Re: [APD] Eheim prime problem -- or is it a problem at all?

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Hmmm. Can;t argue with experience but how it's supposed to
work is this:

When you push down on the primer, water, air, or whatever
is in the filter and inlet and outlet tubes, is pushed out
of both tubes. When you release the primer at is rises back
to it's normal position, the suction pulls the ball down,
closing the inlet tube and water (air or whatever is in the
outlet tube) is sucked into the filter, which should pull
water into the outlet tube at its opening and up and over
the u-curve, starting the siphon.

Without the ball, when you release the primer, water
(air,etc.) is sucked in from the outlet tube as easily as
the inlet tube.

If the water level in the siphon tube is close enough to
the u-curve, there can still be enough drawn in by the
primer when yoou release it to start a siphon. Also, the
opening inside the pump head to the outlet is closed off
after the primer is depressed part way -- which tends to
have the same effect as the ball valve during part of the
priming cycle. But I find it to be much less reliable than
when the ball valve is working. When the ball valve is
operational, it doesn't much matter whether there is water
in the inlet and outlet tubes; working the primer will
expel what's in the tubes out through the outlet and draw
aquarium water into the inlet tube. It's a clever and
relatively simple design, but the replacement balls are
expensive.

As an alternative, one can put a valve in line on the
outlet, leave it open when pushing down on the primer,
close it before releasing the primer, then open it as soon
as the primer is back at it's normal position.

Scott H.

--- Rachel Sandage <rachelsor at hotmail_com> wrote:
> FWIW, I took the little ball completely out of my 2026
> and the priming thing works fine...


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