Issues with a 9420.

[Macca_75]

Hi there guys,

Still loving the old reliable 9420 skimmer but it seems to be having an issue of late and I am at a loss as to why.

I think it's the "over foaming" feature causing my problem. Basically the pump is drawing water from the body, cutting the air in the chamber and making a noise. Foam production has been cut to almost nothing (because of the reduced air).

If I remove the air hose from the body and draw straight air the cup fills with a tea coloured skimmate within an hour.

Any idea's what to check? I have pulled the skimmer apart and have given it a complete vinegar bath but it didn't fix the issue.

When the skimmer is running with the airline disconnected the level of water sits below the nipple. When I attach the airline the water level raises a few mm and begins to draw water.

I have started (several weeks before the issue) dosing vodka - not sure if that makes a difference or not.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rvitko]

My guess would be this is a response to the vodka, the middle chamber should do just what it is doing if the skimmer cup would fill quickly and foam over, it is an automatic restriction. You can bypass it by removing the hose from the side of the skimmer and just securing it out of the water so the pump can take in air and the anti over foam feature is bypassed.