Added UV, now Skimmer is producing Microbubbles. Any ideas?

[Marc11]

So I added a uv to my system. Since then my skimmer is producing micro bubbles. I thought it might be the skimmer being dirty so I gave it a vinegar back, plugged it back in and still bubbles. Let it run for 24 hours and still bubbles. Any ideas?

 

[Kdocimo90]

Picture of sump may help

 

[Marc11]

I have been running this skimmer for over a year with no problems.

 

[Useful_Idiot]

So the microbubbles stopped when the skimmer was offline for cleaning? I remember my skimmer pulling a lot of gunk when I added uv then calming down a couple days later. Is yours skimmer still producing skimmate?

 

[Marc11]

Not sure but I would say yes.

 

[Useful_Idiot]

I have no real ideas I just wanted to know how the uv effected the organics in the system. A leak on the uv plumbing could cause microbubbles or if you increased the flow within the sump chambers microbubbles from your overflow may be going through the bubble trap to fast and not rising to the top anymore?

 

[Marc11]

The skimmer is shooting out crazy amount of micro bubbles. I was thinking this might be due to the addition of the uv as it never did that before.

 

[IMM3DOORSDOWN]

There might be a leak where the uv is pullin in bubbles. Or your pump for the uv is sucking in bubbles. When my uv is running not a bubble in sight unless it's been off and needs to run the air out of the lines.both uv and skimmer are in my sump.didn't see any difference in the skimmer while running the uv.

 

[Marc11]

Ok maybe i need to be clearer. The uv itself is not causing any bubbles. My skimmer since adding the uv to the system is producing crazy amounts of bubbles out of the output. Im thinking there was oils or something in the uv to cause my skimmer to do this. Or my skimmer is messed up and just producing bubbles. Hope this helps.

 

[downreef]

I agree was the uv new? Did u clean it before u added it? Uv probably had something on it.

 

[Masedaddy]

+1 Did the UV get a vinegar bath before putting it on the system. Could be the skimmer is reacting to something in the water that was introduced by the UV....

 

[Trump]

Did the water level change in the sump with the addition of the UV. It could have affected the "tune" on the skimmer allowing excess bubbles to pass.

 

[Marc11]

water level did not change. But i didnt vinegar bath the uv. That might be the issue.

 

[Marc11]

still crazy bubbles, going to disassemble the skimmer pump today to see whats up.

 

[Useful_Idiot]

That's odd, at this point I'd shut down the skimmer or uv and its pump(separate?) for 24 hours and see if the bubbles stop. Make sure to clean the inside of the grey intake where the airline goes on, that always clogs up. Isn't your water height on that skimmer deeper than recommended too? I know you've run it like that without problems I'm just thinking of what you're doing differently. Did you run some carbon yet to get out any chemicals? prazipro will make an insane amount of micro bubbles.

 

[Marc11]

running uv and skimmer in vinegar for 24 hours. See if it was a chemical. I will change my carbon tomorrow. Even in the vinegar my skimmer is pushing out bubbles. This is really odd.