Emperor 400 is making A LOT of noise- any suggestions???

[gsxrguru2]

My Emperor 400 has been unusually loud lately. I broke it down and cleaned it out the other day and it is still just as loud. the major source of noise is coming from the impeller- it just makes this constant loud vibrating sound. When i first got it, it would make this sound on and off, when it wasn't it was very quiet. I assumed as it broke in that it would improve and it definitely hasn't. Anybody have any suggestions?

[Toirtis]

Perhaps the impeller is no longer sitting true in the impeller well, and being somewhat askew is causing the rattle....can the part that holds the impeller in place be replaced if it wears/breaks?

[scarf]

I'm haven't actually used a Emperor 400, but I'm making a statement based on a generic power filter

Do you use a pre-filter? Although it isn't an emperor 400, I had a prefilter on the uptake tube for my power filter. It got over-clogged, which resulted in not enough water reaching the impellor, and it would vibrate loudly.

[gsxrguru2]

There is no prefilter that i'm using and it doesn't seem like the impeller well can be removed... maybe i'll talk to the ppl at petsmart and see if i can exchange it for a different one and just keep my biowheels.

[severum mama]

How long have you had the filter? I am just curious because my Emperor 280 does exactly the same thing, no matter how many times I break it down and clean the parts. The 2 Emperor 400s I have, however, are quiet (as far as Emperors go :P ). The 280 is the oldest of the 3 filters.

[gsxrguru2]

I actually just changed the filters out about 3 weeks ago. maybe it was just wishful thinking but i thought that made it a little better. not anymore, i can hear that thing churning away from downstairs.

[Felf]

i have that problem if i dont pour enough water into the filter before restarting it after cleaning the media. when i say enough water i mean all the way to the top (unlike my penguins which can start only half filled) because the spray bars sometimes spray all the water out before the impeller can get full suction. what makes it even worse is when the impeller isnt seated correctly like Toirtis said.

[gsxrguru2]

from the sounds of it the impeller isn't seated correctly. Is there a way to ensure that it is in right? When i put the impeller in the main assembly and put the little black piece around it it seems to spin very smoothly but once its in the well and turned on (water is up to the top) everything seems to go haywire and the thing just rattles away.

[greenmaji]

try adjusting how its put into the well and making sure you put the intake tube on as square as you can (assembling the Emperor 400 was not one of its easy points for this issue IMO and IME)
usually what happens with the E400 is that you either dont get the impeller(with the housing) placed just right in the well or placing the intake tube over it knocks it out of place.. I would have to try 3-4 times in a row sometimes to get it right with mine and I dont have problems with equipment so.. its just a design issue IMO..
once you learn how to do it .. this doesnt become much of an issue anymore... it just takes a little practice.. HTH

[gsxrguru2]

Good call on that. When i get home i will mess around with it and try to find that sweet spot so it settles down.

[Lonewolfblue]

Is it pumping water? It also makes that sound when it's not primed before turning it on. Dump a cup of water where the impeller is when it's running and see if it fixes it.

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[Lonewolfblue]

Make sure it's a large cup of water.

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26G Community:
1 Bala shark - 5", 1 Red Tail shark - 4", 1 Rainbow shark - 3 1/2", 1 Albino Rainbow shark - 3", 1 Golden Dojo Loach - 8", 1 Dojo loach - 4", 2 Fire Eels - 9" each, 4 Chinese Algae Eaters - 1" each, 1 Bolivian Ram - 1", 6 Glowlight rasboras - 1" each. 55G/75G coming soon.