Equipment Review and Discussion :: Rena XP3 won't prime

[Rachel__23]

I have had my Rena XP3 for 8 months now, and have been having problems with it for about 2 months. At first I started having problems getting it to prime after cleaning it, but it would eventually start. Over the past month there has been drastic flow loss. It barely had any output at all, then out of nowhere it just stopped pumping water. The motor still runs fine, it's clean. There's no cracks, or splits in anything. It doesn't sound like air is getting in at all. But still I can't get it to prim anymore. The motor sounds fine, the impeller looks like new. Also all of the hoses are clean, no blockage at all.
Any ideas on how to get this thing going? Or what's causing the problem? I've had it less then a year. It is in a 65 gallon tank, with 1 turtle that is about 4". I can't see it being an issue with being overworked.

[steve]

How are you priming it? I'd empty out the canister, then reconnect the hoses and see if it fills up. If there is no water in the tubes, then keep the lever up and fill the intake tube and reconnect the hoses again.

[Chrisbarnett]

I'd try priming it manually if it won't fill just by flipping the lever.
Unscrew the intake cap, and get a funnel, and fill up the canister, and keep filling until the tubes are full of water. Then plug it in and see if that works.

[Rachel__23]

I have already tried both of the suggested methods, no priming at all. When it's full, if I keep dumping water in the intake, it will force through to the output. So I know the system is clear, but either way I try it it doesn't prime.

[Chrisbarnett]

Hm, Ok.
Sounds more like an Impeller issue to me then. Is your impeller dirty? in good shape? seated properly?

[Rachel__23]

Clean, perfect condition, and seems to be seated properly. The magnet is nice and strong, and the whole thing snaps nicely into place.

[steve]

It sounds like it is primed. Are you sure the motor is actually working?

[Rachel__23]

Sounds like it's working, nothing to make me think otherwise.

[Rachel__23]

Well after not having touched it for 2 days, just leaving it turned off, I decided to fight with it again. And, it started perfectly in about 5 seconds. Not sure what happened, but it seems to be working ok now. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I had a small issue with my Rena XP3 after the first cleaning. We cleaned it, set it back up, primed it, everything went fine. Then a few hours or so later, it started making sounds like it was full of air bubbles. We reprimed it, we tried all sorts of ways to fix it. Finally, we gave up to go to bed, and in the morning, when it was turned back on, everything was great. Very odd.

[Raphulk]

hmm i dont have a rena xp3 BUT i have a similar story to the whole "left it for the night and when i tried later the next day it was perfectly fine" thing.


well when i first got my xbox 360 i had fightnight round 3. yoo hoo.
about a week into it my fightnight would freeze at the same exact loading screen. i tried day after day for about a week. then just gave up to let it rest i guess.

one day i was "feeling lucky" about 2 weeks after i had first left it to be. it was perfectly fine, and since then ive never had a problem with the game!

weird. ill never know.

[Daniel3507]

that same thing happened to my old eheim 2215. had problems with it priming and after awhile i just decided to let it go and it fixed itself

[Rachel__23]

Ok I'm losing pressure again. At half of what it was the other day. Can't figure out what's causing it. Any ideas?

[Fuzzy Hamster]

Since you are still under warranty, I would suggest you give RENA a call. They have a toll-free number that also works in Canada.

Mars Fishcare Inc. Helpdesk (MARS owns Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., API purchased RENA around 1997 from a French company)
Product/Technical Support: (800) 847-0659

P.S. It sounds like you have checked everything you can, but you may want to double check everywhere that air could be getting in - i.e. where ever there is a rubber seal, cap or latch that could be getting loose. My gut feel (from experience with other type of filters) is that your motor has a problem, so you would need to contact RENA for warranty service anyways.