How to prime the EHEIM 2217 filter

[new2ovas]

anyone who uses a EHEIM or knows how they work - please help me get my 2217 going.

the tank is full and the filter is empty.  I know that I can't just plug it in and go but I have no idea how to prime it and get it the fill up,

Help please,

TKS,

cheers,

[fischkopp]

Don't switch it on before the filter is filled with water! You can break motor or impeller shaft ...

Open all valves, then suck powerful on the return to the tank. You should now see how the filter fills with water from the bottom up. Make sure everything is put together and eventually close a valve if this is not the case. The last thing you want to do is flooding the floor

[new2ovas]

TKS - so the filter is filled up but once I plug it in there is almost no water (if any) coming out of the pressure hose.

I think there is air in the system - how do I purge the system of air and how much pressure should the water be coming out with?
TKS again

[zima]

When I get too lazy to deal with valves, I just fill the canister with tank water using the gravel vacuum cleaner. Once full, it's basically plug and play. If the filter is finiky and does not push water sooner rather than later, I would take the output tube out of the tank, lean it towards a bucket to ease the flow; once I get the flow going, I redirect the output back into the tank (trying not to cause much splash around   ).

[fischkopp]

I think there is air in the system - how do I purge the system of air and how much pressure should the water be coming out with?

Dont worry about a little air, it will eventually go through the filter and come out the other end. Just make sure the impeller is not running dry (you will hear that; nothing to hear = ok) and you are fine. Initially, you can also shake the filter a bit to move the air up inside the filter. The pump will just shoot it out at the other end.

Eheim are designed for high bio-filtration, hence their circulation is quite low. So you wont have a very high pressure/flow at the return by nature.

[Ex_UOO_Student]

anyone who uses a EHEIM or knows how they work - please help me get my 2217 going.

the tank is full and the filter is empty.  I know that I can't just plug it in and go but I have no idea how to prime it and get it the fill up,

Help please,

TKS,

cheers,

1) assuming all the media are in the right layers and assuming you already measured up the appropriate length of all the INFLOW and OUTFLOW hoses.

2) sucking water in (from the in-take hose)

3) allowing water coming out from the aquarium to the top portion of INFLOW hose


4) turn off the INFLOW water valve, meaning the water pressure is still there, but you just water to stop the water flow first.

5) Connect the bottom portion of the INFLOW water valve by tightening up the disconnector (ond of the 2 pairs that are in dark grey color).   Half-way of the disconnector, you can manually screw clock-wise or anti-clockwise in order to separate it.

6) DO NOT connect the top and bottom of the OUTFLOW for the time being, the reason being is that you might not be able to get rid of the bubble when you hook up everything.

7) DO NOT plug in any power source

The OUTFLOW hose should be divided into 2 parts, one is connected to the outflow of the canister and the other portion should be going to the aquarium, may or may not be connected with a spray bar.

9) Going back to step 4, this time, you turn on the disconnector so that water will flow in the canister.    Now you need to wait for a while.

10) When you hear a bit noise sound, you can move the bottom portion of the OUTFLOW hose to a small bucket so that you can get ready the water will come out.

11) Now you plug in the power

12) You should see water coming out FIRST with a lot of bubble and then water coming out very smooth.

13) Now, you need to turn off the bottom portion of the OUTFLOW disconnector.

14) Connect the top and bottom portion of the OUTFLOW hose by tightening up the disconnector.

15) Make sure you did open the valve of the top portion of the OUTFLOW hose

16) Re-open the bottom portion OUTFLOW disconnector.

17) should be done.

Key thing:   always keep in mind that there are four portions of hoses in order to finish the process.   Top INFLOW to Bottom INFLOW to Bottom OUTFLOW to Top OUTFLOW.

Make some mistakes and then you should be very good at it.   I have to say the instruction is not clear at all!!!!!

Hope that help.