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bad pump? steady stream of micro bubbles

Apon

Apon

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ok since Sat night my returns in my 120 has been blowing a ton of micro bubbles, steady stream, almost as if the sump was running low on water, but its not. I also can't find any leaks anywhere. I can't hear any slurping sounds...I am baffled. Could it be the pump? its pretty old. Any thoughts?
 
cavitation maybe? is your pump any louder than it usually is? if its been a steady stream since saturday the air has to be coming from somewhere...id think protein skimmer, but i just remembered it couldnt be that in your case..
 
Venturi effect pulling air through leaking joints, cracked fittings, or loose loc-lines on the supply side. Also check the impeller housing and fittings on the suction side if the pump is running external.
 
Mr. Ugly said:
Venturi effect pulling air through leaking joints, cracked fittings, or loose loc-lines on the supply side. Also check the impeller housing and fittings on the suction side if the pump is running external.
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+1
 
+2

Bubbles won't come from no where for any length of time, its coming from the air somehow, most likely through a fitting in a tiny crack/gap that's too small to allow water to go out (and by two small I mean the pressure to get water out is greater than the to push it up through the pipe), but air can get sucked in.
 
If you can cap the return sometimes you can pressure the pipe enough to show you the leak.
 
Ohh I like looking for leaks I hunt them down in vacuum chambers all the time! We will sometimes squirt alcohol.etc... into all the ports looking for a telltale rise in pressure which indicates the alcohol molecules make it though the leak and into the chamber, where their heavier mass shows up as a pressure spike.
Why this rant?
Well if it's a steady steady stream you can "temporarily" plug the leak by squirting a little water over the culprits, to see if the bubbles stop. Ideally something more viscous, but in this case water is probably the safest bet. No harm in trying, since the water just evaporates and zero mess.
 
Wouldn't it be easier to simply plug the return pump while on and see where water spits out? Some peoples return manifolds have a lot of junctions.

I used to install gas and we'd spray water, soap, what ever, on the pipe and watch for bubbles :) Just to opposite of your job :D

BTW military gas workers are super scary. Watched them cap a 6" gas main that was cut, with no special gear at all..... Then again, I watched them dump 55g barrels full of diesel and such into pits and cover them up with dirt.
 
If you plug the return you pressurize from impeller up to your obstruction. Doesn't do anything for the testing the supply (unless you have a gusher!) But wait, that might be the point? Sucking bubbles is coming from the supply side of the pump. They're micro because they're chopped.

Try the water test, you might not have heard of it, but you might be surprised!! And it takes two hands one to hold the squirt bottle, the other a towel to catch the water, and 2 eyes to look in the tank for the bubbles. No 7 foot arms, or agility.

Any time I overpressure something and oh shit it starts leaking I feel like a fool. Just me I guess.
 
sfsuphysics said:
they might be micro because the hole where they're being pulled through is small no?
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My point and experience exactly. If the pump is submersed (still don't know that do we?) the supply end would only be a factor if it was sucking air from the surface. That is easily seen and heard. Air sucking from a leaky joint on the other hand won't be heard and won't be seen. IME even when you shut a system down that has a micro leak like that, it won't drain from the leak as it's so small. It will pull air from that hole though via a venturi action.
 
its an external iwaki(spelling?) pump. the pump is the same sounds as before. I did unplug it to see if it cleared up.....it runs clear for like a minute then the bubbles return. I will try some of your suggestions to check it out. Thanks. I agree air has to be coming from somewhere.
 
Oh that changes everything. I suspect the pump seal is shot (wetside). Have you ever replaced it?
 
nope, but if that is true shouldn't I see a leak? its been runing for years and it came with the tank used too. It was the reef geek display tank before they moved down to LA.
 
Not unless the leak is large enough for water to escape. As I explained earlier a micro hole can suck air in via a venturi effect but may be small enough to not allow water out. If you pressurized the pump line by capping the return it may shoot out the whole on the pump wetside (or it may not). A pump that old is most likely in need of a new seal. Given how you described it just starting up out of no where and it's been running a long time, that is my guess :D
 
Looks like they have an o-ring and rated for around 5 or so years of use

http://www.iwakiwalchem.com/Literature/MD_WMD/180191_Aquarium_B.pdf

REASSEMBLY
A. Place o-ring (Item #3) in groove of the rear casing (Item #5).
B. Place rear casing on motor bracket, ensuring the holes line up with the motor bracket holes.
C. Install impeller with the spindle seated in the rear casing bearing.
D. Align front casing (Item #2) bolt holes with rear casing and bolt to motor making sure the oring
is not pinched.
Click to expand...


How long will my pump last?
This question is the equivalent of "How long will you live?" There are many factors that decide both of
these questions including care, work performed and accidents. We do warranty our pumps for one year,
parts and workmanship. Typically, a MD/WMD pump in an aquarium application will last three to four
years. Many of our customers enjoy 5+ years of service. Visit our web-site for customer testimonials.
Click to expand...

Oh they last a lot longer then 5 years in most cases :) I know dozens still in use after 10 years (with proper maintenance)

http://www.iwakiwalchem.com/products/wmd.htm

But is yours a Japanese model or US model?
 
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