I just got a 304. All hoses attached properly and output is above water. I prime it and hear water come then keep primer in down position but only hear a little water fill. This keeps happening and I cant get a contious flow. I plugged it in quickly and heard the motor sound like its dry 2 seconds later I unplugged it. Any info tonight would be ver helpful. Thanks Im very frustrated
How Do Youprime This Dam Fluval
- Thread starter DodgeIntrepidV6
- Start date
Keep on pumping that little plunger like mad until a continous flow of water goes through your filter. May take quite a bit of pumping before you get the filter primed.
HTH
-Richer
HTH
-Richer
TheMightyQueenPixie
Best Invention EVER!
If it's anything like my damned Eheim, i'll pray for you...I end up in physio everytime I re-start it.
Just got it to work. Guess I didn't go quick enough. Everything seems good except the tubing which really sucks. It is stiff and goes all over the place and wont hold the output straight or intake. I had to have freaking war with the suction cups and tubing just to get the output straight and facing horizontal not up in the air. The tubing is like twisted the wrong way, so now I know why everyone has bad things to say on this matter. Anyone out there haev fluval with smooth tubing, preferably clear plastic?
Just a note.
Be careful when you clean the impellor, because on mine the stem it is attached to is plastic and I snapped it. one of these days I'm going to prime mine with a hammer. It is an unbelieveable pain to start, taking at least a half hour each time.
--Mia
Be careful when you clean the impellor, because on mine the stem it is attached to is plastic and I snapped it. one of these days I'm going to prime mine with a hammer. It is an unbelieveable pain to start, taking at least a half hour each time.
--Mia
I used to have the same problem with priming and the same complaint with the hoses.
For priming: I found it alot easier to prime if I filled the filter with treated water. Then plug it in. So the water that came in was pushing the water out of the filled filter.
For hosing: I got the same size of clear hosing from home depot. Alot easier to use. I went as far as buying a piece of 1/2" pvc and made a spray bar. Vice using the small outlet that came with the filter. I drilled holes every 1 1/2" apart and capped one end. I attached the hose using a barb that fit the hose and pvc. It cost me about $9 for the whole thing. I like it alot better. By the way I used heater suction cups from my lfs to keep in place.
For priming: I found it alot easier to prime if I filled the filter with treated water. Then plug it in. So the water that came in was pushing the water out of the filled filter.
For hosing: I got the same size of clear hosing from home depot. Alot easier to use. I went as far as buying a piece of 1/2" pvc and made a spray bar. Vice using the small outlet that came with the filter. I drilled holes every 1 1/2" apart and capped one end. I attached the hose using a barb that fit the hose and pvc. It cost me about $9 for the whole thing. I like it alot better. By the way I used heater suction cups from my lfs to keep in place.
Exactly what I was thinking Tyler. Thanks for telling em what to do, I too like the spray bar the old fluvals used to use and same goes for tubing. I'll run to north haven tommorow and get right to work. Glad to hear I'm not the only oen with pirming problems.
Manual is WRONG!
The manual is WRONG!! you HAVE to have the output BELOW the water level.. if it is above the silly primer thing will do the EXACT OPPOSITE and actually send air BACK OUT the intake!
I spent 3 hours on this a few weekends ago with a new fluval 404. Go to the www.hagen.com website and check out the manual there. You'll find that the step that says the output nozzle must be above water has been quietly changed to say 'must be below the water' and they even re-did the picture in the diagram!!
I find it annoying they made this major change and didn't put a notice anywhere about it, they just quietly did it.
If you have the output nozzle below the water, just prime it once or twice and you will hear the water come pouring into the filter. lots of air will come out of the output. When its done right, it doesn't matter if the filter is full or completely empty, it primes perfectly every time. I used to try to make it be full with the 303, but the x04 works great full or empty.
The manual is WRONG!! you HAVE to have the output BELOW the water level.. if it is above the silly primer thing will do the EXACT OPPOSITE and actually send air BACK OUT the intake!
I spent 3 hours on this a few weekends ago with a new fluval 404. Go to the www.hagen.com website and check out the manual there. You'll find that the step that says the output nozzle must be above water has been quietly changed to say 'must be below the water' and they even re-did the picture in the diagram!!
I find it annoying they made this major change and didn't put a notice anywhere about it, they just quietly did it.
If you have the output nozzle below the water, just prime it once or twice and you will hear the water come pouring into the filter. lots of air will come out of the output. When its done right, it doesn't matter if the filter is full or completely empty, it primes perfectly every time. I used to try to make it be full with the 303, but the x04 works great full or empty.
i usually start with the canister empty, and take the output and point it into a bucket well below the intake. i then give it about 10 pumps and bingo, it runs great. i wish hagen didn't suck at writing directions.