Finding pin holes in a closed loop system

my2rotties · #1 02-25-2009, 01:37 AM

Before thinking my pump is totally shot, how do I find pin holes in the pipe of my closed looped system? The pump will either hardly have any flow or it will work correctly and blow millions of micro bubbles. Thanks for any advise

Tom R · #2 02-25-2009, 01:57 AM

I would think that if you had pin holes in your closed loop you would have water every where.

Tom R

mark · #3 02-25-2009, 02:11 AM

some how it's air-locked?

my2rotties · #4 02-25-2009, 02:22 AM

I would think we would have water all over the place too. When hubby called the LFS, the fellow said we have air in the pump (don't know how it suddenly would get in there but any how...).

I shut the pump down, I also turned the water off to it, put my hand in front of the water inlet... did everything I could think of.

What is an air-lock and how would one suddenly materialize?

golf nut · #5 02-25-2009, 03:12 AM

where are your closed loop pics?

are you going over the top with the feed to the pump?

my2rotties · #6 02-25-2009, 03:22 AM

This is the best picture that I have on hand at the moment. The pump is behind the skimmer. The feed to the pump is on the bottom of the sump if I am understanding your question correctly.

golf nut · #7 02-25-2009, 03:27 AM

A true closed loop draws water from the main tank and recirculates it back to the tank, if this isn't what you have then it isn't a closed loop, if you have a link to the pic I might be able to see it in a larger format.

my2rotties · #8 02-25-2009, 03:55 AM

I cant get photos at the moment. The display is above the sump and fuge. The water goes from the sump, up into the pump, to the tank, back out through the overflows and into the sump again. Also the skimmer in the sump is not longer there. I guess the other skimmer blocks the view of the plumbing going upstairs to the display...

My husband built it and I just maintain it. He is not available this evening due to hockey so I'm on my own and don't know much about the guts of the system.

Rbacchiega · #9 02-25-2009, 03:59 AM

Is there any way to drain some of the tank water so it's just below the highest point of the CL system? Then fire it up again and see if that gets rid of the air in the line. Have makeup/top off water ready to fill....

e46er · #10 02-25-2009, 04:01 AM

so your just talking about your sump return pump a closed loop is a seperate pump like states above soley for flow to elimanate powerheads