Is my skimmer dead?

[Aquaman101]

I cleaned my tank today and when I plugged my Precision Marine Skimmer back in the pump isn't working.

I took it out and it seems the only part i can really get to is the white needle wheel that spins.

There doesn't really appear to be much I can do to take apart the pump, but I cleaned it in the sink and plugged it in. The needle wheel spins but seems to not really do a lot lot.

Is it time to replace the entire pump?

 

[tkeracer619]

Sometimes when pumps die they will spin when there is no water but once you put some resistance on the impeller it won't start up.

If it pumps water but no bubbles check the air intake for clogs. A lot of time this is overlooked and will build up salt deposits until the airflow is blocked.

 

[WhoDat?]

Well if you tested it out in the sink... Or in freshwater they don't really do much at all .... Have you tried to put it back in the saltwater??? And make sure the air intake line isn't clogged in any way....

 

[Aquaman101]

Well if you tested it out in the sink... Or in freshwater they don't really do much at all .... Have you tried to put it back in the saltwater??? And make sure the air intake line isn't clogged in any way....

Yep...put it back in the sump but it still just seems to struggle. I didn't notice any clogs. It was working fine when I unplugged it.

 

[WhoDat?]

double check to make sure you put everything back exactly right..... I don't know why it would quit after a cleaning....

 

[tkeracer619]

When pumps die they don't always die completely. Sometimes they will run fine just not start up fine. I have seen pumps that run for months without any trouble get unplugged and never run again.

 

[cloak]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/fm/feature/index.php

 

[Aquaman101]

Looks like the impeller was locked up. Got a new one on order.

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Sk8r]

TOo late for this, but in general, if you have a pump stop, taking it apart and using white vinegar and a toothbrush is good; and once you get it running, just put it in a bucket of white vinegar and just let 'er run overnight. The vinegar does no harm to the marine tank and the piece will be sparkling clean.
It also cleans shower heads, old tanks, faucets, and bathroom tub enclosures, and dissolves bristleworm spines.