Air valve for skimmer clogging up

[El Langostino]

Ok I have an ALS sump which contains a wet dry trickle filter and a protein skimmer. I'm very pleased with this product...except for one small thing. It seems that almost every two days or so I'll wake up check the skimmer and the water lvl is way below the bottom of the cup...then I'll check the air hose valve and it's silent as there is no pressure like it's clogged up. I have to then maunally reach it unplug the hose, plug it back in, and I immediately hear the rush of air and the water lvl instantaneously rises back to where it should be.

I'm really afraid because I have to go on a rather lengthy vacation this summer and can't have this problem to worry about. Why is it doing this? This can't be normal can it?

 

[El Langostino]

Any ideas at all?

 

[BeanAnimal]

What end is getting clogged, the open end or the end that is in the skimmer?

If it is the open end, you can extend the tube so that it is out of the moist air. You can even plumb it into a larger diamter pipe or container and add some filter floss to keep the dust and stuff out.

 

[El Langostino]

I'm not entirely certain as nothing visible about the open end. Whenever I reach into the sump and disconnect the end connected to the power head and then polug it back it, the air flow starts up again, so I think it's the end that is in the skimmer.

 

[Jon Lazar]

Skimmer

Skimmer

It's not uncommon for the skimmer air line to get clogged at either end. This can be caused by sucking in salty air, and then the salt builds up either at the open end of the air hose, or at the end where it attaches to the skimmer. In both cases, you can do like BeanAnimal posted and run a longer hose to somewhere outside your stand where it's less humid.