Protein Skimmer Not Producing Bubbles
- Thread starter garnet13aj
- Start date
sign guy
Active Member
Originally Posted by zman1
Sign_guy I am assuming this type of skimmer has a Venturi, correct? If so, could the airline port on the venuri be blocked with a plastic burr from the molding process?
I really hate to admit this but I not sure
I know its a neddle wheel pump and it has two air ports. one feeding the pump and a second one at the exit of the skimmer. pluss the cup has a breather hole in it as well
Sign_guy I am assuming this type of skimmer has a Venturi, correct? If so, could the airline port on the venuri be blocked with a plastic burr from the molding process?
I really hate to admit this but I not sure
I know its a neddle wheel pump and it has two air ports. one feeding the pump and a second one at the exit of the skimmer. pluss the cup has a breather hole in it as well
zman1
Active Member
Yeah they do. I just looked at a picture of one.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=6
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=6
zman1
Active Member
garnet13aj
Not sure if the venturi on your skimmer is just pushed into the pump. If so, pull it off and pull the airline off and see if you can see a blockage in the air line port on the venturi. Run a pipe cleaner through it or a paperclip and look for obstructions.
Your post 5 indicated you could blow a little air through it and then stop seeing bubbles. Sounds like a near complete block.
Not sure if the venturi on your skimmer is just pushed into the pump. If so, pull it off and pull the airline off and see if you can see a blockage in the air line port on the venturi. Run a pipe cleaner through it or a paperclip and look for obstructions.
Your post 5 indicated you could blow a little air through it and then stop seeing bubbles. Sounds like a near complete block.
stanlalee
Active Member
it doesn't really have a venturi just fixed air intake(passage diameter remains the same all the way from the strainer to the needle wheel) but you can pull the strainer off where the air port is and stick a toothpick right thru it and see it on the inside to determine if its clogged.
I'm still a little confused by this statement: "when I adjust the nozzle connected to the pump to allow the water to rise it starts making bubbles"
what nozzle are you refering too connected to the pump? there really isn't any nozzle on the pump just an input where the strainer with air port connect to it and then there is the output where water and air is pumped from the pump into the skimmer. neither of these have anything to adjust. the strainer should be connected so the air port nozzle is facing up and the output should be facing perfectly vertical so there are no kinks in the hose that go between the pump and the skimmer. Did you cut the hose that goes from the pump to the skimmer to length so there are no kinks or restrictions?
I know its not the best pic but is the pump orientated like so(my sump space is small so I have a slight bend in the tube that connects the pump to the skimmer
I'm still a little confused by this statement: "when I adjust the nozzle connected to the pump to allow the water to rise it starts making bubbles"
what nozzle are you refering too connected to the pump? there really isn't any nozzle on the pump just an input where the strainer with air port connect to it and then there is the output where water and air is pumped from the pump into the skimmer. neither of these have anything to adjust. the strainer should be connected so the air port nozzle is facing up and the output should be facing perfectly vertical so there are no kinks in the hose that go between the pump and the skimmer. Did you cut the hose that goes from the pump to the skimmer to length so there are no kinks or restrictions?
I know its not the best pic but is the pump orientated like so(my sump space is small so I have a slight bend in the tube that connects the pump to the skimmer
garnet13aj
Active Member
ok, this might be a slow process, because I'm in and out of the house. I checked the airline, there's absolutely no blockage there. My pump does have a nozzle, i'm trying to find a picture, but I haven't found a good one yet.
stanlalee
Active Member
so the air passage is fine. how about the water hose from the pump to the skimmer. Is it kinked, bent or twisted? is it cut to length so there is no slack in it between the pump and the skimmer. I ask because you say are able to move the "nozzle" (I assume output) of the water pump. you shouldn't be able to move it much at all without the hose coming off the pump or skimmer if its cut to length.
sign guy
Active Member
Originally Posted by garnet13aj
ok, this might be a slow process, because I'm in and out of the house. I checked the airline, there's absolutely no blockage there. My pump does have a nozzle, i'm trying to find a picture, but I haven't found a good one yet.
are you refering to the pump strainer or the intake valve half way up the the pipe?
ok, this might be a slow process, because I'm in and out of the house. I checked the airline, there's absolutely no blockage there. My pump does have a nozzle, i'm trying to find a picture, but I haven't found a good one yet.
are you refering to the pump strainer or the intake valve half way up the the pipe?
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by zman1
Is airline just the hose and the nozzle what it attaches to down by the pump
that does look like a venturi from a far and could easily be mistaken for one but that is just the strainer to keep debri out the pump.
I'm still not sure if she/he's refering to that as a nozzle or the output of the pump as a nozzle
Is airline just the hose and the nozzle what it attaches to down by the pump
that does look like a venturi from a far and could easily be mistaken for one but that is just the strainer to keep debri out the pump.
I'm still not sure if she/he's refering to that as a nozzle or the output of the pump as a nozzle
garnet13aj
Active Member
Ok, so I finally found my camera, so we may be able to figure this out.
As for the nozzle I'm referring to. It should be obvious frome these pictures. It's grey. Let me know if you're still confused about what nozzle I'm talking about.
Here are some pictures of the skimmer in and out of the water. In the ones where the skimmer is in the water, it is plugged in. You should be able to tell that it's not producing any bubbles. The water, it's a bit hard to tell in the picture, is filled up to a bit below the red right.
As for the nozzle I'm referring to. It should be obvious frome these pictures. It's grey. Let me know if you're still confused about what nozzle I'm talking about.
Here are some pictures of the skimmer in and out of the water. In the ones where the skimmer is in the water, it is plugged in. You should be able to tell that it's not producing any bubbles. The water, it's a bit hard to tell in the picture, is filled up to a bit below the red right.
garnet13aj
Active Member
how about the water hose from the pump to the skimmer. Is it kinked, bent or twisted? is it cut to length so there is no slack in it between the pump and the skimmer
There's no slack, it's not bent or twisted.
There's no slack, it's not bent or twisted.
garnet13aj
Active Member
re you refering to the pump strainer or the intake valve half way up the the pipe?
What I've been calling the "nozzle" is officially termed the adjustment valve and it is attached to the pump output.
What I've been calling the "nozzle" is officially termed the adjustment valve and it is attached to the pump output.
zman1
Active Member
Is it normal for the "adjustment valve " be closed off. If that valve is like any other valves that shows it nearly closed, Not allowing a lot of water to flow which also would impact the amount of air to be pulled in. Try opening the "adjustment valve ". Turn it so the vain of the handle is parallel with the pipe.
garnet13aj
Active Member
When I do this bubbles start to flow, but the water also rises and flows into the collection cup...
zman1
Active Member
Do you get good bubble amounts this way like in post 27? If yes, then it's just a matter of finding a good postion for the valuve not to cause overflow. Then tweak it as need while it's breaking in. It going to be somewhere between where you show it in the picture and wide open. If you aren't getting a good bubble flow wide open let us know and we can go back to looking for a restricted air flow path.
garnet13aj
Active Member
I THINK I'm getting good bubble flow....hard to tell since I've never seen this particular protein skimmer in action and the water level rises so fast that I can only leave it like that for about 3 seconds before it overflows. I hope that tweaking that will fix it, but I'm skeptical because it seems like the options are either: bubbles + rising water OR no bubbles + steady water level. I'm going to try tweaking it, but so far the water rises way too rapidly for that to be the end answer.