Skimmer stopped foaming

[hiimsean]

Last weekend I cleaned my collection cup before heading out of town on business for the week. I also glued some frags down with waterweld at the same time. Well I came home to it still not producing any foam. I'm assuming its due to the waterweld but should it take a week for it to start acting normal again?

The skimmer is due for a cleaning but then it'll need another week or so to build back up.

 

[dawgface]

No, max 48 hours for me and that was the most finicky skimmer I've had. A week after cleaning is ridiculously long as well. What skimmer are you running?

 

[hiimsean]

SRO2000 int

 

[acroholic]

Epoxy should not kill the foam head. The reverse, epoxy usually will make a skimmer overfoam if you use enough of it.

Your skimmer may just be idling because your tank dissolved organics are low.

 

[hiimsean]

Acroholic;955259 wrote: Your skimmer may just be idling because your tank dissolved organics are low.

It's possible but over a week it usually pulls something out. The cup was bone dry when I got home on Friday.

 

[heathlindner25]

acroholic;955259 wrote: epoxy should not kill the foam head. The reverse, epoxy usually will make a skimmer overfoam if you use enough of it.

Your skimmer may just be idling because your tank dissolved organics are low.

+1

 

[ringo®]

Check the piece that attaches to the pump for the airline for any blockage.

 

[myvwrock]

Does your air tub have water in it? try blowing in it to clear the line. It might just need to be cleaned.
Chris

 

[acroholic]

Only other place I've seen an issue with my Alpha Vertex 300 is the plastic nipple where the airline attaches to the volute. I have gotten crusty buildup in there, which restricts the air going in. After I cleaned that out, it worked as normal.

 

[ringo®]

Acroholic;955268 wrote: the volute.

That's the word I was looking for....thanks.

 

[hiimsean]

I can blow through the airline just fine. I'm gonna take it out and give it a good cleaning. See if that helps.

 

[dawgface]

Pump blew. Take it apart and put in a bucket to see if it creates bubbles, airline above water.

 

[hiimsean]

I gave it a decent scrubbing and it seems to be producing more foam. The whole inside of the body was pretty caked with crud. I never really fiddled around with it much when I first got it, sat it at the water level people recommended and adjusted it so it wasn't overflowing. I think the water level was too low and crap wasn't going in the cup and reduced performance. We'll see.

 

[acroholic]

If it was crudded up, check the needle wheel pins for buildup. That will kill air pull faster than anything. Get enough crud in the needle wheel and it is like a solid rotating mass and won't work well at all. I have a stiff bristle plastic brush, like what painters use for surface prep, and that does a great job combing through the pins an getting stuff out of them.

The buildup I mentioned in the air nipple on the volute of my RD 1500 pump would not dissolve with vinegar, so I actually had to take a metal type pick tool and chip it out.

 

[hiimsean]

Pins seemed good. Not sure what did it but its foaming up good now. I've been reading more and I might need to submerse it a bit more. Most run it at about 6" of water, my stand has it at about 5.5" now. I have to close the gate a bit to get it to foam up higher.