Problem with 9420 pump

[opihi]

Hi Roger,
I plugged in my hydrofoamer pump for the first time and it's not working properly.

I'm using the low water level set up with the black hose (surface of water in sump is 6" deep). The pump vibrates a lot, and only fills the skimmer chamber about 2 to 3" worth of water. The venturi is also hooked up to it, but no bubbles are entering the skimmer.

Is this pump defective? I tried dismantling and cleaning it out as the instructions state, but still no change in its behavior.

I've been waiting a long time for this skimmer, and would like to have it functioning by the weekend. Please help!!!

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[rvitko]

Yes, I found this problem and notified the factory, the fix is very simple. Loosen the small yellow plastic rivet that holds the needle wheel on. Be careful as the center has a ceramic bearing. I just pried it out a fraction of a mm with a slotted screwdriver in a test I did to resolve this and it worked perfect. The problem is very simple. You may have noticed most impellers spin free of the magnet about 180 degrees and then catch on a tab. You can see this on just about every impeller assembly that comes to mind. Hold the magnet and spin the impeller and it can move back and forth free of the magnet. This is critical, the magnet must start rotating before it encounters the resistance of the impeller, otherwise it doesn't have enough torque to start spinning. The rivet is on so tight that the free spin cannot occur. You literally just need to pry up the rivet about .1mm. This will be solved on all future pumps it has already been relayed to the head of production.

 

[opihi]

Roger,
Please check your PM.

Thanks

 

[honda2sk]

roger

i was having the same problems with my pumps not turning on just slightly vibrating but now they seem to be working better but I just leave them plugged in all the time so I dont know how well they would work if I had to unplug them more often. maybe ill try your suggestion above.

on another note,
one of the pumps attached to my skimmer sits almost sideways, while the other one sits vertical just like the published pictures on the web and the manual. if i position it vertically it is not fully screwed in and will turn by itself when its turned on. what can i do to make it sit upright?

and while I am asking questions, do the silencer tubes just float on the side of the skimmer body or do they attach somehow to secure them in place?

 

[opihi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10515724#post10515724 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by honda2sk

on another note,
one of the pumps attached to my skimmer sits almost sideways, while the other one sits vertical just like the published pictures on the web and the manual. if i position it vertically it is not fully screwed in and will turn by itself when its turned on. what can i do to make it sit upright?

I have this same problem. Mine is upside down! I have it running w/ the optional tube for now, but I was thinking of using teflon tape on the threading to make it a tighter, so I can better adjust the pump's position.

 

[rvitko]

They attach to the holes in the body below the cup, that is part of the auto feedback system that shuts it down to prevent a foam over. As surface tension changes, water will flood the air intake to stop the skimmer. It is completely auto adjusting when properly assembled.

Regarding the pump, I will look into this further, but teflon tape would definitely solve it.

 

[honda2sk]

thanks for looking into the upside down/sideways pump attachement issue.

i understand they attach via the air line tubes, but do they physically attach to the body or do they just float in the water next to the skimmer?

 

[rvitko]

They just float, one end attached to the pump intake the other end to the skimmer body, they should be fairly taught though without much slack.