Rebuild Old Bubble King or Buy New Skimmer?

[0p3n Brain]

Hi All,

I'm just getting back into the hobby after 7 years off. I have an old Bubble King Deluxe 300 with a completely fried Red Dragon Red Devil II pump. I'm debating whether to get a new pump and revive the Bubble King or just buy a new (different brand) skimmer.

At the time I bought this skimmer it was the Sh#%. Looking at the cost of a new pump I'm thinking there may be a better skimmer out there I could buy for the price of a new pump for the Bubble King.

Any thoughts? What are the best skimmers these days (very subjective, I know).

Thanks,
Jim

 

[tom obrecht]

BK is still top of the line! I’d contact Royal Exclusive and get a new pump and you are set! Slief here is the RE rep here in the states and is the man to get you rolling and answer any questions you may have.

 

[0p3n Brain]

BK is still top of the line! I'd contact Royal Exclusive and get a new pump and you are set! Slief here is the RE rep here in the states and is the man to get you rolling and answer any questions you may have.

Thanks Tom. I'll contact Slief and check out a new pump.

 

[slief]

Thanks Tom. I'll contact Slief and check out a new pump.

Are you sure your pump is totally fried? Those pumps typically last a LONG LONG time with proper maintenance. Normally the only thing that fails on those pumps is the motorblock which is much less than a skimmer or a complete pump for that matter but again, short of a lack of mainenance, that pump on your BK300 is damn near bullet proof. If your impeller is fine which it likely is, you could just consider getting the replacement block. We normally have those in stock in our Ft. Myers Florida warehouse.

That said, if you take that pump completely apart, remove the impeller and the bearing at the base of the magnet cavity. Set all o-rings aside and soak the block, impeller and bearing in household vinegar for 10 minutes, then scrub it inside and out, rinse and reassemble properly, you might find that the pump is actually fine. More often than not, the thing that causes the issues with the pump is calcification and if the pump sat for a long time without being properly cleaned and dried before storage, the impeller shaft may be frozen to the lower bearing or possibly the bearing in the plate between the magnet and needle wheel is frozen to the shaft. The vinegar soak and scrubbing should remedy either of those issues. And a 10 minute soak is usually more than enough to soften any calcium buildup so you can scrub the pump and getting it looking like new inside and out. I soft dish brush and a tooth brush are my go to tools for cleaning my pumps.

Take a look at this thread. It discusses proper cleaning on the red dragons and post 2 discusses the bearing that is found in the Red Dragon AC based pumps like yours.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2573406

 

[slief]

I sent you a PM with my email address. Please send me a picture of your pump including the label. The pump model you describe doesn’t sound right to me.

 

[0p3n Brain]

I sent you a PM with my email address. Please send me a picture of your pump including the label. The pump model you describe doesn't sound right to me.

Email sent...

 

[tom obrecht]

Looks like you are in good hands! Slief will not let you down!

 

[tkeracer619]

How did this turn out?

 

[mordinad]

I'd just get a new pump. I brought back an old ATB skimmer by fitting it with a reef octopus VarioS-6 dc pump. It's a DC pump so you can adjust the output easily then adjust the water level in the skimmer. The BK pumps are way too pricey.