skimmer prob agian!!

[tlb71]

it wont let me set it! tried diff heights! it just wont ajust!! and it driving me nuts! all air lines are free! what the hell am i doing wrong! im not sure what to do! any help would be nice!!all it does is over flow

[Stones]

What kind of skimmer is it and how exactly do you adjust the flow. I take it there is an airline valve to adjust the air intake but how do you set the water level in the skimmer? Wedge pipe, riser tube, gate valve? Sounds like you need to lower the water level in the skimmer but can't really help unless I know the specifics of your equipment.

[mich denis]

we need more info on your setup.

make and model of skimmer?
original water pump on it or has it been changed?
if it's an in-sump unit, how high up the skimmer is the water level on the outside of the unit?
is the air intake completely free of restriction?

[tlb71]

it is a vertex skimmer in sump! i have tried to raise it up nothing! lower it nothing!with the valve wide open it still over flows!

[tlb71]

http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww263/ltb71/001-3.jpg?t=1265563217

[Stones]

I believe the Vertex IN skimmers have a wedge pipe for adjusting the water level in the skimmer. The water level in the skimmer will also depend on the height of water in your sump. If the water level is too high, the skimmer will always overflow even if you have the wedge pipe wide open.

I'm not sure what model of vertex skimmer you have but "most" in sump skimmers run best in 8-10" of water. If you water level is higher than this, the skimmer will run very wet or overflow.

If you have your wedge pipe adjusted so that its wide open and your sump water level is at the correct height, check you pump's needlewheel impeller. If some algae gets wrapped up in the pins, the skimmer won't draw in as much air as its supposed to and as a result will pull in more water which can cause the skimmer to overflow.

[Stones]

I just see you posted a pic as well.

Is that white tube that taps into the riser tube where your pump is drawing its air from? If so, since you have the riser tube capped off, it will airlock and not be able to pull in any air. I'm assuming this was an aftermarket mod as I've never seen a Vertex IN skimmer with that before.

[tlb71]

nope this is factory right from bayside! there is a hole in the top! and yes that white tube draws air

[Stones]

Okay, I couldn't see the hole in the top of the wedge pipe tube. That rules out airlocking so I'd suggest checking to make sure that there is nothing wrapped up in your impeller. If thats clean, your sump water level is appropriate and your wedge pipe is fully open, the only thing that could be causing your skimmer to overflow is a blockage somewhere in the exit plumbing. You could also try cleaning out the air intake tube as sometimes they fill full of salt creep and cause the air intake to decrease.

[tlb71]

cleanng as we speak! i will let you know! thanks for the help

[tlb71]

well i cleaned it and nothing! tried diff heights! nothing! im lost with this thing!!!!!:beat-pute

[Stones]

Thats really strange. Is the skimmer overflowing pure water or just foaming more than usual and filling the collection cup? Is there more or less bubbles than normal in the main body?

I've seen in sump skimmers go crazy and overflow mostly foam when something like a 2 part epoxy was used or a new filter sock was put in the sump. When this has happened to me, I just unplugged the skimmer, left it for a few hours, and then plugged it in later when it started working fine. I've heard of it taking as long as 2 days before the skimmer could get plugged in again because it would overflow foam every time it was plugged in before 48 hours had passed.

[tlb71]

the colbster figured it out for me! I USE A CRAPPY KINDA WATER CONDITIONER