Noisy venturi

[gaboon]

I woke up this morning to a noisy venturi, already driving me nuts! Skimmer is run on an aquabee pump. What could it be?

 

[leslie hempel]

have you closed your stand with wood yet? it will silence the venturi.. i dont really like to put air filters on my air inlets as it does restrict air injection a bit...

 

[SIMS]

Yea agree with Les. Those silencers don't do the skimmer any good.

 

[gaboon]

It sounds like the venturi is gurgling water. I'll check it when I get home tonight.

 

[ben lloyd]

Gaboon just drop one pinpong boll in, it will settle in the venturi and will eliminate the noise.

 

[gaboon]

Ben please explain that.

 

[jacquesb]

Gaboon - sometimes the air-pipe connected to the venturi's become clogged. There could indeed be some water droplets (from condensation, splashing, etc) that have come into the venturi air-pipe.
A few things you can try:
- drop a very small amount of vinegar into the airpipe
- drop some RO water into the airpipe
- enclose the airpipe for a few seconds, that a vacuum is created within the airpipe -> on the release of the airpipe, the vacuum will force air through the venturi, forcing any/all blockages to be forced "clean" into the pump and into the skimmer.....

 

[gaboon]

Thanks jacquesb!

 

[ben lloyd]

Ben please explain that.

if the suction forms an venturi on the water surface it will suck air into the pump that will make a big noise, what we have done in big pump stations where this problem occurs we throw tennis balls onto the water, and that will prevent the pump to create a venturi .Normally a venturi starts when the water level is to close to the suction pipe,so what you can do is to rise your water level.

 

[hotdog83]

I don't understand Ben, is that to stop the Venturi from forming in the first place? For the skimmer, you will want to have a venturi to have it work at all?

 

[ben lloyd]

thats to stop the venturi completely if you dont want air in your pump

 

[gaboon]

Gaboon - sometimes the air-pipe connected to the venturi's become clogged. There could indeed be some water droplets (from condensation, splashing, etc) that have come into the venturi air-pipe.
A few things you can try:
- drop a very small amount of vinegar into the airpipe
- drop some RO water into the airpipe
- enclose the airpipe for a few seconds, that a vacuum is created within the airpipe -> on the release of the airpipe, the vacuum will force air through the venturi, forcing any/all blockages to be forced "clean" into the pump and into the skimmer.....

You would think I knew this by now... If I remove the pipe to check, will water come gushing out the pump? (AP600 external skimmer)

 

[jacquesb]

Gaboon - no - don't remove the airpipe... why do you want to do that?

If I understood you incorrectly, please explain? Which other pipe would you be talking about?

And, IF you indeed decide to remove the airpipe onto the venturi, your skimmer's venturi WILL suck water instead of air.... so the skimmer will just stop producing bubbles for the time that you remove the pipe for....

BEN - I think that you might be talking about a VORTEX............. not a venturi?????
Right? My 2 x ReSun's do that too...

 

[gaboon]

Just wanted to check if there was water in it. I'm assuming if the venturi sucks air then no water should come out of the pump while I check. Gonna try your idea first.

 

[viper357]

What I normally do to clean out my airlines from salt etc. is to fill a cup with warm RO water then place the airline in the RO water and let the pump suck the water through.

 

[gaboon]

Shot viper.