Eheim 1262 very loud, break in?

K

ktownhero

New member
I did a test run of my tank last night and was the first time I fired up the 1262. Unfortunately it was rather loud, even with the doors closed. The noise is coming from the pump itself and not as a result of vibration. I confirmed this by running the pump held off of the ground and with no hose touching anything, I also tested it without any hosing. The only way I got it to quiet down was by severely restricting the flow with my fingers.

I took it apart to inspect the impeller and everything looks A-ok. The only thing I am left wondering is if this pump requires a break in period? As it stands right now, it just makes too much noise to be in a living room.

PS - I have it on the air-tubing skis, so it's not vibration.
 
mcgyvr said:
Its not a "quiet" pump by any means really..
noise is in the ears of the beholder..
Click to expand...

This isn't normal. It's loud enough that you can hear it in the room even when the doors are open. A hum is one thing, this is another. But, like I said, the parts all appear to be in order. I am just wondering if it needs to run for a few days to break in?
 
Hi, I have an Eheim 1262 and it's not loud at all. I replaced it with a more powerful DC pump and use the Eheim for water changes and other stuff. It sounds to me that you are describing something abnormally loud. Not sure what could be wrong, but Eheims generally do not create a lot of noise. If the impeller is balanced and not bent, you could try replacing the rubber tips that mount on either end. Contact Eheim they will mail you a new set for free. New impellers aren't free and they are not that inexpensive. Never read about a break in period.
 
BFG said:
Did you managed to see whether the shaft is seated on the rubber grommet thingy ?
Click to expand...
I couldn't really see inside. I just pulled the impeller out. How can I get further in to check the shift?

The shaft did feel like it had a bit of play, but I figured that was normal?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
is the pump new?

If the impeller can move on the shaft other than spinning or sliding up and down then you might need a new impeller.
 
My guess is that there is a problem with the impeller also. I have a couple 1262's and one of the things I've always liked about them is their relative lack of noise. Vibration can easily be taken care of with a silicone hot pad for it to sit on and a short length of vinyl tubing to connect to the hard PVC.

I've been using one of them for over 25 years and never had a problem like you describe.
 
Jayreefer said:
is the pump new?

If the impeller can move on the shaft other than spinning or sliding up and down then you might need a new impeller.
Click to expand...

It's brand spanking new, as in this is the first time it was ever used. The impeller definitely was able to move a little side-to-side, i assumed that was normal and that centrifugal force would correct it. Apparently I'm wrong!

The impeller is brand new though and has no signs of damage or wear. Is it possible I just need to get it seated properly?
 
I agree, sounds defective in some way, I've had at least a dozen Eheims over the years, I don't hear them at all unless I'm right at sump, and even then I have to listen for what little sound comes from them.
 
I checked the impeller again and it is seated correctly so I don't know. Dr Foster and Smith is sending me a new one.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
Sonyardo said:
I've had a 1262 for years and it's very quiet.
Click to expand...
Do you recall any sort of break in period? I know my Eheim canisters have sometimes needed a little time to settle in. This one works fine but is just louder than it should be. The type of sound is normal, just louder than it is supposed to be (ie it's not something broken inside or something).

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
My ehiem 1262 is around 4 years old but it has always been the same as far as noise. So mine didn't have any type of break in period
 
ktownhero said:
Do you recall any sort of break in period? I know my Eheim canisters have sometimes needed a little time to settle in. This one works fine but is just louder than it should be. The type of sound is normal, just louder than it is supposed to be (ie it's not something broken inside or something).

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

There really isn't a break in period for return pumps, on canisters it may take a while for all air bubbles to escape, that's what makes a little noise at first.
It baffles me that anyone would think they are any bit loud, definitely not my experience, and they last forever w/ very little maintenance.
 
So the noise I'm experiencing is definitely the normal operational noise of the pump. I verified this by getting a replacement pump and by suspending them and getting the same noise.

I don't know how anyone could call this pump quiet, let alone silent. It's a droning that it pretty obnoxious. My only last ditch effort is a ball valve to create some back pressure. I'm a huge fan of Eheim so I hope that works. But right now I can't stand it for a living room tank. It's driving me nuts!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
my 1262 is 10 years old and still very quite. my new jabeo dct12000 makes more noise on max than it does any day.
 
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