# Vaseline on canister impeller shaft - good or bad ?



## aqenthusiast (May 12, 2012)

My eheim 2217 canister's flow had reduced very much hence during canister cleaning I also cleaned impeller, shaft and its chamber. . Good I did as it was pretty clogged.. Also it was rattling noisy so I read on few threads about applying vaseline on shaft and I did that. . Now the flow has increased and noise has reduced (but it is still noisy)...

What I want to understand is that is it a mistake that I applied vaseline to the shaft ? Will it harm anything ? Can it get hot and break the shaft ? Can it create an " oil spill " kind of slime on water surface ?

Please let me know. .

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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have used vaseline on impeller shafts and O-rings for many years. Never saw an 'oil slick'. 
Some filters were already on their way out. Did the vaseline prolong their life? Or hasten the death? I have no idea. I would like to think it helped.


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## Kareen (Apr 6, 2013)

I have used Vaseline for over 20 yrs on my filters it will not harm anything


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Some of the Eheim manuals state that "petroleum jelly" is to be used to lube the O-rings. Vasoline is the well known brand of petroleum jelly. It is not a hazard in the tank. Not to confuse the petroleum part with something dangerous. The shaft is ceramic on my Eheims so it certainly will not be harmed as ceramic is much better than steel shafts. 
Just wipe it on and wipe off most of it and that is enough to lube things.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

I think the only way vaseline can be bad news (or any oil-based stuff) is if you use a lot of it so it makes your water slick. If you just grease up a very thin layer instead of putting large globs on then I don't see how anything could go wrong. Tons of people use it with no problems. Anything with additives (scent, soaps, etc...) is bad news - you need PURE petroleum jelly.

Personally I didn't like the idea at the time / did not have vaseline anyways so I ordered up some of this stuff:
Trident Silicone Grease


It's made for divers to seal off their equipment. Works great and you will never run out.


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## MChambers (May 26, 2009)

I've used silicon grease myself. Usually can be found in the hardware store. It's also helpful for applying to filter heads and the like when assembling or reassembling a filter.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Yeah I just use it on my filter o-rings and rubber connections whenever I take apart my canisters.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

This is a pretty normal situation. 
You can make life difficult and search for an expensive specialty item or you can use the product many people use, get it most anywhere and pay half as much. 
Just up to you which way you want to go.


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## GoodOldDays (Mar 24, 2014)

If your shaft is rattling, get a new set of bearings. That will solve the problem.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

I agree with everyone else, vasoline is fine, I use a small amount on all my eheim o-rings and impellers when doing maintenance, and I have 7 eheim canisters, and have never had an issue. 

As for the impeller noise; the impeller might damaged or worn out, the impeller might not be sitting properly in the chamber, there may be dirt or debris in the chamber, or you might have air trapped in the filter head which will eventually works its way out or you can tilt the canister from side to side to force the air to push out.

How old is your eheim canister/impeller?


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## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

PlantedRich said:


> This is a pretty normal situation.
> You can make life difficult and search for an expensive specialty item or you can use the product many people use, get it most anywhere and pay half as much.
> Just up to you which way you want to go.


I guess silicon grease (dielectric grease) could be a specialty item to many. However silicon grease won't swell rubber seals the way petroleum jelly (Vaseline) can, shorting the life of a seal. Being a former mechanic by trade I have a big ole tube of the stuff and use it for water proofing rubber sealed electrical connections, setting rubber seals on automotive thermostats, good stuff.

Though I suppose one could argue that it could lend silicone to the water column and contribute to diatom blooms, but if used properly and not globed on the contribution should be negligible.


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