# Worn Impeller, have you ever...



## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

If it was worn bad enough to hardly work at all you would know just by looking at it. 
If it doesn't look really worn then I would pin it on the canister it self.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

How can you look at a worn magnet, besides the impeller is 17.99 and a moter head is 59.99 so I'm going to try the impeller first. I have never seen an impeller that looks worn, my blades always look normal but I have heard other say they have worn out, they must have sand substrates or something course flowing in the water because after 7 -8 years mine look like new other than the center looks a little dark and I think it used to clean up back to white. But I think the magnet is just got weak over time and was trying to find others that could confirm my thinking.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I have replaced impellers in my XP3's. Not so much because of performance, more due to noises and vibrations. There was some improvement afterwards.

I think what wears out isn't so much the impeller blades, but the impeller bushing (is that the right term?) so it starts to flop around the shaft. Not sure if that could contribute to performance degradation.

Whether magnets can lose their power over time, good question. Could be the culprit, and worth to try a new impeller. But only after you have excluded all the more likely reasons. For example, some filter media degrades over time and increasingly impairs flow.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Only takes a tiny chip out of the magnet on impeller to affect performance, some chips can only be seen with magnifying glass. 
Usually a bad impeller will result in filter being louder and perhaps a bit less flow depending on how out of balance the impeller is.
I have had lot's of filter's and only had a couple instances where the impeller became a problem.
Less flow for me is indication that filter needs cleaning (ie) pads,sponges,hoses.
Have used a pipe cleaner on occasion to clean out inlet and outlet orifice on canister head and was surprised by what was built up there.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

You can have the white film on surface regardless of filter performance. You can have a water pump (Koralia) aimed toward the water surface and still have the white film. Although increased surface movement will often reduce the white film.

Anyway, I would look at other symptoms for poor filter performance, not so much the white surface film.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

The white film on the surface has absolutely nothing do to with the impeller. It is protein film. More surface agitation is the key.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

OverStocked said:


> The white film on the surface has absolutely nothing do to with the impeller. It is protein film. More surface agitation is the key.


 
If filter was performing at optimum level, then adjusting spraybar to produce ripple would be all that is needed and perhaps this would produce more surface agitation?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Even if the filter was performing like crap just adjusting the flow for some surface flow would do it. In my tank without surface flow I get protein film in a an hour. Just a tiny ripple and it is fixed. My filter is fine, and it will never remove the protein film. 

Foods, ferts, waste, etc all cause this. Water changes help too.


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## DiscusLoverJeff (Jun 18, 2010)

I have a couple powerheads where the impeller still turns, but no water is coming through the powerhead. Are they garbage now?


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

That's usually from the stop on the impeller being broken. That stop is to make it turn the right direction when it starts. Without one at all the impeller isn't forced to turn.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Usually the impeller shaft is what wears. That's why some of them are now ceramic. That and they snap faster if you drop them. ;-) Replacements are where the profit comes from.


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## warhead_71 (Mar 7, 2011)

Eheim canister filters are notorious for wearing out the impeller and/or impeller shaft. Because the impeller has only a plastic sleeve bearing, it tends to get wallowed out after a couple of years continuous use... especially if you use the filter to "vaccuum", which sucks sand and grit through the impeller, causing a lot of erosion on the plastic parts. Once the impeller becomes "loose-fitting", it starts to chatter around a lot, and puts a lot of sideways stress on the brittle ceramic shaft... sometimes snapping it. I've had my Eheim 2213 for 12 years and I've had to replace the shaft/impeller about 3 times now (I always just replace both parts at the same time)... still runs like new otherwise.


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## daverock1337 (Jan 17, 2011)

if you do buy a new impeller, you could get one for a 2217 and use it. it would give you more flow.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/63687-eheim-2215-2217-facts-diy-performance.html


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

OverStocked said:


> Even if the filter was performing like crap just adjusting the flow for some surface flow would do it. In my tank without surface flow I get protein film in a an hour. Just a tiny ripple and it is fixed. My filter is fine, and it will never remove the protein film.
> 
> Foods, ferts, waste, etc all cause this. Water changes help too.


I have the white film on one of my tank. I even have a koralia pointed at the surface for agitation, not to rid the scum but for o2 introduction and it does nothing to help the scum. I also do 50% wc's/week with RO water. I wish there was an easy way to get rid of it but i honestly don't even know the source. I suspect my discus but thats just a guess. 



warhead_71 said:


> Eheim canister filters are notorious for wearing out the impeller and/or impeller shaft. Because the impeller has only a plastic sleeve bearing, it tends to get wallowed out after a couple of years continuous use... especially if you use the filter to "vaccuum", which sucks sand and grit through the impeller, causing a lot of erosion on the plastic parts. Once the impeller becomes "loose-fitting", it starts to chatter around a lot, and puts a lot of sideways stress on the brittle ceramic shaft... sometimes snapping it. I've had my Eheim 2213 for 12 years and I've had to replace the shaft/impeller about 3 times now (I always just replace both parts at the same time)... still runs like new otherwise.


That doesnt sound right at all. I would have to say that something about your tanks/setup is causing the impellers to wear prematurely. I have never really even heard anyone else having this issue.

To the OP, What is causing you to believe the impeller is worn out other than low flow? Can you see any irregularities on it or the housing? Even if the shaft has black marks on it should still function properly. If your Impeller spins freely while holding the magnet in your hand then the stop that was mentioned earlier is broke and you need a new one. But other than that I think it would be hard to diagnose a broken impeller otherwise.


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

bsmith said:


> I have the white film on one of my tank. I even have a koralia pointed at the surface for agitation, not to rid the scum but for o2 introduction and it does nothing to help the scum. I also do 50% wc's/week with RO water. I wish there was an easy way to get rid of it but i honestly don't even know the source. I suspect my discus but thats just a guess.


In a previous post, I described my use of a small Rio 90 powerhead to pipe water up over the waterline to drag the white film down to the filter intake.


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## S&KGray (Nov 12, 2008)

One easy way to get rid of surface scum is a molly or two.


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