I split out the 4 beckett questions/answers- Lets keep this thread on topic, eh?

[url=http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=960833]skriz skimmer thread[/url]

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8434499#post8434499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pennilessreefer [/i]
[B]einsteins,

I think that you may need to look at getting a different (pressure rated) pump, such as a genx pcx-55 or iwaki md-55rlt. Just looking at the curve of an OR 6500 real quick, I think that it dies at appx. 5 or so ft. of head. I don't know specifically, but a single Beckett probably introduces about 5ft of head itself. [/B][/QUOTE]

pennilessreefer
Thanks for the advice....I keep my skimmer out of the sump and use a submergable pump (OR6500) to feed it........are there any pressure rated sumergable pumps? Otherwise I have to tear down the sump and all the plumbing to drill for an external pump.

at least I didn't screw up my mod on the beckett...lol

thanks again
ein

I just did the mod myself and noticed an increase in foam head and did have to throttle back the pump a bit..Im using an MRC-2 skimmer with Mag18 pump. Everything seems to be running fine..the only concern I have is since the holes are so small now what is the likelihood of them getting clogged over time and affecting the skimmers performance???

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8438573#post8438573 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bobafet1 [/i]
[B]I just did the mod myself and noticed an increase in foam head and did have to throttle back the pump a bit..Im using an MRC-2 skimmer with Mag18 pump. Everything seems to be running fine..the only concern I have is since the holes are so small now what is the likelihood of them getting clogged over time and affecting the skimmers performance??? [/B][/QUOTE]

SWEET Boba!

How many holes did you drill? Is yours a single beckett? (I'm still trying to muster up the cahones to drill one of my spares).

jarhead,
my skimmer is the single beckett skimmer...I drilled about 34 holes in the beckett..the skimmer has been working pretty good so far..I'll give another update later on...

I'm planning to ease into this. I have filled my original holes with silicone so that I can take them out later. If the smaller 1/16" holes don't work out I can always permanently glue them with epoxy or abs glue ( I assume the beckett is abs?) and pull out the silicone

I've been running this for a few days now with 40 holes.

Whats interesting is that I haven't noticed a single burp. I used to get one every 3 or 4 mins. But now I haven't noticed one yet. This has got me puzzled as I didn't think the burping was the cause of the beckett itself. (I didn't get better foaming though)

ok i retract my last statement. I do have some smaller burps but less frequently. I had to look more carefully.

Well I got one modded- I think it is 20 holes per side (0.063" each"), so lots of them. I'm getting near identical air flows at several test points, and no visible difference in the bubble size.


But I've got some more testing to do, so don't take this as conclusive. I like the idea of more, smaller holes, so I'll be testing out some more tomorrow.

Well, I finally got my skimmer working reasonably again with the regular injector.... I ran into some problems on the weekend with the skimmer leaking out a fitting. I tried to fix the leak and made it a LOT worse... But it's back and running again.

I swapped the other injector in last night for a quick try and I didn't really notice a difference in the bubble size in my setup. I think it was burping a little less though... I will have to give it another try later.

Tyler

Ok, Ive been watching the skimmer for some time and Im still gettting the same results...my foam head was about 1" thick before the mod and has now doubled...also, like everyone else I dont notice the burping anymore...

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8435801#post8435801 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zephrant [/i]
[B]I did notice that I was getting significantly less air flow from a standard Beckett than the last time I did this test, but I was using dual 1/4" lines that were 5' long to the flow meters, so I'm sure that is restricting the air somewhat.[/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8448581#post8448581 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zephrant [/i]
[B]Well I got one modded- I think it is 20 holes per side (0.063" each"), so lots of them. I'm getting near identical air flows at several test points, and no visible difference in the bubble size.[/B][/QUOTE]

Zephrant,

Are you changing the air lines while you test? I think the main advantage of the modded beckett won't be smaller bubbles but the ability to still have the same bubble size with more air at the same water flow (by increasing the air line). So you might see the same result if you chart airflows vs gph for a 1/4" air line. But the difference will show up in bubble size when your charting airflow vs gph for a 3/8" or 1/2" airline. The bubbles might not get smaller but they won't get larger as you increase the airline which has been the issue so far. That will allow us to put lower wattage pumps on the skimmers while still keeping the same airflow with the current small bubble size.

The current beckett injector will draw much more air but we don't allow it because the bubbles get large. So I think the main focus should be how can we keep the bubble the same size while drawing more air so we can use smaller pumps.

Strange. It is fairly dramatic with the lower powered pumps. I still haven't had the time to play with it much but, apparently I need to do so. Particularly with number and size of holes. Thanks for running it, Zeph.

Well, I just did the mod, and it's about the same. I drilled twelve 1/16th inch holes. Maybe this mod is better suited for non pressure rated pumps. I'll give it a full day before I pass total judgement though.

Waylander and all other contributors. I have a question or two?? no one has discussed location of the beckett or static? level of water in skimmer.
IE, my unmodded beckett is above the skimate line on 1 1/4 tube, when first started up I get larger bubbles, as the supply tube fills with micro bubbles the water is displaced and it never burps.
My skimmer holds 5 gallons with pump off and Ive arranged the out flow pipe to maintain this, what I noticed was the more water i had to lift up the skimmer the less bubbles, more turbulance and less head, oh and im running it with a little giant 3 mdq.

spitefull, I build my skimmers with the beckett up at or near cup height. Too lazy to find the most efficient height...

KABOOOOM!

I just remoded my modded bekett. I redrilled the holes. I now have 20 holes at 3/32. I drilled them all at the same height as the top of the original beckett hole and closed anything lower. I had noticed that water was comming out of any holes drilled at the bottom edge of the original Becket holes. If you open the beckett you will notice a nozzle section. The holes must be above the outlet of the nozzle.

I got a signifficant amount of foam, much greater than with an unmodded beckett similiar to what Waylander had originally described. My beckett sits at 4" bellow my cup but at about 50" head. I've got it running on an underpowered blueline 1100.

( A picture of my bizzar DIY skimmer can be found in my gallery)

WOW I'm still playing with it and I have more foam than I know what to do with. Its as if I had dropped detergent into the tank. This is a wet dream.

The last description of where I drilled the holes is slightly wrong. All the holes are just below the orifice of the nozzle. But all the holes are drilled in a horizontal line at the same hight as the top of the original Beckett holes.

I had had a problem of keeping my beckett dry in the housing and I was going nuts trying to solve it. I beleive there may be a little splashback inside the beckett off the top of the ball section. My going theory anyway.

Im probably getting ahead of myself because I'm too excited.

But my skimmer has turned into a foam CANNON. And alot of the foam is very stable. At this point I've had to significantly close my air valve and I am still getting lots of big foam bubbles. I don't even care at this point about buble size.

If you guys replicate what I'm seeing this migh significantly alter the beckett skimmer design.

:) Me,too. It doesn't seem to translate to the pumps that need 'kick-starters', though.

rivan
what pump are you using? and is this on the skimmer in your gallery?

Waylander

I don't think the holes ever come in contact with water when you drill them as high as I have.

There is definitly a large increase in air draw. Probably due to the "high" holes being closer to where the internal low pressure effect is highest. More 20* (3/32) holes drilled at the high point distributes air draw over a greater surface area of the beckett (than unmoded) and creates a greater air draw.

But what I think is going on is an increase in the efficiency on how the air is mixed with the water at the venturi orifice (nozzle) inside the becket. I think more air is being mashed against the internall ball.

Also pluging the lower row of holes definitly reduced weter leakage out of the becket. I've got a tap on my becket housing to dain off any water and I'm definitly seingless water.

BIllZ.

I don't show the pump in my gallery. But I am using a blueline 1100 which is pressure rated.

Before the Mod I wasn't getting sufficient airflow at at 4ft with my beckett. Plus zephrant's curves pretty much reflect this.

Now I think this pump might be ok. still have to run this a few more days.

"Probably due to the "high" holes being closer to where the internal low pressure effect is highest. "

Don't know. Possibly. If you recall, my original was 2 rows around the beckett with 1 row even with the bottom of the original holes and the other row being at the same level as the top of the original holes. I really have no idea what the pressure gradients inside the beckett would be but I'll hum along if you sing it.