# Hey Eheim pimps...help silence my new 2215.



## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Hi folks,

After reading people extol the silence of their Eheim Classics, I bought a 2215. I like it a lot, except that it is NOT as silent as its pimps have suggested. Yes, it's a shade quieter than my old Aquaclear HOB, but it still emits an insistent and noticeable rumbling sound that you can hear clearly in the room. 

I've read previous threads about this, and they all advise tipping and shaking etc. to get any trapped air out. I've done that. No more bubbles, but still noisy. I've also taken the impeller apart, and it seems fine, except that the ceramic shaft on which the impeller sits has some minor black discoloration on it. (Normal?). 

Since the thing is brand new, and the impeller is the only thing that moves in it, I can't imagine what else could be wrong with it other than (1) operator error or (2) excessive hype. 

Anyone have any suggestions? 

--sam


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## Brownthumb07 (Dec 8, 2009)

When I put my new 2217s in they did the same thing. Shake the canister a couple times a day to get the air out and they should go silent on you


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

So even though no more air comes out now, I should shake again tomorrow?


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## Brownthumb07 (Dec 8, 2009)

I wasn't seeing any air come out when I was shaking the canister. Just shook it 3x a day or so for a couple days and they finally quit making noise.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

German engineering at its finest, I guess. 

Could this just be a "wearing-in" issue? I've had this thing running for a week, and the noise has remained consistent. Anyway. I will use your method and report back.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

The black discoloration on the shaft is normal.

If the filter is sitting on a hard surface, there may be some vibration, amplifying the sound. Try setting it on a small towel. The same with the hoses, if they contact the stand.

Are you using the stock green intake & output piping in the tank OR the modular smoke colored ones? Check the hose to piping/fittings for snugness so no air is being drawn into the filter.

Did you fill the canister with water before you started it up? If you did, I find it preferable to have the canister empty of water before priming it. Hopefully you have the Quick Disconnect valves with your unit. Try unplugging the filter, close the Q.D. valves, separate the valves (have a towel handy), take the filter to a sink and drain the water from it. 
Reinstall the filter, connect the Q.D. valves but don't open them yet. Be sure the spray bar or outlet is above the water line, open the intake valves THEN open the output valves. All the air should purge from the filter as it fills with water. Once the air is exhausted, plug the filter back into the power source. There may still be a bit of air trapped but it should dissipate quickly.

Hope this helps.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks deeda. I will try the towel trick, but the filter makes the rumbling noise even when I'm holding it in my hands. Pressing down firmly on the top of the filter does quiet it somewhat. 

I'm using the stock inflows and outflows (I've got some 1/2" loc-line fittings on order for some eventual DIY madness, though). No air is getting in that I can see, but I will check again tonight. 

I do have the quick disconnects, and I did prime the filter a couple of times in the manner you suggest. It took a couple of extra shakes, but then all bubbles were out.

On a more general note, I don't understand why trapped air would cause the impeller to wobble and hit the housing. Previous posts have suggested that this kind of wobble is the root of any eheim noise.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

You could always apply some Eheim lube or regular Vaseline to the o-ring seal on the pump head. This will help to make the filter assembly easier & seal any tiny air leak around the pump head. BTW, the Eheim site does recommend using regular Vaseline as an o-ring/seal lube if you don't have any Eheim lube.

The impeller should not wobble on a brand new filter. There are 2 small rubber bushings that hold the impeller shaft vertical & centered in the impeller well. One is in the bottom of the impeller well (need a flashlight to see it) and the other is in the impeller latch. Check to make sure they are both in place and not deformed. They are necessary for proper impeller rotation.

Hopefully, your new filter was in an unopened box when you bought it. If it wasn't, there is always the chance it was previously owned and someone exchanged some parts that they needed. If so, please contact the store you purchased the filter at for replacement, if it is local to you.

Dee


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks again. The two bushings and ceramic shaft are definitely there and in place. The shaft doesn't seem deformed either, and there's no visible problem with the impeller. This was an online purchase, though, and while everything in the box sure seemed new, I wouldn't put it past Big Al's to sell me a return. (My first shipment from them arrived broken in several places without any marks on the box...)

Argh. I will noodle with it some more tonight and see what happens.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

You might have something magnetic stuck in the impeller housing. Tear that thing down, and look in there really darn good with a flashlight.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

sns26, do you have any other equipment hooked up to the filter?


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

No, I don't have anything else in line. (Yet.) 

One other potential diagnostic: in the course of my messing about with 2215, I managed at one point to trip the GFI circuit on my outlet. Twice in a row. I shook the filter around a few times, moved the impeller by hand, and then had no trouble at all. But before you bite too hard on that bait, the noise was present before my GFI-trips, and was unchanged afterwards.

I will pull out the procto-scope tonight and look deep in the impeller housing's innards. I take this advice to mean that xmas_one and deeda, at least, doubt the trapped-air hypothesis?


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

*I'm an idiot*

Classic story: I tipped and shook and bumped the filter, and no air came out last night. There's just no air trapped in there. So then I opened it up again and checked the impeller well, impeller, bushings, and shaft. Everything seemed well to my eye, but I attached some pictures in case there's something really obvious that I'm missing. 

The little translucent plastic parts with the impeller vanes on it is *supposed* to be a slip-fit (with some rotational play) over the main plastic part of the impeller, right? And the magnet has a teeny bit of play on the plastic too?

Oh, and then as I was trying to put it all back together, I dropped the stupid shaft on the floor and broke it. Wonderful. Anyway. I'm going to get myself a new shaft tonight from the LFS and run the thing again. If it continues to give me the low rumble, I'll send it back to Big Al's and try another one. The reputed quietness of these filters was a big selling point for me.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

I don't have a disassembled view of the 2215 impeller but this is what it looks like for the 2028









I am almost positive that the plastic stem that runs through the magnet is not supposed to move at all. I think it it is epoxied in place. (Note: this theory was later disproved in my post #16, sorry for the misinformation.)

Yes, there is some rotational play in the vanes as they sit on the plastic stem. They do not rotate 360 degrees though.

I too have dropped the ceramic shaft and broken it. They are tough but fragile and easily fractured. I try to do all my impeller and shaft cleaning on a towel or other soft surface.

See if your LFS also has an impeller that you can compare yours to and see if there is any play in the magnet to plastic stem.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Much appreciated deeda. My plastic shaft is definitely NOT epoxied onto the magnet. Can anyone confirm whether this is normal for a 2215? 

Another thing I noticed is that the end of my "squeeze clips" where they protrude from the impeller vanes are a little bruised. Nothing major, but it looks like wear to me. Is this normal?


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

OK, I just had to find out. I just opened my 2215 to check the impeller and YES, there is a little bit of play between the magnet & the plastic shaft. So sorry I gave you incorrect info.:icon_redf

The protuding end of the 'squeeze clips' may be bruised because the impeller is jumping up & down. When you receive the new shaft, there will also be new rubber bushings with it. Replace your old bushings with the new ones and the shaft. Please hold onto the old bushings though, in case you need emergency replacements. Just for the heck of it, compare how well the new shaft fits in the old bushings. It should be a snug fit; if it's not, that will cause some vertical 'bounce' of the impeller which may be contributing to the noise you are hearing.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

*Thanks deeda*

Thanks so much. 

I will go to the LFS tonight and report back. Thanks again.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, I did as everyone suggested, and there's no change. The filter works fine, pumps beautifully, but that low nagging rumble just won't quit. I suppose I could try replacing the impeller, but it's brand new. Very frustrating.


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## The Plantman (May 5, 2010)

sns26 said:


> Well, I did as everyone suggested, and there's no change. The filter works fine, pumps beautifully, but that low nagging rumble just won't quit. I suppose I could try replacing the impeller, but it's brand new. Very frustrating.


 
Hey dude, I'm glad I came a cross this thread. I had the exact same issue you are having with my first 2215 (I have 2). I resolved the issue by purchasing a 2217 impeller (stronger magnet and 5 vanes instead of just 3). Once I got that installed, not only did the filter run super quiet, but it moved about 20% more water!

I am the biggest Ehiem lover out there and if anyone knows how quiet these filters can be, I do. My aqaurium is right in the living room where my family and I watch all our TV. I run 3 Ehiem filters within 10 feet of the couch and even during the most quiet of times it is hard to hear them.

From left to right, 2217, Professional 2, 2215 with 2217 impeller.










Good luck!


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Interesting. Did you try just replacing the 2215 impeller with a different 2215 impeller instead (e.g. by swapping the impellers in your filters)? And is there any downside to using the larger impeller?


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## zzyzx85 (Feb 13, 2008)

my first thought when I read this thread was that the polymer bearings inside the impeller are worn out, thus the black marks on the shaft, but you said this is a new filter so that seems unlikely (but possible). You can see this bearing at the bottom (magnet end) of the impeller. That will eventually wear and you'll end up with some sided to side play, thus making noise when it's running.

Another thing I noticed in your picture is...are you missing an impeller cover or did you forget to include it in the photo? It looks like you have the retainer and bushings in post #13 but not the cover.

I have 2 2215s and I like them very much. They are a little noisy after cleaning them but they quiet down after a week or so.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

*I have the impeller cover...*

I do have the impeller cover if this is the part you mean. 

An aside: pushing down relatively firmly on the top of the canister quiets it down a lot. And I didn't bother putting the carbon filter pad into my canister. It's about 3/4" thick...I'm wondering if putting it in would compress the whole works enough to push gently upwards on the pump head and quiet it somewhat. By which I guess I'm asking whether it is crucial to have the canister totally full of filter media.

Alternatively, I think I am going to just run this thing for another week and see if it shuts up.


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## The Plantman (May 5, 2010)

sns26 said:


> Interesting. Did you try just replacing the 2215 impeller with a different 2215 impeller instead (e.g. by swapping the impellers in your filters)? And is there any downside to using the larger impeller?


No there is no downside unless you consider 20% more water movement bad?


The two impellers are identical in size; the 2217 is simply a 5 fin impeller with a slightly stronger magnet.

I fill my canisters with the standard media. However, I use pillow stuffing as the final stage. I put in so much that it requires me to push down on the top to squeeze it shut and my tank is spotless. My thoughts are that keeping the media tight stops it from moving around from the current and dislodging debris. 

I highly recommend you use a 2217 impeller, trust me, you’ll be glad you did!


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