Noisy skimmer!

[Max Rackstraw]

My skimmer makes this horrible noise that literally keeps me up at night! (Its in my bedroom)

It only makes this sound when the air valve is open. When it is closed, the skimmer is dead silent. (See attached video)

It doesnt sound like air induction, it sounds like its coming from within the water almost. The skimmer does have an intake silencer and ive attached a pipe onto that going down below the tank. So the noise isnt coming from the end of the pipe (the intake).

Anyone know how to get this thing to shut up? (Without unplugging it, preferably). Or does anyone know what this noise even is called?

The skimmer is a red sea max nano skimmer.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Hmm the video isnt showing up

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Uploaded the video to youtube, at first the valve is open and you hear the noise, then i close the valve completely, noise goes away, open the valve again, noise comes back.

 

[miller75]

My skimmer makes this horrible noise that literally keeps me up at night! (Its in my bedroom)

It only makes this sound when the air valve is open. When it is closed, the skimmer is dead silent. (See attached video)

It doesnt sound like air induction, it sounds like its coming from within the water almost. The skimmer does have an intake silencer and ive attached a pipe onto that going down below the tank. So the noise isnt coming from the end of the pipe (the intake).

Anyone know how to get this thing to shut up? (Without unplugging it, preferably). Or does anyone know what this noise even is called?

The skimmer is a red sea max nano skimmer.

I believe there was an issue with the pumps on the older nano skimmers I seem to remember getting the impellor replaced but this was a number of years ago. I still found it a noisy skimmer so ungaraged it to a Tunze

 

[Max Rackstraw]

I believe there was an issue with the pumps on the older nano skimmers I seem to remember getting the impellor replaced but this was a number of years ago. I still found it a noisy skimmer so ungaraged it to a Tunze

Yeah I think they released a revised version. People used to superglue the impeller to the shaft I believe to mitigate play in the assembly.

Mine is one of the revised versions with no play, and there is no sound from the pump at all unless the air intake is open so i don’t think its anything to do with those past issues

 

[nereefpat]

Sounds like the venturi to me, which is what introduces air into the skimmer. Sounds normal to me. You can make a DIY silencer.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

Sounds like the venturi to me, which is what introduces air into the skimmer. Sounds normal to me. You can make a DIY silencer.

Yes I think the venturi silencer on these skimmers is diabolical as its really loud unless i put an extra pipe on it. So maybe its making noise straight out if the silencer somewhere. Ill diy a silencer and bypass it entirely to see if that fixes it

 

[Max Rackstraw]

So i made a diy silencer, and bypassed the stock silencer and it made no difference to the sound shown in the video.

To be clear, the skimmer is MUCH louder without any silencer at all (as a loud air intake noise is audible with no silencer) but this sound doesn’t seem to be affected by silencers. Its doesn’t get louder or quieter. So its not intake noise.

Im not sure what this sound really is. Is it just air mixing in the impeller? Air trapped somewhere?

Its also not pump vibration since it goes away when the air intake is completely closed.

Is this just unavoidable noise? Or is there something i can do here. Even if it involves modifications or replacement of the pump… anything…