Can I hook a external air to a 9410 Skimmer?

[skud]

I have been running a 9410 skimmer for nearly 7 years and am very happy with it.
Over winter my PH drops due to house being closed and ducted heater burning all the oxygen (maybe) . Can I hook a air line to my skimmer and suck some air from out side? Thanks Kim.

 

[rvitko]

No, but you can pump air into the intermediate chamber through the ozone port, the pump does not have sufficient suction for a longer distance and added tubing.

 

[skud]

Thanks I'll give it a go.

 

[MZurlo]

yes you can, i have my setup like that, and it works very well. Here is a video that gave me the idea to do so.

thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPF3Hwm6zd8

 

[MZurlo]

but you can add a pump and a air stone in your sump works even better, i have my setup like that, and it works very well. Here is a video that gave me the idea to do so.

thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPF3Hwm6zd8

 

[rishma]

I have another alternative that has worked on other skimmers. I never tried it on the 9410.

Use a very small air pump. Locate air pump outside and run tubing to skimmer. Insert a Tee fitting in the skimmer pump airline. Connect the outside air pump to one of the Tee barbs, leaving the third Tee barb open.

With the small air pump providing positive pressure, you wont impact the air suction of the skimmer's pump. The excess air gets vented out the open end of the Tee fitting, but all the air the skimmer is pulling in comes from outside. If you don't use a Tee fitting, the air pump will push too much air to the skimmer pump and choke it.

 

[rvitko]

What Rishma does is exactly how I do it.

 

[ReefHog]

Wouldn't pumping the outside air between the skimmer and the pump eliminate or reduce the "moistness" of the air feeding the pump? One of the nice things about this skimmer setup is the air port on the pump doesn't have salt build up and clog like most other skimmers because the supply air is always moist/wet.

 

[rvitko]

Yes and no. Generally the "moist" air around the tank has a lot of salt so it tends to contribute to salt plugging the air intake. The outside air will vary with the humidity in your area, where I am the air tends to be humid, but I have a 25ft run of airline and a lot of that condenses in the line so I periodically have to purge the line or it sounds like a hookah.