Protein Skimmer Question

I bought a protein skimmer a month or two ago. I noticed that every once in a while, for no apparent reason the skimmer shuts off and the bubbles and water empty out from it. It stays like this for a few minutes and then turns back on. Is this normal?

 

No...check for obstructions in your supply line

 

The air supply line?

 

The feed line from the pump. How are you letting the water reenter the tank or sump??

 

The protein skimmer is in a sump.

This protein skimmer is close to mine: ASM MINI-G Protein Skimmer - AquaCave

The water goes into it from below and then comes out the tube on the left that has the filter on it. It just dumps back into the sump.

 

I would take the impeller housing off and make sure there is nothing in there. Sounds too much like the water is stopping flow for some reason.

 

Is the pump shutting off? or is it still running?

 

I'm not sure if any powerhead type pumps have it, but some electric components have a thermal shutdown, and even if it doesnt maybe its just getting hot and stopping, then cools and fires back up...kinda weird though considering its kind of liquid cooled, if it where mine Id just replace that pump, seems like something in the pump itself to me if it fires up and runs fine after it stopped for a few minutes, for what a pump costs better safe then sorry

 

That sure sounds weird, never heard of that. Could it be that the pump is not getting enough elec.? Maybe you have too much connected to that one outlet? Try to connect the pump to a different outlet via a extention cord and see if the pump acts the same way.