Optimized Beckett - Page 7

sherm71tank · #**151** 11/11/2006, 07:56 PM

Hey Jimmy, are you running 1/4" or 3/8" air inlet on your beckett and are you running it wide open or throttled back?

jimmyj7090 · #**152** 11/12/2006, 02:20 AM

Stock PM air inlet, 3/8" I think, but I'll have to check in the AM.

I'm still playing around with it, right now the air is restricted a bit but not much.

I just fed and the foam really collapsed, more/quicker than usual. It's reforming just fine, but I thought the sensitivity was interseting???

Keelay · #**153** 11/12/2006, 02:44 AM

I have a smaller skimmer, 5.5 inches diameter 11" tall. (neck is 2" Diameter 3" tall). It's run by a MAG5 with a gravity boost. I don't have before and after comparison since I already did the mod and then built a new skimmer (not very scientific of me

I have tried different bubble making methods in search of the best. In order of worst to best, The Kent Turbo Venturi bubble generation, Spray injection (various stages and optimizations here). The beckett blows them all away. I've never filled my skimmer body with white before. It's visually around 2x the best I've done before.

So to be clear, I do have 30 x 1/16" holes following waylander's idea in my beckett, I am running a very low pressure pump, and getting far better results than anything I've tried.

Thanks Waylander

slug · #**154** 11/12/2006, 12:55 PM

I tried between 16 and 40 1/16" hole. It didn't work better then the default holes. Using a pressure rated pump tough, GEN-X PCX55.

slug · #**155** 11/12/2006, 03:27 PM

Should say "Using a pressure rated pump though" not "tough", can't edit anymore.

wife no likey · #**156** 11/12/2006, 07:30 PM

Well after some experimenting, I can say that I'm pretty happy with the improvement.

I'm now able to run with the air wide open and I dropped my water level significantly. Previously, I had the water about 4 inches below the riser, I now have it about 8 inches down. I also think that I'll be able to get some decently dry skimmate.

I'm getting a flow meter this week hopefully so we'll see what the throughput is.

Here's some pics:

jarhed · #**157** 11/12/2006, 07:49 PM

Hmm....

I put about 40 holes in mine. Some of the holes are SQUIRTING water into the beckett chamber. Not quite sure what to do. Performance has not changed at all.

reeferman75 · #**158** 11/14/2006, 12:19 AM

So what the thought on pressure rated pumps, and has anyone done this on a dual beckett

Bill Z · #**159** 11/14/2006, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jarhed
Hmm....

I put about 40 holes in mine. Some of the holes are SQUIRTING water into the beckett chamber. Not quite sure what to do. Performance has not changed at all.

me too...I have about 20 - 1/16th holes and the water is goming out of the holes. I went back to my old beckett because this mod didn't help. any ideas? I'm using a mag 9.5 pump.

also, the flow went way up. I open my gate valve all the way and my water is still to high. Why? My beckett is about 3 inches higher than the collection cup so that's not it...

Waylander · #**160** 11/14/2006, 02:42 PM

I would speculate that some of the holes are too high (?). Or maybe too many holes for the pressure gradient (?). I'd have to think about it but I am not sure about too many being a factor - it would seem that the beckett would just pull the the holes with the highest pressure differential....and the others would leak?

Waylander · #**161** 11/14/2006, 02:50 PM

Bill, flow can't increase if you stop and think about it. A Mag 9.5 is going to put out 950GPH - with allowances for head. Your water 'seems' too high because of the increase in efficiency noted in the lower powered pumps. You are just injecting so much more air that you are having problems accomodating it in your skimmer volume. The pump is pumping the same with either beckett.

Waylander · #**162** 11/14/2006, 02:59 PM

Sherm71thank offers commentary and thoughts on pressure rated pumps on page 6 of this thread. The difference is not as dramatic as it is with lower powered pumps. Sherm did offer some thoughts on benefits.

KenT · #**163** 11/14/2006, 05:27 PM

I didn't do the mod, but increased my bubble output another way. My injector housing has 2 air inlet ports. 1 for regular use and the other for ozone. The ozone fitting has about a 3/8 thread and a hose barb end sized for airline tubing. I removed the ozone fitting and immediately my level increased. I am running an Iwaki 100 on a single beckett 60", 10" dia. Aerofoamer skimmer. I'm assuming I wasn't getting enough air.

Bill Z · #**164** 11/14/2006, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Waylander
Bill, flow can't increase if you stop and think about it. A Mag 9.5 is going to put out 950GPH - with allowances for head. Your water 'seems' too high because of the increase in efficiency noted in the lower powered pumps. You are just injecting so much more air that you are having problems accomodating it in your skimmer volume. The pump is pumping the same with either beckett.

with the air off - my water level is way up with a unmoded beckett from ebay. My original beckett came from Lowes. could one beckett be different from the other? The housings are different so maybe that is doing it.

Also I drilled the holes even with the ridge inside the beckett- which puts then about at the top of the original holes...

Bill Z · #**165** 11/14/2006, 08:56 PM

jarhed
what size down tube do you have?
I have 1 inch pvc for the down tube and I think that is the problem. (why water is squirting out the holes)

I ran the beckett disconnected from the down tube (held the beckett housing over the sump and turned on the pump)
no water came out the air hole.

wife no likey · #**166** 11/14/2006, 10:36 PM

update:

I just removed the stock needle valve and installed the flow meter in order to just use that to regulate the air. It must have been cutting down the max that the beckett intake could get, because I'm running at 70 scfh now with really good bubble size all the way from the box up! I wish I could fit a 12" entension now!

Zephrant · #**167** 11/15/2006, 01:49 AM

Needle valves restrict the air a lot- They offer really fine air control, but at a price.

I've also noticed that going with dual 1/4" inlets will really help with the air input for low pressure pumps.

rivan · #**168** 11/15/2006, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jarhed
Hmm....

I put about 40 holes in mine. Some of the holes are SQUIRTING water into the beckett chamber. Not quite sure what to do. Performance has not changed at all.

In the first mod I did I had this problem as well. As Waylander mentioned, I redrilled all my holes as close to the top of the beckett holes as I could. I posted a picture of my mod a bit back. This helped alot.

After 3 mods and playing around with fully open air or restricted air I've recently settled on 40 1/16 holes. For my settup this allowed me to go with fully open air ( 3/4" inlet) and I still got lots of very dark skimmate. (I'm even tempted to go back to playing with 1/32" holes.)

So then I taped in a 1/4 valve to drain off any water that builds in my beckett housing back to the sump.

The one thing I did find out that as the holes got smaller I got darker skimmate.

With 3/32 holes I got my darkest skimmate with a resticted airflow. Though I got less foaming this way, after a day the skimmate was better than unrestricted air.

But As I went down in hole size (and more holes) I was able to take my air valve off. It till sucks in alot of air but the skimate is dryer and darker than with the larger holes.

A for my air valve. I use a plastic one with is typically found on a hot water tank overflow. It works like any garden hose tap.

Adam · #**169** 11/16/2006, 09:42 PM

Hi all,

I tried this with my DIY becket skimmer running with an Iwaki 55 pump. I drilled about 24 1/16" holes.

The only significant difference I have noticed is that it is much quieter. Bubble size, chamber turbulence/burping, skimmate quality and quantity all seem about the same.

I did remove and thoroughly clean the entire skimmer while I had it apart, so if anything changes after a few days of "re-break-in", I will repost.

Adam

jarhed · #**170** 11/17/2006, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bill Z
jarhed
what size down tube do you have?
I have 1 inch pvc for the down tube and I think that is the problem. (why water is squirting out the holes)

I ran the beckett disconnected from the down tube (held the beckett housing over the sump and turned on the pump)
no water came out the air hole.

Yep, I got a 1" too. Are you going to increase your downtube size? Not sure if I can, the union only holds 1" and I'd probably have to drill it out to get it bigger.

Bill Z · #**171** 11/17/2006, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jarhed
Yep, I got a 1" too. Are you going to increase your downtube size? Not sure if I can, the union only holds 1" and I'd probably have to drill it out to get it bigger.

interesting...
There must be back pressure using 1 inch. My skimmer is about 4 foot tall and uses 4 inch pvc for the raiser. So the 1 inch pipe is about 4.5 foot - in order for the beckett to be above the collection cup. what does you skimmer look like?

I'm thinking I would go from 1 inch to 2 inch right after the union. I don't have time right now. maybe during Thanksgiving weekend I will try

DT 328 · #**172** 11/21/2006, 04:20 PM

This mod worked well for me. 20 3/32 holes more air and finer bubbles on my MTC HSA 1000 skimmer.

RichConley · #**173** 11/22/2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimmyj7090
Stock PM air inlet, 3/8" I think, but I'll have to check in the AM.

I'm still playing around with it, right now the air is restricted a bit but not much.

I just fed and the foam really collapsed, more/quicker than usual. It's reforming just fine, but I thought the sensitivity was interseting???

John, generally the more air a skimmer is pushing, the more drastic the effects of oils in the water.

It takes more work to push the oil out of the skimmer.

jimmyj7090 · #**174** 11/22/2006, 02:34 PM

Yup,

I'm not entirely sure it's pulling more air though, seems like the difference is in the bubble size more than the overal air volume???

tskyleth · #**175** 11/22/2006, 09:42 PM

Hi guys need some advise.

Had been running my beckette skimmer for a few months, recently its not picking up any dirt, but my tank is so dirty at the moment with all the dirt or particlesswimming around.

intially i thought the beckette head is choke , so i took the beckette head to clean, but i didnt find any dirt or particles in it.

after 4 days, i still can see the skimmer , i took the entire skimmer & the pump for a good wash, though maybe some particles choke in the skimmer or pump, and monitor it for a few days.

until the skimmer is not picking up any think.

Appreciate if you can give me some advice.

thanks