Skimmer Motor took a dump

Hey everyone,

Last night I noticed that my skimmer was no longer skimming and my temp got up to about 82.5 degrees, so I unplugged it to prevent heat and stray voltage. (temp isn't a big swing since I keep my tank at about 80-81). I'm thinking that something must have gotten caught in the propellers inside of the motor, or it just shorted which would suck since the skimmer is only 6 weeks old.

I'm not going to have time to dig this out of my sump until tomorrow night or sunday, and due to stand space limitations I need to dis-assemble the skimmer in-sump (PITA).

Has anyone ever seen a shot motor before or signs that the motor can't be repaired? I thought these magnetic drive motors were easy to diagnose and work with, but i'm not really sure what i should be looking for.

any advice appreciated.

 

Do you have a multimeter?

Take a reading across the Ohms reading across the positive and negative side of the plug. it should read close to Zero Ohms (close to it anyways). If it reads Infinite, then the coil is fried.

 

You should occasionally disassemble all pumps and clean them (vinegar bath at least to clear up any calcium carbonate deposits), at least 2 times a year IMO.
All of the ones I've used are pretty simple but sometimes you need to know one or two little tricks to getting them open, just be careful and take it slow. Your tank will be fine without a skimmer for a couple days if needed.
It really depends what the problem is whether or not you can easily repair it. If it's internal motor issues you'll probably need maintenance or buy a new one (usually buy a new one). There are other issues that are easily solved with either a vinegar bath for calcium deposits or a bleach bath if it's clogged with some type of algae or something organic.

 

my skimmer pump fried 2 weeks ago, i took it apart and sure enough it was fried, cheap CA pump only lasted a year, i put a RIO in this time, kina the same pump i hope a little more reliable, my other RIOs lasted at least 5 years that i remember?