well dang is my skimmer pump dead?

[david campbell]

the 4yr old skimmer on my fowler stopped foaming to the top, it only foams about 1" above the water line in my sump... so I took it out and cleaned it all very well. there is nothing visually I can see wrong with the pump or impeller. so after an all-night vinegar soak, I rinsed and reinstalled.. and nope I have the same problem.

even with the water level adjusted to it max height the water never bubbles more than 1" above the water line? thoughts?

 

[blaxsun]

Is the water in the sump at the right height, ie: would a riser help?

 

[snorklr]

no idea what brand you have but on mine the nipple that the thin tubing to bring in air goes on will clog up internally with salt/calcium to the point that i have to open it back up with a drill bit...so no idea if an overnight vinegar soak would dissolve this...in addition theres another small nipple on the large pipe that discharges water back into the sump(past the height adjuster) which does the same thing....i clean that one out weekly ...cause its not submerged so its easy...and blow compressed air through the other one weekly too...but eventually have to pull the pump and drill that one too in spite of blowing it out

 

[G Santana]

no idea what brand you have but on mine the nipple that the thin tubing to bring in air goes on will clog up internally with salt/calcium to the point that i have to open it back up with a drill bit...so no idea if an overnight vinegar soak would dissolve this...in addition theres another small nipple on the large pipe that discharges water back into the sump(past the height adjuster) which does the same thing....i clean that one out weekly ...cause its not submerged so its easy...and blow compressed air through the other one weekly too...but eventually have to pull the pump and drill that one too in spite of blowing it out

This here/\

After a year my skimmer stopped producing bubbles and I had no idea why, after two tear downs I finally found a clog in the venturi that attaches to the air intake tube.

 

[Red Sea 500]

Is the water in the sump at the right height, ie: would a riser help?

That was the problem with mine