HagenKB

Controlling air pump output

I have purchased a small air pump to run an air chest ornament in my aquarium. I am sure I am doing something wrong as the bubbles that come out are large and the chest lid stays open when the pump is on. Can you tell me what I need to reduce the air fl

I have purchased a small air pump to run an air chest ornament in my aquarium. I am sure I am doing something wrong as the bubbles that come out are large and the chest lid stays open when the pump is on. Can you tell me what I need to reduce the air fl
Most air pumps provide way too much air to drive a single aeration ornament, in many cases they are used to drive some other air device as well. To do this, the output airline must be attached to a ganged valve that controls the air going to various devices.
It is always best to purchase one more valve that the number of units you are going to drive. In this case, if you only want to run the treasure chest, purchase a two way ganged valve. Let the excess air bleed to the atmosphere out the extra valve outlet. If you decide to add an airstone to the tank to use some of the extra air, purchase a 3 way ganged valve so if there is still too much output it can be bled to the atmosphere.
Do not try to reduce the airflow by blockage or folding the airline to prevent flow. Since the pump is vibrator unit, blocking output instead of bleeding it away causes the diaphragm to become a balloon from back pressure and will greatly reduce its active life. One of the most common failures in air pumps is creating too much back pressure on the diaphragm and causing it to rip and give out. It is always better to bleed air off and eliminate, as much as possible, any back pressure on the rubber diaphragm.

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