large skimmer bubbles

hawks66

Member
just tried out a skimmer i picked up off craigslist. did i get taken?

skimmer.jpg


this is my first skimmer but from what ive seen i should have tons of micro bubbles, not these larger ones. Ideas? its a reef dynamics ins 80. is this part of the breaking it in period?
 
Check if the needle wheel is all there. Also are you reading in saltwater or fresh. A skimmer does not work in fresh water
 
First question is- did you do this test in saltwater? If you tested it in freshwater, then you won't get near the bubble production (fewer, larger bubbles) you will in saltwater. Secondly, you want to make sure the airline is not clogged and also the Venturi part of the pump (the section where the airline connects to the pump) is clean of any salt or calcium buildup.

Even a brand new skimmer should produce many small bubbles when running correctly, and what you're describing is not part of the breaking-in period, which has more to do with how the foam builds up inside the top of the reaction chamber.
 
not normal!

Have you checked the airline for blockage? quick check would be to blow into the line then run some hot water through the line while the pump is running.

Is the pump making alot of noise?

is it barely moving water?

Check the impeller and volute on the pump and make sure there are no obstructions or broken needles on the impeller assembly. also make sure the bushings that the impeller shaft seat into are there and make sure there is no salt deposits built up in the airline at the intake. They will clog over time and should be cleaned during routine maintenance.
 
yes, we are now skimming with saltwater, i did have to turn the skimmer on and off about 3 times before it started producing bubbles, but when it did it was immediate.

and its very loud, its not vibrations, because even when i pick the skimmer up and its not touching anything, its still very loud. is this normal?

should it be dropping micro bubbles back into the sump? i have a bubble trap so its not a big deal, but still wondering.
 
Plump has a faulty shaft or propeller

opened it up. turns out its missing the last rubber stabilizer bushing, as well as the last composite spacer. the ones on the far right in this diagram

P-CPIA-EPSP2-3.jpg


hopefully they'll sell me just that, dont want to spend 60$ on a whole new impeller assembly.
 
reef dynamics had the bushings available via their website, but not the spacers. called them up and they got both pieces to me. runs smooth and quiet now!
 
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