a little rant about eheim

[supermazz9]

**Disclaimer** This is not against Big Al's. I like the guy that I usually deal with there, and i just caught the wrong girl for what i was looking for...she made a little mistake, and not many people besides myself know everything...lol. Besides this mistake, Big Al's did nothing "wrong", except for selling a specialty item that's WAY overpriced.

So I go to Big Al's, cause they've got the filter I want (ehiem ecco 2232) and I decide, hey, what the hell, why don't I get myself a flow meter. So I go home, set myself up and...ohhh. The filter uses a 1/2 inch hose, the flow meter accepts 3/4 inch (would have been nice to know that BEFORE I left the store). No biggy. Next time I'm in the area, I go into the store, and the lady tells me that no, they don't carry a reducer for that, but it's common, and I can go to Rona or Home Depot or what have you and pick one up.

So that's what I try. I go to Rona. And Home Depot. And Home Hardware. And some plumbing supply stores. turns out that it isn't 1/2 inch hose (not by North american standards)

I go back to Big Al's. This time I wait for the guy that i trust there (shoulda waited for him the first time). Turn out that it is a part that they carry, they just don't have them very often.

Now the part that I need is a reducer coupling (RC), a small plastic tube that adapts ehiem 1/2 to standard 3/4. Actually, I need two, because I need to increase into the flow meter, and decrease back again out, because of the hook piece. Any normal RC, from home depot or plumbing supply stores etc, $1.99, tops, for a freakin' expensive one. But, oh, not this special ehiem RC. Guess how much...




Wait for it...


Wait for it...



$13.99!!!

Are you kidding me? And I need two of these just to connect up a flow meter that I don't even need? And I'm coming back and forth between big al's and other stores looking for this freakin thing, and, $13.99!

$13.99...Thanks Mr. Eheim...wow, you just guaranteed that I buy lots more of your stuff. This portion of your post has been edited, it is in violation of the User Agreement. Further violations of the User Agreement could result in removal from our community.


Anyway, i think that the richmond store is getting them in next week...I'll pick them up then...

 

[Tolak]

Eheim hoses are metric, you are using English sized reducers. Eheim hoses are also soft, even softer when you heat them. Small radiator clamps are 25 cents. Heat the hose, slide it over the reducer, and clamp it. I've gotten an extra 1/8" out of those hoses, thanks to my handy Bic lighter.

 

[Shelby_Tempo_GT]

Eheim hoses are metric, you are using English sized reducers. Eheim hoses are also soft, even softer when you heat them. Small radiator clamps are 25 cents. Heat the hose, slide it over the reducer, and clamp it. I've gotten an extra 1/8" out of those hoses, thanks to my handy Bic lighter.

I agree 100%

 

[supermazz9]

Oh, that's smart, I think I'll give that a shot...I be hoping it works...$13.99...what a joke!



Wait wait wait...the hose isn't listed in metric measurement! It's listed as 1/2 inch tubing! Now I don't know, maybe in Germany a half inch is different than our 1/2 inch, but there just shouldn't be this difference. The wall thickness is likely thicker that it should be, but the hose overall is just too small.

I'm still going to take a shot at heating it up, but I'm angry about this.

 

[toddnbecka]

Is the 1/2" ID or OD?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Is the 1/2" ID or OD?

Some places go by Inside Diameter, and others by Outside Diameter.

 

[supermazz9]

Is the 1/2" ID or OD?

Some places go by Inside Diameter, and others by Outside Diameter.

The OD should remain constant, it's the ID that should change, depending on schedule (I'm not sure about this, but I know that it's that way for piping..4" black steel is always 4" OD whether the wall is 1/8 thick or 5/8 thick). Again, it's freakin german, so I don't know why any of this would matter, except that they likely use metric and label their hose in inches according to what it's closest to...so maybe something like 16mm hose is 1/2 inch, or something like that.

 

[tropicfishman]

yep eheims are all metric where its german ( or whatever is it is ) the 1/2" is actually a 16mm hose I believe

 

[Zagz]

Metric is used by a large majority of the world. There are many online converters to help with metric to imperial conversions.