Canister filter rattling? Could be cavitation

[dagray]

My Fluval 406 was making a rattling noise, and wasn't running right today after a filter cleaning (something I do maybe once a quarter if I notice flow is reduced.

I kept trying to purge any trapped air as the rattling of the impeller would stop if I adjusted the flow for a minute.

After a couple hours of off and on messing with the filter I remembered I had purchased a rebuild kit some time ago (as in a couple three years ago). I installed the rebuild kit (new impeller, new impeller door), and the filter is running as if it were new.

No more noise, no more sporadic flow issues, and I have a sponge pre-filter installed in the filter strainer and I am still getting flow as if the filter were new.

Rebuild kits save money, and only take a few minutes to install.

[Pices]

Thanks for the tip Daray, good to know. Where did you buy your rebuild kit? It’d be a good idea to have one handy.
Patty

[dagray]

Thanks for the tip Daray, good to know. Where did you buy your rebuild kit? It’d be a good idea to have one handy.
Patty

I bought mine for the Fluval 406 on Amazon. Ken's fish has them as do many suppliers. Basically it is a couple O-rings, new impeller, impeller shaft. If you need more extensive parts you can even get the electric motor head for the Fluval canister filters on Amazon.

The one advantage to using name brand filters is the availability of replacement parts. Hagen, Fluval, Eheim, even Marineland have replacement parts for their filters.

[slicksta]

As a temporary fix to the Fluval 406 or really any worn impeller that rattles, I've wrapped the worn area with Teflon tape. Usually it's the rubber bushing that goes into the mount at either end of the impeller shaft. Just make sure you wrap it in the same direction that the impeller spins. I've gotten a few extra months out of them doing this until my next maintenance and I had the parts on hand..

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks for the advice. You just saved me from having to buy a complete Eheim 2217 filter. I got the motor for under $30.

[Pices]

This is why I love simply discus! This goes in my discus notebook-thanks for sharing.
Patty

[dagray]

Glad I could be of help

My filter is still running this morning as quiet as when it was new.

I have an AquaClear 110 with sponge and bio-balls, and the Fluval 406 with sponge, bio-balls, Seachem Matrix (basically just rocks), and ceramic bio rings running on a 75 gallon so I know the tank is overfiltered, and that in a pinch I could run this tank on just one filter and still have healthy fish.

Safety in redundancy.