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3.4. Maintenance / Cleaning of the pump
Depending on contamination, the pump has to be cleaned occasionally, at least in two-month
intervals, if necessary more frequently.
First of all, remove the retaining plate. Then, take off the pump head (Fig. 2, No. 9). Now, the
complete impeller (Fig. 2, No. 5) can be taken out.
Caution:
This part is tight fit and has to be
removed carefully so as not to break the ceramic shaft. It can be cleaned under running water and
then be re-assembled.
4.
Starting the skimmer
•
The air tube has always to be installed upward over the water level in the skimmer.
This air
tube must not hang down.
Therefore, it should always be connected to the silencer (Fig. 1,
No. 5). Connect the bottom end of the tube to the air intake of the pump. The air inflow (Fig. 1,
No. 8) should principally be fully open. An adjustment of the inflow would change the water flow
at the same time and therefore, should only be done in exceptional cases.
•
The foam cup is simply inserted from the top.
•
The ideal water level in the filter sump is 13 ± 1 cm for the aCone 1.0 EVO. With higher or
lower water levels, airflow rate and skimming power will decrease. The filter sump should either
contain an overflow edge that keeps the water level in the ideal range or it should be equipped
with an automatic refill unit, such as Aqua Medic Refill System. The drain from the skimmer has
to run freely into the aquarium or filter sump.
•
The skimmer will be filled by starting the venturi pump. To do so, first of all open the lower
drain valve (Fig. 1, No. 7) completely.
With high water load, the valve can also be unscrewed
completely. If the water level remains constant, it has to be closed only so far until the skimmer
is filled to half or two-thirds. Afterwards, wait for some time and make the fine adjustment with
the upper adjusting screw, best one to two hours later. A water level too high leads to very fast
overflowing of the foam cup. Here, special caution is required, if one connects the outflow
nozzle of the foam cup via a hose with a container standing beside the filter sump. There is the
danger that the container overflows if the skimmer cooks over. Thus, this would also lead to
strong loss of water in the filter sump whereby other devices could run dry and therefore, could
be damaged.
•
Ensure, when filling the skimmer that the water level of the aquarium resp. filter sump is not
lowered too much. Possibly, keep freshly prepared saltwater ready for refilling.
•
After first use or after cleaning the skimmer, it takes some time for the initial foam to build up
in the reaction pipe of the collection cup. This is because the cleaned acrylic initially reacts with
the water until a build up of fatty acids naturally takes place.
•
After approx. 24 hours, the foam should be pushed slowly and evenly into the collection cup.
The quantity of liquid and organic substances depends on the pollution of the aquarium.
5.
Maintenance
•
Foam cup:
Depending on the organic load, the cup should be cleaned daily to weekly.
•
Skimmer pipe:
This only needs occasional cleaning. We recommend intervals from 6 to 12
months.
•
Reaction pipe:
For a complete cleaning, the base can be unscrewed.
•
Venturi pump:
The maintenance of the pump should be done at least every two months, if
necessary, even more often:
-
Drain the water out and dismantle the pump. Flush the pump housing and 3D-needle wheel with
clean water and, if necessary, use a brush. The same should be done with the air injection
nozzle.
6.
Failures
The pump is designed to operate over a long period of time with little or no maintenance. If the
pump gets noisy, check if the ceramic ring (Fig. 2, No. 6) is mounted. Maybe, the pump head and
rotor (Fig. 2) have to be cleaned. If the impeller is damaged, it has to be replaced.
