leaking Eheim Professional 2

[yehoshua]

Hi-- My Eheim Pro 2 leaks at the side of the head when I prime it-- otherwise, it's okay. My question is: must the entire filter be turned in to be services, or can I fix it myself? Can I put the rubber piece in at home? Any experience?
By the way, I sort of regret I bought this filter. There is too much rubber and something and things are always a little shakey, especially in the realms of noise and priming. I've had it for about 18 months. I'm coming to the conclusion that there is nothing as straight-forward and effective as my old undergravel filter!

 

[fishmaven]

You're doing something wrong. Try this. After cleaning the Eheim trays put the unit together. There should be NO water in the cannister. Go back to the tank. Lift the return tube from the tank out of the water and open the valve draining the water from THAT tube. Put the return tube back in place. Connect the valves to the cannister. Open the intake valve, the unit should fill with water, shake it gently to burp air from the cannister. Plug it in. You should be fine.

If not, here's some possibilities. Do you have a gasket at the top of EACH tray? There show only be ONE at each rather than two on one of the trays. If that's okay you may have a bad head gasket. Remove the Eheim and take it to the sink. Drain the water. Remove the head assembly and take the head gasket from the head using a knife blade. DON"T CUT THE GASKET !! Use your fingers and run around the gasket checking for gaps and tears. Also get any grit off the gasket. If you haven't found problems with the gasket AND it's not squished flat take some vaseline and add it to the gasket, on both sides, just coating the gasket. Put the gasket back and try again using the method I told you about.

If it still leaks you need to replace the gasket. Clean and lube the gasket EACH time you service the unit.

 

[yehoshua]

Thanks! I'll check it Tuesday. Anyway, I hear that vaseline will dry out the rubber, so I use silicone spray that I found in a sports store (food-grade). I never actually took the gasket out, only lubricate on the side that faces me. Do you regularly take the rubber gasket out as you mentioned? Not "asking for trouble"? Again, thank you.

 

[yehoshua]

Hi Mr. Fishmaven-- I tried it again, just tonight and I disasembled the gasket, but to no avail: when I pump the primer, water leaks out but at only one side... (otherwise, as mentioned above, fine). It almost seems like it's a problem with the clips and not the gasket, because I probably naturally rotated the gasket, so why should the leak be at the very same spot on the canister? On the other hand, the clips seem very straight forward,--I mean, they just snap down-- so why should I suspect that they don't put eneough closing pressure? By the way, the rubber seemed fine.

 

[fishmaven]

Yes, I clean the gasket EACH time. You can do what you want.

About the leak...You may have a crack in the head unit.

I'm not familiar with the priming unit you're talking about. I've always, well since I learned the method I told you about, started the 2026, 2028, and 2029 units that way. I let gravity fill the unit to the waterline, shake the unit, then plug it in. Try that.

Does the water come from below the head assembly or on top of it?

 

[Philgo]

I believe that there's another O ring gasket around the primer, this should be lubricated occasionally. If thats no help then it will have to be returned to Eheim for servicing under warranty as they do not sell the part.

 

[yehoshua]

You're doing something wrong. Try this. After cleaning the Eheim trays put the unit together. There should be NO water in the cannister. Go back to the tank. Lift the return tube from the tank out of the water and open the valve draining the water from THAT tube. Put the return tube back in place. Connect the valves to the cannister. Open the intake valve, the unit should fill with water, shake it gently to burp air from the cannister. Plug it in. You should be fine.

If not, here's some possibilities. Do you have a gasket at the top of EACH tray? There show only be ONE at each rather than two on one of the trays. If that's okay you may have a bad head gasket. Remove the Eheim and take it to the sink. Drain the water. Remove the head assembly and take the head gasket from the head using a knife blade. DON"T CUT THE GASKET !! Use your fingers and run around the gasket checking for gaps and tears. Also get any grit off the gasket. If you haven't found problems with the gasket AND it's not squished flat take some vaseline and add it to the gasket, on both sides, just coating the gasket. Put the gasket back and try again using the method I told you about.

If it still leaks you need to replace the gasket. Clean and lube the gasket EACH time you service the unit.

I don't understand how I can open one valve at a time; both the intake and out-take open and close consecutively, by lifting or dropping the red piece between them. This being the case, what do you mean: "open the valve draining the water from THAT tube"? (Both valves open together!)
In answer to your last question, the leak is at the bottom of the head assembly. Thanks.

 

[Philgo]

In answer to your last question, the leak is at the bottom of the head assembly. Thanks.

Then perhaps you should look at my post.

 

[yehoshua]

I believe that there's another O ring gasket around the primer, this should be lubricated occasionally. If thats no help then it will have to be returned to Eheim for servicing under warranty as they do not sell the part.

thanks-- but I'm talking about the black o ring BELOW the head,--not at the primer spot-- and that is available in the stores here, but for a lot of money and I'm not sure that the rubber gasket is the problem...

 

[fishmaven]

I guess I'm thinking of the original square Eheim and not the Pro 2. You'll have to lift both tubes from the water. and drain BOTH tubes. You DO have the cannister empty of water, right? If not, when you push the prime button you'll get a lot of pressure against the o-ring.

BTW, it's possible to lube the gasket that Philgo mentioned. It's not easy, but it can be done. It involves disassembly of the head, it needs to be done VERY carefully. Once the unit is apart, you depress the prime button and lube with silicone or vaseline on a q-tip. It's easier with two people.

You know, if this only occurs when you prime the unit, we're wasting a lot of time. I'd just live with it until the next time you need to clean the filter. The next time try the method I suggested. Dan