can this skimmer be repaired?

[Fishbike13]

Hello, i just recieved this skimmer from an ebay seller and it is damaged. My main question is can it be repaired or used as is? it is a reef octopus 110sss. this crack is the only obvious damage, but if it will not effect performance then i will let the seller off the hook. The pipe still fits snugly, so maybe just some acrylic cement to keep the crack from spreading, and some silicone to maintain the seal over the chip?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Oldreefer44]

IMO, it probably could be made to work but not without a lot of effort. I have sold numerous items including skimmers on ebay and always insure them because they do get damaged and it is inexpensive to do so. Also, if *** was insured then the seller can get their money back and you can keep the skimmer and then try to repair it. If the seller didn't insure it then it is on the seller, not you.

 

[WVNed]

Do you have the piece that broke out. I would super glue it. The new stuff used to build RC models is quite amazing. I have several kinds and keep them in the refrigerator and they keep for a long time even after opening.

 

[Fishbike13]

IMO, it probably could be made to work but not without a lot of effort. I have sold numerous items including skimmers on ebay and always insure them because they do get damaged and it is inexpensive to do so. Also, if *** was insured then the seller can get their money back and you can keep the skimmer and then try to repair it. If the seller didn't insure it then it is on the seller, not you.

I was able to find the chipped out piece, but it was at the bottom of the box, 2 layers of foam underneath the skimmer, so im having a hard time believing that this was done during shipping.

If the acrylic cement will work without dissolving the piece, then im sure i can get it to seal. Though is a wter tight seal critical? Since this is below the water line.

 

[Oldreefer44]

If you can glue it back in then glue a thin piece of flexible plastic over it inside and out, it should be fine.

 

[WVNed]

It has to fit tightly but no a little leak wouldn't matter. There is pressure inside and leaking a lot would prevent the foam from ever getting high enough for it to skim.

 

[kirbuno]

I would use acrylic glue on acrylic, it will make it permanent. Other glues don't work well on acrylic.

 

[Fishbike13]

OK, the seller responded, so i will wait to see what we work out before i modify this skimmer. If i do end up repairing it i will try to use some weld-on 4 to secure the chip, and to seal the cracks, i will also install the pipe with a small skim coat of silicone around it.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[cloak]

Like mentioned above it should be able to be fixed. (if you can't return it) Super glue, epoxy, whatever.. It might not look good, but as long as it works it's cool. GL.

 

[Retro Reefer]

You can probably work out a partial refund with seller to compensate for damage if you decide to keep it.

 

[Fishbike13]

Yeah i dont doubt that i can fix it, and i am willing to do so with a partial refund, and i will mention this to the seller. I just wasnt sure how critical ths might be to the operation of the skimmer as i am not 100% on the physics going on inside the chamber.

I get that theres a pin wheel that spins and agitates the water, which then makes bubbles, so very low pressure?

 

[Dom]

I had a similar thing happen to me. I went on eBay and found a guy who was an acrylic dealer. He had acrylic tubes that he could cut to any length.

I'd buy a replacement tube and using a stepper bit, cut an new hole and reassemble.

 

[ca1ore]

It's an internal skimmer, I'd use Weldon to put the chip back in, and negotiate some accommodation from the seller (who I am sure does not want it back). Rebuilding it is entirely unnecessary. Even with the chip missing, I doubt the performance of the skimmer would be all that affected. Cracks don't 'travel' in acrylic like they do in glass.

 

[Fishbike13]

I had a similar thing happen to me. I went on eBay and found a guy who was an acrylic dealer. He had acrylic tubes that he could cut to any length.

I'd buy a replacement tube and using a stepper bit, cut an new hole and reassemble.

While i like where youre going with this, from my experience with acrylic, id be more likely to crack it in the same place trying to drill the holes to that size.

 

[Fishbike13]

It's an internal skimmer, I'd use Weldon to put the chip back in, and negotiate some accommodation from the seller (who I am sure does not want it back). Rebuilding it is entirely unnecessary. Even with the chip missing, I doubt the performance of the skimmer would be all that affected. Cracks don't 'travel' in acrylic like they do in glass.

Yeah once i know the seller doesnt want it back (he needs to talk to USPS first) i will use the weld on. it should fuse the cracks, and fuse the chip back in. Before this thread gets blown out of proportion, i just wanted to make sure it would be worth the effort.

 

[Katrina71]

Why not just call the manufacturer and see if they have a replacement part?

 

[cracker]

If the chip fits well ,I think it would be just fine.

 

[JC Reef]

You can probably work out a partial refund with seller to compensate for damage if you decide to keep it.

I agreed with him 100%.

Why would you want to keep something damaged? If I was in your shoes. I would demand a partial refund and repair it myself. If the seller doesn’t want to cooperate I would open a case with eBay and PayPal it’s more likely the seller will lose this battle. Just get a full refund and explore other options.

 

[Fishbike13]

I agreed with him 100%.

Why would you want to keep something damaged? If I was in your shoes. I would demand a partial refund and repair it myself. If the seller doesn’t want to cooperate I would open a case with eBay and PayPal it’s more likely the seller will lose this battle. Just get a full refund and explore other options.

That's exactly what I'm doing ^^

 

[Fishbike13]

I forgot to mention that I paid 150$ for it, which is a few bucks less than they cost new, which is why I'm willing to go with a partial refund and fix it.