Technical Eheim cannister question

[Sindhu Lim]

Hi,
just got my 2213 started up again and maybe it's luck that I didn't need to prime it this time. I switched it on and off about nearly a dozen times and somehow it works. Maybe the tilting did help get rid of the air bubbles. It works on my wet/dry even if the siphon is lost and after filling up the tank and by switching it on and off a fewe times it works.

It's true, if it's put together correctly it works like a charm.

Rgds
Sindhu

[Cosmo]

Harriett,

I have an eheim 2215 and I'm not really sure of what you're referring to. I noticed someone mentioned a 2213 which I hear is setup slightly differently but.

Whenever I clean my eheims ( I have numerous models) I always leave both hoses full by simply disconnect them using the double tap connectors. If you don't have double tap connectors several online stores will sell them to you.

After I clean the filter, I always fill it BEFORE I hook it back up to the system. Actually, I slightly overfill the cannister before putting the motor back on top, wrap it in a towel, then slowly push the head down. Leaving the connector on the output hose open during this operation bleeds some of the excess water out the hose but some will still leak out the sides as the moter assy displaces the water. Immediately close the valve on the connector once the head is all the way down and attach the clips without letting up pressure on the motor assy - this way you almost completely reduce air bubbles inside the cannister.

Carry the full cannister back to the tank, reconnect the hoses with the double tap connectors - I open in the intake hose valves first, then the output, then start the motor. Always shoots a stream of very fine bubbles out the spraybar but always starts without problems this way.

Never have to restart the syphon to prime prime the system since by keeping the valve on the hose connector closed, the intake tube and hose stay full and maintain the syphon while you're doing your cleaning - you never lose the syphon to begin with.

If you do have an air in the cannister problem, slowly roll the cannister on it's base from side to side and the air will clear out very quickly.

good luck
Jim

PS. Read someone above say you should always connect with the cannister empty - why make your life miserable? Are your cannisters so old they didn't come with double tap connectors?

Also - use silicone lube on the gasket occassionally - lasts longer and easier to seat / unseat the motor assy>

[Anonapersona]

[quote author=Cosmo link=board=19;threadid=19529;start=15#msg199336 date=1089395510]
PS. Read someone above say you should always connect with the cannister empty - why make your life miserable? Are your cannisters so old they didn't come with double tap connectors?

[/quote]

Jim, it is so much more elegant to connect the inlet line, restablish the siphon, connect the outlet line and then plug and play. No carrying canisters full of water, no wrapping of towels, no wrestling to get the head assembly on, no sucking on a line until you are dizzy.

You guys are making this a whole lot harder than it has to be.

"pooft" -- sound of head assembly going on
"clik" -- sound of clips locking into place
{suck, swoosh, twist, twist} -- establish siphon, connect outlet hose
"blurb, blurb, hmmm" -- sound of bubbles followed by soft hum of filter on

It ought to be that easy. It is, if you'll only drain the outlet line and the canister (which you ought to do anyhow for cleaning). You dont have to drain the inlet line, but it will be cleaned a bit if you at least blow some water through it. In Harriet's case she needs to drain it since the siphon has been broken, or let it flow and see if it can blow the bubbles out -- but that is a special case.

If you had to fight to get the door closed on your BMW, wouldn't you check to see that the seatblet wasn't in the way? You shouldn't have to fight with this filter.

If you read the instructions http://www.eheim.com/faq.html you'll notice that it gives only the method for the initial startup. Why is that? I suspect that the folks who built this unit don't bother to consider that you'd ever shut it off unless you were doing a complete cleaning, canister, hoses and all.

[Anonapersona]

[quote author=Mick M link=board=19;threadid=19529;start=0#msg198786 date=1089108595]
Eheim are obviously aware of this situation!
They make two priming devices to assist you.
priming aid order no 4004540 or alternatively a suction device order no. 4003540.

Regards. Mick M.
[/quote]

Or go to Walmart's baby department and get a bulb suction used to clean snot from babies nose. ~$1

They have a nice medicine dropper with ml measurements also, ~$1.29

[lesley]

Hi Anonaperson,

Loved your description!!!

Sorry but one little question springs to mind.

If the syphon gets broken on the inlet, what's the easiest way to re-establish it? ??? (suck, swoosh, twist, twist} - what exactly are you sucking on

Could you simply push water through it first using a pump, maybe the same as when you are filling the tank???

Lesley

[Anonapersona]

[quote author=lesley link=board=19;threadid=19529;start=15#msg199380 date=1089416888]
If the syphon gets broken on the inlet, what's the easiest way to re-establish it? [/quote]

I suggest disconnecting the canister, then get a bucket and open that inlet line and shoot water into the bucket. It ought to draw the air out with the rush of water. When it seems to have gotten the bubble out, close the valve, then go look at the back of the tank to be sure it is all out. Then, since you didn't open the canister, you know it is solidly full of water, the outlet line is still full, you ought to be able to hook everything back up, open the inlet valves and turn it back on right away.

??? (suck, swoosh, twist, twist} - what exactly are you sucking on

suck -- on the open outlet valve at the filter --- inlet line is dry, inlet valves open connected to empty canister with filter outlet valve open -- so there is just air from your mouth all the way to the water inside the tank. One pull will draw water over the rim of the tank if the water level is within 4 inches of the rim.

swoosh -- one pull and the water goes over the rim of the tank, you can hear it start to rushing down the line and start to fill the canister. You've got the return line ready, valve open, ready to hook up to the canister.

twist, twist -- attach that return line, you've got about a minute or so to get it tight, so, uh, don't stop. And, do have a towel ready, just in case you have any trouble, you shouldn't drip, but we don't want even a bit of water in the carpet!

Could you simply push water through it first using a pump, maybe the same as when you are filling the tank???

Lesley

Hmm, I never thought of that...do you mean push water from the canister end of the inlet hose up into the tank? Seems a bit messy. Or from inside the tank? No, I don't think I understand.

When I fill the tank, I am usually trying to not get my hands too far into the tank if I can help it. I don't have a canister on the discus tank, but the tank is certainly as large as the planted tanks that have canisters and I wouldn't want to try to reach to the backside to stick a hose over the filter intake. But then I am short and my tanks are big, I use a step ladder already with all but the discus tank, and if I tried to reach the backside I'd need a ladder there, too. Besides, the fish get spooked enough when I change water.

It is just so easy to let gravity do the work. Disconnect the line, open the valve, shoot water into the bucket until it either clears or goes dry trying. If it goes dry, you'd need to empty the canister and the outlet line too, IMO, empty the canister so that when you suck you have a free connection all the way to the water in the tank, and I think the outlet line should be dry too so that no water goes from the outlet line into the canister the against the air you are trying to get out of it (through the outlet line).

Yeah, this filter ought to operate like a BMW, "pooft, click, hummmm", just that simple.

[mikeos]

NOw I know why I swapped mine for pro 2 models ;D

the small vent hole is a user modification, get rid of it and no more loss of syphon, end of problem

[lesley]

Hi Anonaperson,

We have just set up a new Eheim wet/dry - think it is the 2229. Thought I would venture into a canister for the planted tank again after all the positive comments. The advantage for me is that I can have the plants along the back and the lights in front which I couldn't do with the aquaclears.

So, we go through the set up - and after much sucking and yelling, neither of which helped!, the syphon is still not established. So we dragged it out and filled it up and put it back under the cupboard and then tried sucking again to no avail. By this time we were too out of breath to argue over those stupid idea this was! We didn't think of disconnecting the outlet pipe to get the syphon.

Then when all appeared to be lost finally thought of the obvious. Got the hose from the ageing tank, turned the pump on and held it against the ehein inlet pipe in the tank and managed to get enough water forced through to start a syphon. I would think this would work equally well with an empty canister, after all getting the syphon going is the important part? haven't had to clean ours yet, time will tell!!

It is working well and so quiet!

Lesley

[Cosmo]

Anonapersona,

You can suck to start your syphon, I'll fill my cannister before - to each their own I guess. Just cleaned 3 eheims last night, no sucking on hoses, no water in the mouth, and no problems getting any of them up and running simply by plugging them in.

And are you by chance the neighbor that lives a few miles away? Anyway, the answer is yes, if the door of my BMW does seem difficult to close I do check to see if the seat belt is in the way.

Jim

[Anonapersona]

[quote author=Cosmo link=board=19;threadid=19529;start=15#msg200958 date=1090248302]
Anonapersona,

You can suck to start your syphon, I'll fill my cannister before - to each their own I guess. Just cleaned 3 eheims last night, no sucking on hoses, no water in the mouth, and no problems getting any of them up and running simply by plugging them in.[/quote]

If you've lost the siphon, like Harriet had, I'm quite impressed should that would work. Of course, if the siphon is intact in the inlet line, you can fill the canister or not fill it, it shouldn't matter to starting the unit. It just makes the canister head more difficult to close or if the valves are open shoots water out.

Really, all of this was about how to start it when the inlet siphon was lost. Harriet had the suction line full of air, the outlet line full of water and could not get it started. Simply plugging it in wasn't working for her.

And are you by chance the neighbor that lives a few miles away? Anyway, the answer is yes, if the door of my BMW does seem difficult to close I do check to see if the seat belt is in the way.

Jim

Jim...who? Is this someone I met at the Houston auction? In the back when we were talking discus with Dan? When I wasn't working one table or the other? the guy with the gravelly voice?

[Harriett]

I wanted to thank everyone for taking an interest and posting to this thread--lots of good ideas came out of it and made it a pretty quick learning curve!
I am going to replace the outlet pipe to get rid of the vent hole that has caused the problem when I have time.
I've tried a couple of your suggestions in the meantime and the best fix so far is to lock the inlet to the filter and disconnect the hose--there is enough water in the hose to start the siphon again when the water can move. Once it's running (only needs to dump about a cup or two of water into a container) I pop my thumb on the hose and then quickly reattach the hose to the line, screw the fitting back down and it's all good. I would never run a wet/dry without a vent hole in the return line but it seems pointless with this cannister, besides an aggravation.
THank you all again!
Harriett

[Cosmo]

Leslie,

I have a 2229 as well. Awesome filter isn't it? Just wish I could plumb it into a bulkhead instead of going over the top but Eheim tells me the filter won't work that way.

Anonapersona, nope, not the Jim with a gravelley voice so you're either not the person I thought you were, or, are covering your tracks????

[Cosmo]

Lesly,

By the way, despite what they tell you regarding not using anything other than what comes with the filter or it might not work? - You can use the Eheim Installation Kit #1 (intake tube) and Installation kit #2 (spraybar) that are far more attractive looking than the green tubes with EHEIM in big bold black letters that they supply with the unit. You can by them online (checked this out with Eheim before I tried it with my unit and no problems.

AND BY THE WAY ALL. As far as starting the syphon - if you use the Installation kit #1, which has a screw off cap on the top, all you need do is close the valve at the end of the empty intake hose when you're ready to start back up, take the screw off cap off, get a funnel and pour water into the tube from the top until it reaches the top of the tank (starts running back into the tank). Screw the cap back on, make your hose connections down below and open the valves. The weight of the water in the tube will start the syphon for you automatically.

Having said that. Best way is still to prefill the cannisters with water before you make the connections

Jim