Problems with skimmer

[shoman89]

Sorry this is long, but I want to include all the info I can think of.

I have an MTC hsa2000 http://www.marinetechnical.com/. I run it off an iwaki-70rlt wide open. Lately I have been having issues with the skimmer overflowing on startup. If I stop the skimmer and let it drain and then start it back up without changing the settings, it will overflow and fill the waste containers. If I stop the skimmer a few times, let it almost totally drain and then start it, usually it will settle at the correct level. This mainly presents a problem if the power fails while I am gone or sleeping. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice on how I can get this working correctly.

If you aren't familiar with the skimmer, it is a dual tower, dual beckett with 1" inputs and a 1.5" output. I run the water level without air about 4 inches below the riser tube. With the air on it runs just into the riser tube before the foam head starts.

The sump is a rubbermaid 100gal stock tank. I have the skimmer above the sump with all 1.5" on the output. There are 2 90's going down to the sump. The pvc comes out of the gate valve, makes a 90 horizonal and then a 90 down to the sump. I would say the pipe going from the second 90 to the sump is at a 45 degree angle. I have the output partially submerged, with about 1/4 of the opening above the water level.

The skimmer hasn't always done this. I have made so many changes to the setup, I can't say what change could have caused the problem.

Thanks,
JeffP

[mjw357]

does the skimmer outlet into the same container that the pump draws water from?

[shoman89]

Yes, it drains into the same sump.

-JeffP

[mjw357]

hmm...OK I should have read a little slower. I was thinking that maybe the water level in the sump was higher with the skimmer pump off, so right after it was turned back on it would make it overflow but after the water levels all got stabilized the skimmer would work normally.

it's got me stumped, must be something that is changing the flow either into or out of the skimmer to make it overflow like that.

[shoman89]

That is something I thought about also. If I turn the return pumps off and the sump fills up, the skimmer will over flow. There is a big difference in how full the sump is when the return pumps are off and just the skimmer pumpis off. When the skimmer is off, the water level raises a couple of inches. When the return pumps are off, it raises about 15 or 16 inches. I can't really lower the water level in the sump or the return pumps will start to suck air. Maybe I can put the pump inlet in a bucket and run the overflows from the tank into it. I may be able to keep the water level more consistant plus cut down on some bubbles in the main tank.

-JeffP