# Assistance setting up the eheim 2026 - pics



## Bombay (Mar 6, 2006)

ok, not a lot of answers to the question about the impeller or the leaks, so maybe someone can advise if they have any suggestions in properly setting up the filter.

First let me say thanks to anyone who has offered a suggestion to the other problems.

Problem 1: very noisy filter. narrowed it down to the impeller, took it apart...discovered when they assembled the impeller, they forgot one of the rubber endcaps that stabilize the impeller. Slap the knuckles of eheim.
Solution: went to City Pets in Houston and picked up the shaft and two rubber caps for $8.99. Hopefully that solves that one. Although the impeller magnet does have a little chip on it...probably from banging around in the chamber. If the rubber cap doesn't fix the noise, new impeller $20. That would be another be slap for eheim.

Problem 2: Sometime during the night, the filter leaked. It seems to me that the pressure built up in the filter and it leaked around the primer pump. I can tell you that I didn't use the green intake/output, but instead used the intake/output from a magnum 350. I guess it is possible that the use of the magnum pipes caused an undue pressure on the filter. However, I just conmpared the two and they are the same diameter etc. Actually, I would think there would be less pressure since the magmum output is a open, split diffuser instead of a spraybar. I also primed the unit several more times after it was running. This released extra air...and didn't seem to have any ill effects. In fact, I reread the manual and it says (after the step to start the filter) that the priming support can be activated repeatedly. Anyway. Any comments here?

Ok, now for help setting up.

Layer 1 - ehfimech tubes in the bottom basket...blue coarse pad on top...underneath collapseable handle. Stem gasket in place.

















Layer 2 - ehfisubstrat in basket, stem gasket in place. Input tube inserted in gasket. I don't use the carbon pad so no filter pad in basket.

















The directions say to put the white (fine) pad on top of the basket...on top of the handles. In my opinion, this doesn't fit well since the white pad gets crushed between the handle and the green lattice piece. (In one pic, I pressed the edges of the pad down into the basket so that the pad is below the gasket on the basket tube.)









Interesting enough, the booklet says:
Attention: The white pad must not lie under the handle, the cutout for the pipe opening must remain free.

I don't exactly know what they mean by the 'cutout for the pipe opening' must remain free. How would it NOT remain free? Of course the opening in the pad must go over the pipe, but it seems the overall package fits much better UNDERNEATH the handles. Nonetheless, I have always followed the directions.

Lattice: The lattice fits over the last filter pad. This becomes very tight. The grey stem is inserted into the gasket of the basket. The filter fits down onto this tube....but there is no additional gasket.









Any insight here...before I give it another shot?

Thanks
Rob


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

I'm glad to see that you found a rubber piece for less than from Eheims webpage.

looks good, have you checked the rubber seeling around the main edge (I guess you have), the pipe should not be the problem, I have tried a lot of different types.

I think they like the white pad to be on top to stop all small debris, if you put in a basket there is some flow around the edge of the basket.


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## Bombay (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks NE for all your posts!


NE said:


> I think they like the white pad to be on top to stop all small debris, if you put in a basket there is some flow around the edge of the basket.


Ok, that makes sense somwhat. But thinking this thru, if the last pad is on top of the handles, it seems that priming pressure (or any pressure) could pull the pad down at the edges. The handle would actually stop the pad from being pulled down in whole. If it is pulled down on just the sides, it would leave gaps.

So the last gasket (seen here at the level of the lattice) is for sealing the stem (grey pipe) to the lattice (as opposed to sealing the filter head as it comes down over the stem?

yeah, I checked the perimeter seal. They still seem pliable and free of the debris...basically this filter never got dirty...brand new condition.

I still think some type of pressure caused a seal (not sure which one, but suspect the seal(s) around the primer) to leak. It almost was like you have a bottle with a squirter on top. You squeeze the bottle and it squirts/leaks water. This only happend a short period of time. In aother words, it was not continuous leak. It wasn't leaking when I checked it in the morning...only during that brief time during the evening.

Any other thoughts?


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## NE (Dec 10, 2004)

> So the last gasket (seen here at the level of the lattice) is for sealing the stem (grey pipe) to the lattice (as opposed to sealing the filter head as it comes down over the stem?


It should seal the stem to the head, in the ProI it was a whole pipe down to the bottom through the baskets, it was a bit of a pain to guide the pipe through the baskets.
Its the inlet extended to the bottom. so any leaks make a "short circuit".


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## Bombay (Mar 6, 2006)

ok, so if you look at my last photo, the gasket barely (if any) protrudes above the lattice. Of course I can't see if or how the head rests on this gasket, but it doesn't appear to me that the head would press tightly enough against the lattice in order to hit the gasket.

The grey pipe does however fit fairly snugly up into the head.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

The only thing I can say may be an issue from the pics is the level of the biomedia in the top tray (the one that the white pad goes on top of). It doesn't look full enough.

I fill mine to the top, just to the level where the handle can still slide down to where it's supposed to be. Then the white pad is supported on all sides and forms a good seal...


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

And the gaskets (both the top one and the one between the two trays) are there to form a sealed pipe from the inlet of the Eheim down to the bottom of the unit. The water then flows back up the unit through the various media/pads in the two trays and into the pumphead where it is pumped back into the aquarium.

As far as I can tell, that gasket is fine. The setup should be (from top to bottom) : pumphead - short tube - gasket - top tray - gasket - bottom tray.

The lattice is there to push down and hold the white pad tightly to the media in the top tray, as well as to prevent any stray pieces from the white pad to be sucked up into the impeller.

By the way, the second main reason for the Eheims to make noise is not enough media, causing it to rattle around in the flow...


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## Bombay (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks. Yeah, I used some of the media in the extra baskets on the EMp 400...the ones that are often used for extra carbon, etc.

Maybe I'll fill it back up. But the noise for sure is/was not the media moving around...it is definitely the impeller.


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