Fluval 206 External Filter Help?!

[glasgowgirl786]

Hey I'm at my wits end here, need some help before I take this filter & throw it out the window...

Purchased the Fluval 206 two days ago and ever since it's been rattling like a bag of spanners. I bought it as it was meant to be 'extremely quiet'. However it is not. I've emptied and primed it three times now hoping each time it will shut up but hasn't. I have no air stones or anything and have checked pipes etc for holes and connections and everything seems fine. I've shook the thing to death with loads of air bubbles being released however it's still rattling away. Took impeller out checked it put it back in and it's still the same. I'm gonna go mad the tank is in my bedroom and I was up until 5am last night listening to it as if I was sleeping on an airport runway or building site before getting so mad I switched it off and slept a few hours. Bad I know I shouldn't do it but honestly it's a nightmare. Please help someone I'm gonna go crazyyy!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lunar Jetman]

I guess its either faulty or you have air trapped in it. I'd turn it off for 30 minutes to let any trapped air settle and then turn it back on. You need to tilt it gently from side to side rather than shake it to death as this won't necessarily help and could create more air bubbles.
 
Is it brand new or second hand?

 

[glasgowgirl786]

I started by gently burping it throught the day but it didn't help so when I searched on the internet it said 'shake vigorously' so thought I might aswell try lol. It's brand new so I'm a bit confused

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Ok so if its brand new the worst case scenario is you have to return it.
 
I would turn it off and take it apart to make sure the impeller is lined up properly. then put it back together, let it fill up with water and settle for 30 minutes before turning it on. Then lean it on its site, say 45 degrees and let the air gurgle out before standing up again. Leave it for a moment or two and repeat several times until it should calm down. To be honest, I often just leave my filter alone after a couple of tilts and it sorts itself out after a while.
 
Good luck!

 

[glasgowgirl786]

Thanks so much for your help but I've done all that like 3 times lol took the impeller out and put it back in etc. what kind of filter have you got? Someone on the net said it takes about a week for the noise to stop the woman who sold me it said one hour...wish my tank wasn't in my bedroom now lol I've cut out my Juwel internal or I could have switched that on at night instead.. Guess I should just leave it now n hopefully after a week or so it will quiet down..switched it off just now will turn it back on in 10mins give a lil shake then just leave it. Feel a bit annoyed wish id got an Eheim now lol

 

[Gvilleguy]

Can you still return it? As long as it is completely filled with water it should not be making noise like that. I owned a Fluval 205 and a 206, and they would only make that noise for a few minutes at most after I would clean the filter. Just while the air bubbles were working their way out. So it seems to me like yours has a problem.

 

[glasgowgirl786]

Yeah I've just noticed that one side when I slightly tilt it water trickles out of it? Don't think it should be doing that ill mail the shop & see what they say, thanks for that.. I did think two days was quite a long time just for some trapped air to expel

 

[Gvilleguy]

Not good - check that the skinny rubber gasket is properly seated around the inside rim of the lid, and that the lid itself is fully tight with the two side clamps. Honestly, I stopped buying Fluval. They worked great, while they worked. The 205 lasted a little over a year and then started leaking from the lid. So I bought a 206, and it also lasted a bit longer than a year, and developed the exact same leak and flooded the corner of my den while we were on vacation.

 

[glasgowgirl786]

Oh dear. I only got it as it had such good reviews! Gasket is properly fitted etc trust me I've triple checked everything desperate for the noise to go away lol I've contacted the guy who sold me it so I'll see if he replies and what he says, with any luck they'll give me another one or let me get a refund and I'd go for an Eheim then. I feel like I'm doomed now though
O & I also contacted Fluval more than once on their Facebook page and there just ignoring me now lol

 

[Lunar Jetman]

If its leaking then the seal might be faulty or not fitted properly. If its any consolation I had a 203 in my tank for about 15 years before upgraded the tank and got a bigger filter. I had absolutely no problems with it.
 
I can only reiterate that you shouldn't be shaking the filter. Tilting and holding should be enough. Shaking just generates more bubbles.

 

[glasgowgirl786]

I've stopped shaking it lol I've given up...the man who sold me it told me to shake it aswell so don't have much faith it him lol I really regret purchasing it now it's going to drive me mad again tonight no sleep once again
Once again thank you for your help it's really appreciated. I've phoned customer services and left my number so I'll see if they actually actually phone me back as I had to leave my number

 

[glasgowgirl786]

Hey just been reading up on the same problem from other people - could it be because my output pipe is under the water when I prime it?

 

[Gvilleguy]

Well, per Fluval's own instructions with those canisters, your input and outflow pipes should be under the water when you prime it. But if you are reading solutions where that helped, I guess it would not hurt to try it.

 

[David J]

Hi

I have had this filter for around a year now and do have the same issue. I also received much conflicting advice on how to get the rattling to stop. Forget all that. From my experience, after you've done all the usual checks that you've detailed above, shake the unit aswell as tilt it to disperse as much air as you can then let it run. Any remaining air, in my case, dispersed over a few days. The noise reduced and now I hardly hear it. Every time I open the filter, i have to go through the same thing again. Annoying but once I knew it would go away I was not so bothered about it. Mind you it isn't in my bedroom.

I start by shaking it, let the bubbles come out the spraybar etc, repeat this until nothing else comes out then I start to tilt it as far back as I can. This will release more air. Then tilt to the left, right and forward. Repeat until nothing else comes out. Remember and tilt it as far as you can. In my experience, once you tilt it to about 45 degrees water will start to pour out at the clamps. The retailer had originally told me to turn the whole unit upside down to get the air out. It leaked. The retailer said I mustn't have sealed it properly but I had.

With regards to leaks that some have mentioned, I have also experience problems. After a year of experience with it I conclude that it is just temperamental. I now lubricate the rubber seal with silicon grease, making sure the seal and the channels the seal sits in are clean and free from debris. The smallest thing will cause it to leak. I then put the top back on, DONT push it down hard. I did, thinking this would give a better seal, apparently this does the opposite. So all of that seems to work however, sometimes, after cleaning the filter or even just having it switched off for an hour while I do weekly maintenance etc, it will decide to leak after switching it back on. I don't know how many hours I've spent taking everything apart, cleaning, lubricating, replacing seals etc and putting it all back together again just for it to leak again. My experience is that it will just stop leaking after anything between an hour and 2 days.

Not much of a definitive answer I know but it is my experience using this product for long enough to be able to comment on it. My conclusion, it's a good filter but temperamental. Once you learn how to deal with its quirks and accept them, all is good.

David

 

[glasgowgirl786]

I might do. The guy who sold me it is still telling me to tilt almost upside down and shake etc lol it obviously didn't work so he said to try filling it up almost full then prime then turn on and prime again. I'll try that too. Someone else said to switch it on and off every 2 secs for hours lol