Skimmer not working after cleaning

[chaostactics]

As someone who has been reefing for 20 ish years I feel like a moron not being able to figure this out.

Essence S-130 skimmer

It's the first time I'm cleaning this skimmer. I specifically didn't use anything but tank water and a tooth brush to reduce break-back-in time.

After assembly I cannot get the water in the reactor chamber to fill more than half way. Even after completely closing that good awful riser pipe.

I have pulled the entire thing apart twice and put the whole thing back together and made sure everything was seated. The impeller spins freely, no obstruction to effluent/intake, I blew out the air in line last night and even poured boiling water down the line and the fresh air line isn't kinked

I made no changes in depth, air intake configuration, I've opened the effluent vale all the way closed it all the way and nothing. Water won't rise more than half the chamber. I feel like with the effluent all the way closed the skimmer should flood.

 

[chaostactics]

I can't imagine it's a need to rebreak in or is it...?

 

[chaostactics]

 

[SydneyRose]

Did you ever figure out the issue? Same exact issue and same skimmer…

 

[reeftivo]

dumb question but in breaking it down, did you ream out the venturi intake nipple and clear it of all carbonate build up?

only one of two things i can think of are either what i just mentioned or a pump issue, although a video of it running may help

 

[SydneyRose]

I cleaned out the Venturi when I disassembled everything. I re-assembled to make sure it was together correctly. I can take a video tomorrow. The only thing I can think of is that it’s breaking in again (although it tended to overflow when I broke it in from new). Now the valve is all the way closed and the water/bubble level is barely mid body. Same water depth and I used to run it less than half closed.

 

[bluneon]

Bump