# Eheim 2215 noise level



## kabuto (Mar 9, 2007)

I asked this in another forum but didn't get much feedback.
I would like to know what noise level is acceptable for a 2215 before I start bugging the shop i bought it from.

This unit is 1 weeks old. First of all, lets eliminate degassing, and eliminate lubrication of impeller. I have all the air out, i primed it properly, and have lubricated the impeller with vaseline. Also eliminate missing brushes, and wrongly installed impeller. I'm 999% sure i got it all installed correctly.

Current setup:
- No taps
- Open end spraybar submersed in water
- Media is ceramic noodles, blue sponge, loose filtration wool, and eheim white polish pad.
- Flow rate good. I measured 135gph (close to reported 140gph elsewhere) so we can assume no flow reduction causing vibration
- The canister is 10~20cm below the bottom of the tank. 
- sitting on carpet. 
- No cabinet doors.

My noise level
- A light humming noise is audible from 1.5m away. I have to try hard to hear it at this distance. The humming becomes apparent when sitting in front of the tank (my head would be about 50cm away from canister). Still v. light hum, but i can hear it hum.
- When I place a bag of sand on the filter head, the humming noise is significantly reduced.
- When I put my ear next to the unit (15cm) I can hear a light crackling noise. more like click-click-click continuously. There is no more air,... so what is this clicking sound???

I know what a SILENT canister is like. Owned one before. So i know this is NOT silent. Is this acceptable for Eheim 2215 or should I do something about it?


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

It sounds like you have done everything correctly to prime the filter to eliminate air in the unit. You may want to lightly lubricate the head seal o-ring with Vaseline to get a better seal and see if this helps quiet the filter since you said the noise is reduced by placing weight on the head.

You don't state what size tank this filter is on. Eheim recommends the installation height of 18.5" or 49cm from water surface to filter base. I don't know if this might be causing some of the noise you are hearing.

What concerns me is the click-click-click sound you are hearing. It sounds similar to cavitation so maybe you do not have a good seal somewhere on the filter. Double check that all the hoses are snugly connected to the fittings.

Do you have the Eheim installation kit input & outputs(gray) or the standard ones(green)? If the gray ones, check that the o-rings are in place & the priming caps are snug.

Do you have any other equipment in-line (CO2, heater, etc)?


----------



## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

I recently set up 2 brand new 2215Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s. They both produce the minor hum you describe. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s barely audible, but it is there. From reading old threads, it seems that the noise comes from the pump head cover vibrating against the pump. That is why the bag of sand you put on the pump head reduced the noise. From my understanding, the cover can be removed to make the hum go away. Personally, the noise level is minor enough that IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m fine with them the way they are.

I also experienced the Ã¢â‚¬Å"click, click, clickÃ¢â‚¬Â


----------



## kabuto (Mar 9, 2007)

Thx for feedbacks so far.

The pump head below the tank water surface by about 50 cm just over the recommended level but this shouldn't be the problem because I tried lifting the filter within range, and it still makes the hum.

I have the standard green in/outlets. And I have put vaseline on every oring as my standard care of protecting these filters from leaks.

Seems like jrf is seeing the same thing as i am. My clicking does go away too. I turned it on-off-on-off-on .... the clicking does go away, and then it came back in a day or two. This is quite inaudible. The irritating one would be the need to have a sand bag on the filter.

It would be a very acceptable noise level if it was sittting in a cabinet with doors. I doubt i will be able to hear it in that case. Problem is this is an open bottom solid wood polished stand I made up so I can display the whole tank, with the filtration system. I don't want the bag of sand there! 

The tubes i am using is kinda long. I didn't cut to length since you never know when you want to move the filter to another tank. Could this be the issue?? Tube too long?

*Its simple enough without the taps. Only takes me couple of mins to get it disconnected and connected to run. Plus i don't have to worry about leaks from an additional source.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

There should not be any loops or sags in the tubing as it runs from the filter to the tank. Maybe there are some air bubbles in the intake tubing that keep getting sucked into the filter.

Is your filter media packed very tightly? Was it difficult to put the pump head on the filter due to the amount of media you have in there?

If the clicking goes away after turning the filter off, on, off, and then on, it does sound like you may be getting a small amount of air in the filter. Is it anywhere near an airstone or bubbler?


----------



## Cento (Mar 30, 2005)

Sorry if this was already addressed, but you mentioned that you left the spray bar "open-ended" in the water? Any reason for that? Have you tried running it plugged?

Not having enough "resistance" MAY affect the operation of the canister. Plug it for a few hours and see what happens.


----------



## kabuto (Mar 9, 2007)

Who recommends cutting the tubes shorter?
Mine currently sags a little, just maybe 10~20cm below the pump head then up to the tank.

I did not pack it tightly.
I have ceramic noodles, coral pieces (both of these take up 30~40%), rough blue sponge, filter floss, carbon pad, white filter wool. (bottom to top)

The clicking sometimes go away sometimes is there. Might be air,... but doesn't "sound" like air.
When i shake it, even if air bubbles come out, the clicking doesn't go away.
But it can temporarily go away with on-off-on.

I am running without spraybar now, just open ended. I mean,.. my filter, not me. I don't need a spraybar, i can spray really well as it is! :lol: :lol: :lol: 
I tried putting resistance on by pinching the tube, but no change. (didn't get significantly louder at all). The filter output tube, not my tube!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

kabuto said:


> The clicking sometimes go away sometimes is there. Might be air,... but doesn't "sound" like air.


The clicking I had didn't sound like air either. It sounded mechanical. In my case, I think something in the impeller assembly wasn't seated properly. Like I said, after I pulled it all apart and put it back together the noise went away and hasn't come back.


----------

