Tunze Comline 9001 Skimmer - Pump issue?

[SeahawkMom]

I wanted to check with other Tunze 9001 owners and see if this is normal. I just installed my skimmer last weekend, and am in the process of tuning it. No problem. I'm being patient and think I'm dialing the right level fine. The problem I'm having is every time I shut off the skimmer to feed my fish (twice a day), the pump doesn't start back up when I switch it back on. The pump stays fully submerged the whole time. Even if I turn it off and immediately switch it back on, the pump doesn't start up. I can hear it making slight noises like the pump is trying to start. The only way I can get the pump to start up again is turn the switch on, detach the skimmer, and swish it around in the water until the pump kicks in. Then it generates bubbles fine.

So this can't be normal right? Does anyone else have issues with their 9001 skimmer restarting when turning it back on after feedings. I'm thinking my pump is defective. Any ideas?

 

[Alex808]

I wanted to check with other Tunze 9001 owners and see if this is normal. I just installed my skimmer last weekend, and am in the process of tuning it. No problem. I'm being patient and think I'm dialing the right level fine. The problem I'm having is every time I shut off the skimmer to feed my fish (twice a day), the pump doesn't start back up when I switch it back on. The pump stays fully submerged the whole time. Even if I turn it off and immediately switch it back on, the pump doesn't start up. I can hear it making slight noises like the pump is trying to start. The only way I can get the pump to start up again is turn the switch on, detach the skimmer, and swish it around in the water until the pump kicks in. Then it generates bubbles fine.

So this can't be normal right? Does anyone else have issues with their 9001 skimmer restarting when turning it back on after feedings. I'm thinking my pump is defective. Any ideas?

I'm not home so I can't try it on mine but Go and blow in the air line and tell me if it starts back up. I think what happens is the pump can't pull air when its been tuned to run on less air than when its brand new and wide open.
I do the same thing, pick up, drain chamber and replace it and it runs fine after.

 

[SeahawkMom]

Hi Alex808 - Thank you so much for the tip! I couldn’t reach the short air hose at the back of my tank with my mouth so I used a bulb syringe to force some air into the air hose and that worked like a charm! Pump started right up again! I guess I’ll have to keep doing that each feeding, but that was way easier than removing the skimmer shaking it around, which always triggered my ATO, and then hoping I got it set back at the same
exact water level as before. Kinda lame that we need to do that at all, but maybe once my skimmer is broken in, it won’t need me to do that.