# Help: Eheim Intake Tube Broken



## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I'm in the process of setting up my new Eheim 2262. While attempting to fit the hose onto the intake tube, the tube snapped into two at the bend. I contacted my LFS and they don't carry replacement parts for the 2262. I've tried tracking down Eheim replacement parts but they only seem to ship to the U.S. and I'm in Canada.

Any suggestions as to how to fix this problem?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

If you are good at DIY, you can use 3/4" PVC and make your own J-tube intake. Just fill the PVC with sand, seal both ends with tape, use a heat gun to soften the PVC evenly and bend it to shape around a can.

You could also try the same procedure with the Eheim tube that is broken to recreate the original bend.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks Dee. I was thinking of going this route. I'm going to try it on the Eheim tube first. Fortunately I hadn't taken the hacksaw to it yet to trim it to the right length so I have a bit more wiggle room.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Not perfect but I'm going to live with it. Will be clamping the hose to the tubes.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Monitor the filter to see if you have any problems with it. You may experience some reduced suction since the new bend is flattened out and you don't have the same internal diameter of the original pipe. The inside of the pipe needed to be supported with sand or a flexible spring of the correct diameter to prevent the distortion you experienced.

I highly recommend either replacing it with the OEM part or making a new one. Sorry for the bad news.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

:-? I actually did fill it with sand and sealed both sides with tape.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

If I do have to make a new one, is it actually possible to fit the hose on a 3/4" PVC pipe? I found it really hard to get it on the Eheim pipe...maybe I'm just getting weak.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Maybe the sand didn't pack tight enough. It should have retained its round shape. I do admit that I have had a difficult time heating and bending the Eheim tubes compared to the PVC ones because the Eheim tube wall thickness is so much thinner, it is easy to distort. I tried to make an offset bend on one of my intake pipes and it came out very distorted.

I used 3/4" PVC Schedule 40 pipe to make intake J-tubes for my big filters. The Eheim suction hose will slide over the 3/4" pipe but I do heat up the hose in hot water first to make it a bit more pliable. I also still use worm drive hose clamps to secure the hose to the pipe.

I used a tall, empty cat food can as the form to make the J shape for my intakes. The can is about 2-7/8" in diameter which is about the minimum size you can use without distorting the pipe. The final product shows 4" from center to center of the pipe.

This is what mine looked like after I painted it



My first DIY one used fittings to accomplish the same thing and is still in operation but there is a very slight reduction in flow due to the fittings.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

It's funny I just found the second image on another forum and was about to ask you about it. I like it and would want to copy it. If the flow is reduced though, wouldn't I end up having the same problem I'm now going to have with the deformed Eheim intake tube?

On the other forum you also posted a photo of the strainer fitting over the 3/4" pipe. I bought some 3/4" PVC today in anticipation of dealing with this problem. There's no way the Eheim strainer will fit on to it unless I sand/file the pipe down. Is that what you had to do?

I also found the Eheim hose was brutal to get on to the tubes. I actually dipped the hose into boiling water for a few seconds and still struggled to fit it onto the tubes. It was harder if the tubes were curved. I just can't see it fitting onto the PVC. As you can see from the image below the 3/4" I was able to find at HD is almost the same size as the Eheim hose.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Zimmy, when I first assembled my 2262 I broke a part, Eheim (even though in Montreal I believe) were not able to sell me the replacement part, but were able to send me out the part for free providing I sent them a proof of purchase. 
P.S, could you please send me the link to the pic of Deedas DIY?


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

noddy said:


> Zimmy, when I first assembled my 2262 I broke a part, Eheim (even though in Montreal I believe) were not able to sell me the replacement part, but were able to send me out the part for free providing I sent them a proof of purchase.
> P.S, could you please send me the link to the pic of Deedas DIY?


Thanks, noddy!

PM sent.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Zimmy, I just double checked some spare Eheim 25/34mm suction hose and it fits very snugly over a scrap piece of 3/4" PVC pipe. It's possible there is some slight variation between manufacturer's but it wouldn't hurt anything if you needed to sand it down a bit to get it to fit. From the pic that you posted, that looks like 1" pipe, I just laid a piece of 1" pipe up against the suction hose and it appears the same. Is it possible your PVC pipe is mis-labeled?

Also, I don't remember sanding the PVC to get the suction strainer to fit but it is possible that I did.

Noddy, I find that I need to click on the compatibility view button, next to the address bar at the top of the page in order to see most pictures on C-F. If I don't use compatibility view, all I see is a box with a red X in the left corner. It's probably because of an old browser or some such computer nonsense.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks, Dee. It's possible that the PVC is mislabelled. I have quite a bit of it around (from two different manufacturers, including one from the U.S.). It says 3/4" on it so I'm not sure what to make of it.

I spent the day dealing with Eheim and a retailer in the U.S., who Eheim referred me to. It seems the part was out of stock across North America because one of the major N.A. Eheim distributors closed in October. It could be hard to get certain replacement parts till this gets sorted out. I had to make a stink with Eheim and they then followed up with the same U.S. retailer and now it seems like Eheim will send them the part so it can be sold to me. Over the several hours this was getting sorted out I ended up finding a retailer in the U.K. and bought it from them. I may end up with two intake tubes. I'll keep one as a back-up.

What made you go the DIY route on the intake tube, Dee? I may still make one like the second (single piece) one you made just for fun.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Well if the pipe is labeled 3/4", it probably is. I don't think the outside diameter of the pipe is ever larger than the nominal 1.05 inches, it's usually the inside diameter that changes depending on the Schedule rating. The Eheim hose has an inside diameter of 25mm or 0.9843 so that it will be a tight fit.

Sorry you are having so many problems trying to get another stock part. I've been lucky getting o-rings, shafts, impellers and and fittings online. Maybe it's just a quirk or there were production problems so there is a lack of certain parts available readily.

I don't particularly care for the stock 2 piece Eheim intake as it takes up too much room over the rim of the tank. Either it sticks out behind the tank or it protrudes too far into the tank. I also couldn't get it to hang vertically without wedging something behind the pipe on the rear of the tank.

I also wanted to experiment with bending PVC pipe and this gave me the perfect opportunity to try it out. My first try was perfect so I've made 2 more since then for the other 2260 and 2262.

Another DIY I made was for hanging the intake pipe in the tank. It is similar to the DIY I made for hanging heaters in the tank. I always seem to have problems with the suction cups not holding securely as they age so I used some 1/4" acrylic to act as a hanger, similar to the style used to hang Christmas wreaths on doors. I removed the suction cups from the clips for the intake pipe, drilled small holes in the 'knob' the suction cup attaches to, drilled small holes through the acrylic hanger and then mounted the clips with #4 x 1/2" long stainless pan head screws.

Here is 2 pictures of the intake tube mounted on the acrylic hanger. That small extra plastic piece was so the hose would hang vertically behind the tank.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Great DIY! Thanks for posting it with the great photos.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

uuuughhh. this post stressed me out. 
For as much as eheim filters cost, you would think parts wouldnt break on initial setup, then get a runaround trying to get a fix???.replacement.diy, or anything. 
Buy a lexus, replace the bumpers,brakes and headlights and fuel injectors with a toyota corolla part...you get diy????


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

B.Roberson said:


> uuuughhh. this post stressed me out.
> For as much as eheim filters cost, you would think parts wouldnt break on initial setup, then get a runaround trying to get a fix???.replacement.diy, or anything.
> Buy a lexus, replace the bumpers,brakes and headlights and fuel injectors with a toyota corolla part...you get diy????


I was pretty stressed out too. The 2262 cost me over $500 (Canadian dollars) less than a month ago. I was not happy that Eheim did not want to help right off the bat on such an expensive investment. Would I buy a 2262 again? Without hesitation, yes. This is my second one (I also have a 2217) and they're great filters.

I thought about buying an FX6 this time out and was talking to the owner of my LFS about it. They sell the FX6 but were out of stock on the 2262. He talked me out of getting the FX6 because of the low quality parts and steered me to the Eheim, even though I ended giving someone else my business as a result.

Eheim customer service has a reputation for being poor. The good news is that you don't usually need them.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Deeda said:


> Zimmy, I just double checked some spare Eheim 25/34mm suction hose and it fits very snugly over a scrap piece of 3/4" PVC pipe. It's possible there is some slight variation between manufacturer's but it wouldn't hurt anything if you needed to sand it down a bit to get it to fit. From the pic that you posted, that looks like 1" pipe, I just laid a piece of 1" pipe up against the suction hose and it appears the same. Is it possible your PVC pipe is mis-labeled?
> 
> Also, I don't remember sanding the PVC to get the suction strainer to fit but it is possible that I did.
> 
> Noddy, I find that I need to click on the compatibility view button, next to the address bar at the top of the page in order to see most pictures on C-F. If I don't use compatibility view, all I see is a box with a red X in the left corner. It's probably because of an old browser or some such computer nonsense.


Cheers Dee, I get that as well, I'll try the compatibility view.


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