installed under the tank. I  have tried with the spray above and below the water line.

I have a Fluval Osaka 155 liter tank.

I cannot get the filter to prime and start the syphoning water from the tank. 

I have try pressing the red button to 30 minutes and even sucking on the outlet pipe to draw in water, but still no dice. It seems to lack the power to pump the return. 

I have got it start once in a bathroom test session but as soon as I raise the spray bar to a height of 40 cm it cuts out. This test was done with the NO media in the filter.

A filter shouldnâ€™t this hard to start!

The forum seems to be split of the issue of filling the cansiter with before trying to prime.
Any tips would be very welcome.


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## Tom (28 Sep 2010)

Try filling the canister manually, then have a go at priming - that's what works better for me


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## GreenNeedle (28 Sep 2010)

You shouldn't ned to fill the filter first, in fact the manual will suggest so.  However itf it works then go for it.

With my ProII I just fit up the empty cannister with the pipes.  then put the inlet (tank to filter) in the tank where it will stay then suck on the lily outlet (filter to tank) then let the water do its own job.

Maybe you have some air getting in somewhere that is breaking the 'seal'.

AC


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## Tom (28 Sep 2010)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> You shouldn't ned to fill the filter first, in fact the manual will suggest so.




What's the reason for this?


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## Gfish (28 Sep 2010)

If you have the added bits on the intake pipe, is there a plastic cap to unscrew at the highest point where it comes over the tank glass? If so, this is to aide priming. Unscrew and pour water down this pipe. Whether the manual says there's no need to fill the filter first or not, the job will always be easier if the filter has water in it and the pipes have water in them. There will be airlocks in the system no matter how you prime, but they'll be moved around and expelled in short time once its running.
Best of luck.


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## GreenNeedle (28 Sep 2010)

Tom said:
			
		

> SuperColey1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Lol. you would have to ask Eheim.  As I said before you shouldn't need to and the manual doesn't say to fill the cannister first.

With mine everything is empty.  I put the inlet into the tank and the air will keep the pipe empty.  Then I put my big old mouth around the lily and suck for all of half a second and it starts to fill at which point I position the Lily and walk away.

Once it fills up and the water is at water level in the outlet pipe I turn it on.

There's no reasoning by me to suggest that this is how you should do it.  Its 'what it says in the book'.  Also says in the book as per the poster above:

_'alternatively you can use the EHEIM universal installation kit or the EHEIM suction device.  The cannister will then automatically fill up with water.  The reconnect the hose to the spraybar._

Thats why I suggested air might be breaking the seal as I quite literally give one suck for a half second and the process starts.

Also says don't put the filter floss under the handle on the top tray but I would bet most of us do (including me.)

AC


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## dw1305 (28 Sep 2010)

Hi all,
I do the same I usually make sure the filter is full of water, and then I suck on the outlet pipe, once the water is flowing into the outlet pipe I dump it into the tank, and turn the filter on. Once the flow is reasonably good I connect the spray bar etc and turn the filter on and off a few times, until it has purged all the air out of the system. I usually go back about 1/2 an hour later, and if the impeller is rattling have another cycle of "on & off". If the rattling carries on and there are more air bubbles, the filter is leaking somewhere, and you have to take it apart, check all the seals and start again. 

cheers Darrel


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## Lisa_Perry75 (28 Sep 2010)

Once you do get it going I used to find with my fluval 104/204 that tilting the filter slightly helps get the last few bubbles out.


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## freemundo (28 Sep 2010)

Thanks everyone for your responses. 

I am going the try again tonight with an empty filter and just the inlet pipe primed.

I will let you know how I get on.

thx

Danny


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## freemundo (28 Sep 2010)

Update: I manage to prime the filter with no sucking!

Empty the filter, prime the inlet tube open the valve and the water rushes in and fills filter.

In now works but I am sucking in alot of air for some where it like a there is a fog in tank and the filter is very noisey.

Any other other ideas?

thx

danny


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (29 Sep 2010)

Danny 

I had a similar issue with my 2080 - the problem is that when pushing the primer button down it expels the air from the filler via the outlet pipe, once you let go of the primer button the tank water is drawn back into the filter which fills the section circled in yellow 






according to Eheim this section should have no water within it. What I do now when priming my system is exactly what they reccommend but my return water pipe is above the water level, if my tank is full I lift up the pipe so its above the water level or I prime up before the water levels get to the pipe - this reduces the possibility of any water going backwards into the filter. Try this method.

Regards
Paul.


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## ukco2guy (29 Sep 2010)

Hi,

The method suggested by Flyfisherman works for me also. I have to perform this on both my 2075 and 2078 Eheim`s and have been like this since first getting them. It works but it doesn`t feel like it should do considering how much more expensive these are, especially compared to the pro2 series which is really good value.

Cheers,


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## JAS (30 Sep 2010)

Danny, if the filter is now primed and running but is sucking in air, there must be a leak. The only other thing I can think of is that you still didn't get all the air out, but trapped air will usually resolve itself quite quickly.

If it's as simple as the priming mechanism being temperamental in the way Paul described, I'd say Eheim have done themselves few favours. But if it is sucking air I'd start by disconnecting all hoses and reconnecting them to make sure they're secure. If that doesn't work check the rubber seals are clean and seated properly and don't show signs of damage. If that doesn't fix the problem, you might have to carefully check for hairline cracks in things like the hose connectors.


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## freemundo (2 Oct 2010)

*Re: eheim nightmare: ended*

A solution to my Problems!
Thanks to everyone who responded, I find this forum a great source of knowledge and help!

I took the filter back to the shop and they saw all the issues I had, slow prime and little or no power from the filter.
So they swap the head unit over and it worked first time! Took the filter back home and I was up and running in 5 minutes.

 I knew that Eheim could not make filter that was so hard to use!
Thanks once again.
Danny


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## Gfish (2 Oct 2010)

No they just need to step up their quality control 
I nearly suggested you taking it back to the shop, but feared it may have been a secondhand or an eBay purchase. Great you used a shop and were able to do this and get it sorted quickly and easily. 
Happy filtering to ya


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## JAS (2 Oct 2010)

The part about the filter seeming to have an air leak still makes me think it was a poor seal or a crack somewhere in the head unit. Impossible to know for sure though, and as long as swapping the head unit fixed the problem it doesn't matter too much.

I'm glad you got it sorted.


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