ASM G3 Skimmer Problem :(

So today i noticed my skimmer wasnt making any bubbles and i didnt see water being pushed into the skimmer. I have a mag 7 running on it, so i unplug it wait a few seconds and plug in it and BAM water shoots through starts to make little bubbles. But at the same time im checking my salinity and doin a water test and i noticed it seemed to die off, a few seconds later bubbles again??? Im assuming maybe the mag 7 pump is shutting on and off maybe its about to go on me, maybe the impeller is going bad or maybe i should take it apart and clean it?? Any input from u guys??

 

wrong pump for that skimmer, should be using a sedra 5000 which is a 500gph pump, chances are the extra pressure the mag7 is pushing in is causing it to shut itself down

 

I bought it used and been running it for 6 months with no problems, i just started to notice it shutting off. Im thinking maybe the impeller is sticking or something. I always hear the virbration but u can hear it get low and then when it get the push it needs it gets a little louder.

 

Try taking the intake of the pump off and look in maybe something got sucked into it and there is an issue. I actually had a simular issue with one of my pumps only to find a mexican turbo snail into it.

 

First off, yes, wrong pump for the skimmer. No worries, but if you need to end up getting a new one, get the sedra.
First, take the pump apart, and put everything in a bucket with a gallon of vinegar. Let it soak for about 20 minutes then give everything (pump housing, impeller, shaft, venturi, etc) a good scrubbing. Then assemble the pump and let it run in the vinegar for another half hour or so. The way you are describing it, it sounds like you got some salt and/or calcium build up in there. This is a normal maintenance procedure that should be done about every 6 months on all pumps, so your right on schedule Not saying for sure somethings not broke, but I would start with this before assuming anything.

 

when it's not producing bubbles is the pump still running? If so, check to make sure the veturi air line valve is not clogged up with calcium deposits. If you have an air line/hose attached to the venturi, cover it with your finger to see if you get the same effect. If you do, most likely it's starting to clog up...just soak it in some white viniger and some water for a while then brush it out.

If the pump is shutting off, you may have a bad pump.

 

Id be concerned about performance anyway since mag 7's dont really have a skimmer impeller anyway unless it's been modded

 

Just a quick note. If you take the pump apart be very careful with the ceramic shaft. The do break easily.

 

I would check to see if there is a pump u could replace it with that used less wattage

 

Well i cleaned everything and ran the pump by itself for a hour and it ran perfect but after connecting back to skimmer im getting no bubbles??? here's a pic