One side of Air Pump is less powerful

Is it normal for one side of the air pump to be less powerful? I’m running two sponge filters, but one is quite a bit less powerful than the other.

Is it because it’s further away from the pump, thus has to push air further, even though the air tube length is the same (roughly) for both?

Or is the pump broken?

Here’s a video to show what I mean.

https://imgur.com/a/Ndzdo3X

 

Probably the plunger on that side is cracked

 

maybe you need to add a check valve. If the air pump itself is below the water line then you need to add a check valve.

 

Probably the plunger on that side is cracked

Is the plunger the tube?

maybe you need to add a check valve. If the air pump itself is below the water line then you need to add a check valve.

Is the check valve the thing that stops it going back into the machine during a power cut or the thing that controls the flow? I have both of those things

 

"One side" means your pump has two outlets?

It's the diaphragm that may be torn. This is a replaceable part you can buy for some pumps. You have to open up the pump and look inside to see and inspect it.

The other wise addition here is a gang valve. You run both pump outlets into the ends of the valve and then one out out to each sponge. This way you can adjust the output to each sponge to make them equal.

 

"One side" means your pump has two outlets?

Yeah

It's the diaphragm that may be torn. This is a replaceable part you can buy for some pumps. You have to open up the pump and look inside to see and inspect it.

Ah ok. I’ll swap it out with another pump just to see if it exhibits the same problem (rather than opening it up and voiding any warranties).

The other wise addition here is a gang valve. You run both pump outlets into the ends of the valve and then one out out to each sponge. This way you can adjust the output to each sponge to make them equal.

I have one of these things I think; I can twist the knob and it controls how many bubbles come out. Both are basically fully open, I installed them when I have a Betta Sorority to reduce the bubbles.

 

Had this happen awhile back. I ended up just replacing the pump in the end.

 

I have one of these things I think; I can twist the knob and it controls how many bubbles come out. Both are basically fully open, I installed them when I have a Betta Sorority to reduce the bubbles.

Right. Start with both valves fully open and slowly close the valve supplying the sponge producing more bubbles until both are even.

 

 

Had this happen awhile back. I ended up just replacing the pump in the end.

Thanks thankfully I bought the bump from Amazon so, if it faulty, I’m sure they’ll replace it.

Right. Start with both valves fully open and slowly close the valve supplying the sponge producing more bubbles until both are even.

Ah I’m not overly fussed that they aren’t equal, more that I want them both to be as powerful as one another.