Cs1 Skimmer leaking!

[Duke]

I just finished my sump and I wanted to test out my new skimmer. When water gets to the top, it starts to leak from the neck. The o-ring keeps rolling when I set the collection cup in. I figure the cup is catching a lot of friction from the o-ring every time I set it in.

Thinking of trying to lubricate the o ring but not sure which product to use.

What silicon lube is aquarium safe?

Is there anything that will work just as good. (Vaseline maybe?)

[AlanM]

Home depot has little white hockey puck shaped things of silicone grease that will last you forever. I wouldnt use vaseline since it is petroleum based and might soften the plastic. Might not though. I dont know if you bought it new, but Avast sends a small amount of silicone grease with the kit for this purpose.

[YHSublime]

You shouldn't have water up to the collection cup, it should be bubbles at that stage, if I'm understanding correctly?

[steveoutlaw]

You shouldn't have water up to the collection cup, it should be bubbles at that stage, if I'm understanding correctly?

 

What is one of the main ingredients of a bubble?

[YHSublime]

What is one of the main ingredients of a bubble?

Touché.

 

I guess it's sounding like the maxi jet is pushing water up and out, with no gradual progression.

[AlanM]

I think he's saying that he's getting drips of water around the base of the collection cup neck where it fits into the cone.  Coming out the three-high stack of clear plastic rings that the collection cup fits into. That part has a rubber o-ring that doesn't sound like it's sealing.

[zygote2k]

sounds like assembly didn't go as planned. reglue/reseal

[Origami]

I just finished my sump and I wanted to test out my new skimmer. When water gets to the top, it starts to leak from the neck. The o-ring keeps rolling when I set the collection cup in. I figure the cup is catching a lot of friction from the o-ring every time I set it in.

Thinking of trying to lubricate the o ring but not sure which product to use.

What silicon lube is aquarium safe?

Is there anything that will work just as good. (Vaseline maybe?)

If the o-ring is rolling, you're on the right track. Follow the advice in the second post and get some silicone grease. Put a thin layer of grease on the o-ring and it'll probably be better.

[Duke]

Here's a a lot of the leak when the bubbles get to the neck.

 

 

There's water just pouring out on the sides.

[jimlin]

i would check the pump. from the picture, it does not look like your pump is producing a lot of bubbles.

[YHSublime]

i would check the pump. from the picture, it does not look like your pump is producing a lot of bubbles.

Or just pumping water up all the way, which is what I thought.

[Mattiejay6]

Silicone grease + open up the exit valve a little bit.

[AlanM]

After seeing the picture, yes, I'd recommend opening the gate valve.  You have one of the old style CS1's with the collar that's different from mine, I think.  Is it a recirculating model or a once-through model?

 

Since I just broke a new CS1 in three months ago, here is the advice that YHSublime and Zygote2k both gave me.  Assuming it's a recirc model, take the cup off, turn the recirc pump on which draws in air, turn the feed pump on and open the gate valve until the bubbles just go up to the neck and don't overflow.  Once it's just kind of foaming right there at the neck collar put the cup on and wait.  The foam will get dirtier and eventually you'll get larger bubbles rising up and doodoo filling the cup. 

 

Even if it's a once-through model you should be able to just open the gate valve to get to the same point, I think.

 

Basically, YHSublime was right.  You're pushing water up past the neck, when you should be mostly pushing bubbles up past the neck.

 

Oh, and still get the silicone grease, pull the o-ring out, and give it a good greasing by running around between your silicon-greasy fingers.

[OldReefer]

A little ad big silicone fixed my CS1 instantly. No worries.

[Origami]

Curious. Was this a fresh water test? The bubbles look really large and relatively few.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

 

 

[Duke]

Curious. Was this a fresh water test? The bubbles look really large and relatively few.

 

Sent from my Rezound on Tachyon using Tapatalk

Well, I Added some salt.

Leak stop. More bubbles formed.

How about that!

 

 

Thanks everyone for the help.

Newb mistake here

[Mattiejay6]

Tom it was FW

[Duke]

I can't wait to see what this skimmer can do!

Wish my RODI would make RODI water quicker!

This tank needs to be filled and cycled!

[Origami]

Well, I Added some salt.

Leak stop. More bubbles formed.

 

Thanks everyone for the help.

Newb mistake here

 

 

Tom it was FW

I can see this happening. Fresh water doesn't foam well at all (because it has less surface tension than salt water), so Duke probably began to close off the outflow in order to raise what few bubbles he had up into the neck. Of course, it was mostly water rather than the foamy air/water mix we like to see, and that (along with maybe a suboptimal seal from the o-ring) caused the leak.

 

The picture really helped in this case.

 

Duke, the o-ring is supposed to stay in it's groove. If it's rolled out due to friction, give it a light lube. Even if it hasn't a light lube helps you later to insert and remove the collection cup. If the o-ring has damage to it from rolling out and pinching, then you may want to consider replacing it. If this is an in-sump application, then a little leak is of little consequence except that you'll get salt build up on the outside of the skimmer.

 

Also, test your skimmer at full salinity. You'll see a remarkable difference in the size and density of the bubbles. They will be small and round, and so numerous that the water looks milky white. In your first picture, the bubbles look clear, large and many of them are elongated. You can also see the agitation of a high water level in the neck. That picture shows bubbles, but no foaming at all.