Skimmer leaking

inetjnky · Dec 25, 2015

Ok I'm having an issue that's really irritating me and I don't know how to fix it. My auquamaxx hob-1 leaks every time I turn it on and off from the intake port where the tube goes into the unit. I've tried the gasket on both the inside and outside (not sure which way it's supposed to go?) and every time the unit starts up the water level rises above the bottom of the tube and comes running out. Anyone else have this issue and know how to fix it??

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SROPE · Dec 25, 2015

"water level rises above the bottom of the tube and comes running out" how is that possible with the return pipe being below it?

inetjnky · Dec 25, 2015

When it starts up it does... Wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that the return pipe is under water?

Jlobes · Dec 25, 2015

honestly, im having a hard time seeing/understanding this, seems odd since the return outlet is well below the pipe in your pic. is your return pipe block, clogged, or extended farther than normal under the water surface? I have a HOB1 and have never had an issue with it starting back up or leaking.

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

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I set it below the water line to quiet the skimmer up.

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

In the first picture is the orange ring supposed to be on the inside or outside?

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

So let me back up a second...

When I feed I turn off my return pump and I turn off the skimmer. I found that if I turn off the return before I let the water in the back chamber rise up to almost the top then when I turn the return pump back on along with the skimmer that the return pump sucks the water line low enough in the 3rd chamber of my biocube before the skimmer has a chance to start pushing enough water out of the return which in turn causes my ATO to kick off and adding unnecessary extra fresh water to my tank which lowers my salinity. I found if I turn the pump off first and wait for the back chambers to fill that when I turn everything back on my ATO doesn't trigger. This again is my dilemma on how I'm going to figure this out when I hook up my new apex.

JasReef · Dec 26, 2015

The gasket should be on the wet side.

Reefing Madness · Dec 26, 2015

The water is not supposed to go up that high inside that unit. If the water is coming out of the intake gaskets, then you have something else wrong, that water is way to high in there. It should come only to just below that intake hole.

SROPE · Dec 26, 2015

Something must be blocking the return pipe to get that high.

Jlobes · Dec 26, 2015

SROPE said:
Something must be blocking the return pipe to get that high.

+1.

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

It's been this way since I got it in the mail. I've taken it apart. Nothing is blocking it

Jlobes · Dec 26, 2015

Morangus said:
It's been this way since I got it in the mail. I've taken it apart. Nothing is blocking it

well something aint right. have you tried using the "stock" fittings for the return? is the return exiting into an acrylic box inside your tank? why does it go from a 90 to a 90, instead of the T it comes with?

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

Yeah I have the original T. I wanted the fitting to go below the water line to quiet it down since the tank is in my living room. The original clear tube that fit into the T cracked so I am using 3/4" pvc instead. It's a little smaller iD but not by much. I'll have to play around with it a little more or maybe throw some silicone up at the intake hole and build it up so it doesn't flow out.

Jlobes · Dec 26, 2015

try using proper sized tubing, and install the T, dont us the 90 you replaced it with.

do not use silicone, thats a bandaid and not a fix!

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

Where can I get 3/4 inch tubing with a smaller inside diameter? Think aquamaxx has them?

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

If I remember correctly the tube cracked on me when I tried to cut it down in size because it was too long.

Jlobes · Dec 26, 2015

Morangus said:
If I remember correctly the tube cracked on me when I tried to cut it down in size because it was too long.

??the tube was too long, so you cut it short and cracked it, only to install a longer piece? confusing to say the least

I think we have discovered your issue. too long into the tank and no T

inetjnky · Dec 26, 2015

The T isn't the issue. There shouldn't be any issue with how I have it setup currently. See this article.

http://blog.marinedepot.com/2011/12/aquamaxx-hob-1-skimmer-eliminating.html?m=1

In any event the tube leading from the 90 elbow to the T was too long so yes I tried to cut it and cracked it. I was using a PVC pipe cutter. I cut a shorter piece of PVC pipe to the length I needed.