Newbie Skimmer Q's

This is the skimmer I inherited with the tank. Not sure what kind it is and can't for the life of me get ahold of the old owner. When we moved the tank to my house, plugged everything in, the PS would leak all over the floor. We thought it was coming out from between the cylinders but today I actually SAW where it was leaking.

I had to shut off the PS to tighten it's tub because I could hear air but saw no water...when I plugged it back in water started leaking quickly out of the end of the "air valve". The little knob that controls air. I don't know how exactly we got it to stop but it had something to do with the red valve on the PVC pipe. And even right now, there is no muckies being produced when there SHOULD be...I fed them quite a bit today AND accidently stirred up dirt, AND the PS muckies shot back out of the PVC into the water. So.....

Finally the question..

1 What type of skimmer is this...does anyone know?
2 Why isn't it producing?
3 How can I clean it?
4 Why does it leak out of the air valve?

 

Not sure?

You mean this one?
And how do I clean it? OMG, I am worried now...

 

Oh yeah

Please forgive my dirtiness people..I JUST bought this tank and am going to clean SLLLOOOOOWWWLLLYYYY...

 

English?

I am sorry, I don't understand.

So "remove it"..means what? Do I just unplug the PS? Or do I have to shut the red or blue valve first? Hoping the PVC pipe will come apart....

"Fit easily into filter"...what filter? Not sure what you mean?

"This output going to adjust water level"...what is an output?

I AM SOOOO SORRY...I am a woman, I know nothing about hardware!!! haha

 

?

Don't know when it is flooding because I am usually in the back trying to cover the leak...and yes, it is constantly producing water from the PVC pipe.

I am soooo scared to turn this thing off again, but like you say-I need to get used to it.

Also, when I first set the tank back up, it was running fine, producing lots of foam overflowing into the gallon catching cup. So as of THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW, I have the air turned on all the way...is this bad? How much longer can it go without taking it all apart and cleaning b/c I need someone here to help me and husband is at work.

 

Found out...

Just found out the PS is an AquaClear EV-120...so it has "spray injection system"..not even sure what that means...haha

 

How to clean it:

Next water change day, take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it about half full of RO/DI water. Add about a quart of vinegar. Take the skimmer and sit it in the bottom of the bucket. Turn it on. Adjust the water level in the bucket so that it skims. If its too much, take some out. Not enough, add some back in. Do all of this before you start the waterchange. Then adjust the skimmer so that its skimming wet enough to run out of the cup back into the bucket of water. Do your maintenance, letting the skimmer run the whole time. After you get through with all the other maintenance, turn the skimmer off and drain all the water out. Wipe it down clean. The vinegar should clean it. You may have to take something and do a little more cleaning but the vinegar will help tremendously. Then run it in a bucket of water for about 10 minutes (plain water) to rinse the vinegar off. Then put it back on the tank and start it back up.

Water out of the air line:

If the pump is too deep in water, it can't create enough suction to pull air into the pump so it simply pumps water back out the airline. Typically, raising the pump up in the water should solve it.