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gen pls-100 issues


bdevillier19

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bdevillier19

thanks again for the reply, for the mean time i super glued the piece back on but i had to cut the short piece of hose to get the broken end of the drain tube out. what size tubing do i need to replace it? i also had an issue with my tension locks coming loose again. i had noticed my foam level dropped close to 3" as if it was running wide open. when i checked it, the body was loose. i know they were tight because it had run for 3 days with no issue and due to space confinements in my sump i use a long flat head screw driver to snug them down. so this is now the 3rd time that my skimmer has come out of adjustment. the skimmer works great when its working but the constant need for baby sitting is becoming a bit of a headache.

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  • 6 months later...

Though I'd post an update about the gen 3 pls-100 skimmer. Since August I have had the tank in a new sump with a lower water level and the performance of the skimmer had been a night and day difference. The skimmer pulls skimmate that can be as dark and nasty as I want. I've had it make skim that was thick like mud. Overall it has worked quite well with my only complaint being the way you have to adjust it. The locking screws that hold the adjustment don't always release very well often causing the need for a flat head screw driver. Other than that the only other complaint I get is from the wife and how bad it smells when I clean my skimmer cup.

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  • 1 month later...

I have this skimmer and it's terrible! ! Same problems as yours no matter what I try. No return policy with marine depot but cad lights will have a look at it they said. But a skimmer should not be this much trouble. In 2 months I've not collected 1 skimmer cup of junk. It's either cut off due to overflowing or sitting in a bucket. I ordered it for a customers tank and they just look at me like I'm crazy. They think it was a total waste of mmoney.brought it home and ran for a week in my tank. Same problems, so I cleaned it up to return to cadlights.

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I just got the skimmer and is overflowing like the Niagara Falls :angry: , what's the best solution for you guys? Keep it in 6 inches or below or raise it on a platform?

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thanks again for the reply, for the mean time i super glued the piece back on but i had to cut the short piece of hose to get the broken end of the drain tube out. what size tubing do i need to replace it? i also had an issue with my tension locks coming loose again. i had noticed my foam level dropped close to 3" as if it was running wide open. when i checked it, the body was loose. i know they were tight because it had run for 3 days with no issue and due to space confinements in my sump i use a long flat head screw driver to snug them down. so this is now the 3rd time that my skimmer has come out of adjustment. the skimmer works great when its working but the constant need for baby sitting is becoming a bit of a headache.

 

I feel your pain. its been a back and forth battle with it the whole time. its the first skimmer i've ever used. but i have to check it daily to make sure it is skimming properly. if i dont it will overflow with ease

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I just got the skimmer and is overflowing like the Niagara Falls :angry: , what's the best solution for you guys? Keep it in 6 inches or below or raise it on a platform?

I made a platform for mine to sit on. My sump baffle is 7.5" so I made a 1.5" platform to put it at 6" of water. It has help a lot but I'm still fighting overflow issues. I think part of the main problem is the ports that the water has to exit through are so small, they can easily get block by build up, which would cause the overflow. Either way, when I get my light up and running, next thing on the list is a new skimmer.

 

Oh and I love how cad just doesn't respond to the complaint threads. Shows me they know they sell a POS and don't give to $#!%s about it. It'll be the last cad lights anything I buy.

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Hey AJ

 

Sorry for the late response. the PLS-100 can run in water levels as low as 5". we typically run it at 6-7" of water. having a consistent water level helps a lot for the PLS-100 to maintain its foaming level and pressure.

 

heres what typically happens with skimmers having inconsistent foaming heights, or overflowing issues.

 

when you first set the skimming height of the skimmer, make sure to watch it or check on it 1 hour later to make sure its stays there. then that is the correct level.

 

Common issue that causes overflowing

when skimmer pulls out the waste in the water and the water density drops, then its normal for the foam and bubble level to drop as there isn't as much organic waste as there was before. you SHOULDNT at this point adjust the height of the skimmer any higher. if you do, then you now have a higher skimming level than when you originally started. this will cause the skimmer to overflow a lot easier than before as when the waste level goes up again, the skimmer is already too high.

 

what we recommend for the PLS-100:

1) set the skimmer into a sump that has a consistent 5-7" of water level. turn the PLS-100 body clockwise so that the foam level is at the lower middle of the collection tube (the slim inside tube of the collection cup).

2) check on the skimmer to make sure it stays consistent at its lower to lower middle setting approximately 2 hours afterwards. if it does, then it should be pretty stable.

3) allow the skimmer to fluctuate up and down on its own as it will adjust to the amount of organic waste you have in the water.

  • Like 3
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I just built a platform keeping the skimmer @ 6" of water and after 2 days no issues so far, for a fact is pulling some nasty dark skim almost dry :)

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  • 4 months later...
picoreef78

I have been having skimmer consistency troble lately. The Gen 3 skimmer seems to powerful for my system so I went back to the generation 2 skimmer. I also put about 1.5 inches of tile/egg crate to get the skimmer from 9 1/4 to 7 1/2 inches in height. I though I cleared the air hoses, will check again. Will aim the foam level again.

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  • 6 months later...

It's simply too inconsistent even with the variables such as water level/nutrient load. I eventually gave up and pulled it out and put in an algae scrubber. Sadly it works much better.

 

I wish I had the courage to attempt to skim again but I fear I'll never try this skimmer again. If im lucky maybe I'll sell it on craigslist for $40

:tears::tears::tears:

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Hey LVcaniac

 

Sorry to hear about the issue you are having with the PLS-100. we have in the most part great feedback for the PLS-100. it uses a pipeless free moving body which can sometimes have some variables that make it more sensitive in rare cases.

 

If you want, feel free to ship it to us and I can have a full diagnostic test on the skimmer to repair or change out anything that is needed to make sure everything is working perfect before we send it back out to you.

 

Many times it can be something as simple as the impeller or volute being off or alignment of the body.

 

Ship it to:

Attention: Scott D.

CAD Lights Aquariums (RD Dept.)

1550 S. Milliken Ave. Bldg. E

Ontario, CA, 91761

 

 

Thanks so much

Scott

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Hey LVcaniac

 

Sorry to hear about the issue you are having with the PLS-100. we have in the most part great feedback for the PLS-100. it uses a pipeless free moving body which can sometimes have some variables that make it more sensitive in rare cases.

 

If you want, feel free to ship it to us and I can have a full diagnostic test on the skimmer to repair or change out anything that is needed to make sure everything is working perfect before we send it back out to you.

 

Many times it can be something as simple as the impeller or volute being off or alignment of the body.

 

Ship it to:

Attention: Scott D.

CAD Lights Aquariums (RD Dept.)

1550 S. Milliken Ave. Bldg. E

Ontario, CA, 91761

 

 

Thanks so much

Scott

I recently tried it out again but the pump had seized a bit. It works if i push the impeller but shortly stops. I've bene in contact with someone about a replacement. So we will see how it goes

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  • 2 weeks later...

its me formerly known as LVCaniac.

 

Well after asking for another pump on January 6th, I never heard anything back from cadlights or received an invoice.

So after a week of nothing I order the Simplicity 120DC Skimmer. And it was actually delivered on the 20th, one day before I received the invoice for the pump for the PLS-100. Not sure why it took two weeks to send an invoice but c'est la vie. CADlights makes beautiful tanks but the equipment/plumbing never really held up to the quality of the stand/tanks.

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  • 1 month later...

These skimmers are trash. I have had the worst luck with them. I have posted videos, returned, waited, called, txt. And still have a crappy skimmer.

agreed. bought a simplicity 120dc and it has worked perfectly from the start with no problems whatsoever.

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Hi, Muse

 

Thanks for your feedback, I will make sure we have the replacements sent out faster next time. we had a back order issue with the replacement pumps briefly after the holidays.

 

Knap_123:

last time you shipped your skimmer to a wrong address and though we tried to drive over to the post office directly, they already had it sent back to you. but, if you can ship it to our correct address that we sent to you last time at:

 

CAD Lights Aquariums

1550 S. Milliken Ave. Bldg. E

Ontario, CA, 91761

 

we can do the full diagnostic test, change anything that needs to be changed and shipped back to you at no charge for the replacement items or return postage like we spoke about last time.

 

Thanks so much, any help you need, let me know

Scott

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You failed to mention it was the second time I mailed it back. The first time y'all keep it 3 months. Anyway, as I said before. I will not reship, I will not give positive reviews, I will not buy your products. Give me a refund!

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  • 1 year later...

@Knap

 

your skimmer isnt under warranty anymore after the 1 year time period. but we always try our best to assist our customers and back our products 100%. we unfortunately was never able to receive the skimmer from you to run the checks on it. so if you can send it back as we originally requested for you to do so, we can still run a full diagnostic inspection on your skimmer and pump to make sure it is all working fine so we can send it back to you. 

 

Thanks

CADLights 

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