DIY Collection cup washdown system?

kentrob11

kentrob11

Premium Member
While I'm waiting for my twist lock flange for my Deltec AP1004 clone to get here, I figured I'd try to come up with an idea for a collection cup washdown system. Anyone ever built one of these? I was thinking of using 3 pop up sprinkler heads (only the last few inches of the tip, not the pop up device itself plumbed through the cap of the collection cup. They should fit into 1/2" PVC fittings....

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I was thinking of using a submersible pump in a container full of RO waste water that would feed the spray heads once a day for about 1 minute. This, of course would mean that you would have to have your collection cup draining into a house drain of some kind. I figured that between the wetneck and this I would only have to touch the collection cup once a month or so....thoughts?

Hey- This is my 2000th post! 4 years on RC and I finally catch up to those that have been here 2 years :-)
 
I'm thinking it would be worth a try but I wanted to see if there were any major flaws people discovered from experience before spending the money on it. I've already got about $800 into this skimmer so I don't want to spend any more unless it's really worth it :-)
 
I was going to try this but stopped because the part that really needs to be cleaned is the throat. If you do not clean the float you start loosing skimming ability. You can not clean the throat without draining it back into the tank.
 
You're right about that- This skimmer has a wetneck installed so the throat/neck is taken care of...


--I was looking at just using another rubber made trash can and running my RO waste water into it to use for this washdown system. I would just install an overflow barb and tubing onto the trash can in case it gets too full of wastewater. I think it's got promise but the only thing I'm concerned about is the amount of water pressure it will take to get sufficient spray velocity out of the heads....I imagine I would need to use a 1000gph pump like a Gen-X 4100 or so....
 
Why use Ro waste with a pump? It seems that it would be much easier to plumb a tapwater line with a sprinkler solenoid. If you are only running it for 1 min/day any mist that may get back into the tank will be negligible.
 
I just figured it would be something contstructive to do with the waste water :-P Also, That way the trash can would be full all the time- Can a sprinkler solenoid betimed like that? I do have a water spigot right where the can was going to be...That would save me from having to get a pump as well...Where can I get a sprinkler solenoid?
 
They make sprinkler timers that can be used with hose bibs. Check Home Depot in the hose and portable sprinkler section. Tho only thing that i can think of is that they may have a 30 minute minimum ON time.
 
they do have rather long on/off times with the manual models but the digital usually have 1 minute minimum on time. I haven't found one that simply attached to the faucet though...
 
This is a great idea! I wonder how small of a pump you could use to keep enough pressure to clean the walls. I don't have as big of a skimmer as you guys so I wonder if I could use something a little smaller. Maybe a little mag or something to clean out the collection cup.

Again wonderful idea, I'm tagging along this one
 
I think a mag would probably work fine on a smaller skimmer. Mine has a 12" diameter collection cup so I need more spray heads and a bit more pressure. I think the timmer valve that screws onto the spigot would be the easiest way to go since the spigot would provide a great amount of water pressure for the 3 spray heads I would need...I'll have to do some tests and see....
 
* GRAND IDEA! *

I'm sure this is not reef-safe but has anyone tried putting a teflon coating on their collection cup walls? I would assume once applied it would not harm the reef because everything going into the cup will be removed. This would allow the surface scrum to be removed much easier.

In fact kentrob11 If you had a 12" diameter collection cup you could just buy a small teflon pot and drill out the center hole and put a rubber gasket around it to keep it water proof.

Just think about it. If you've ever had to wash a pot that has had mac-and-cheese or spaghetti sitting init for a week. It wipes clean without effort. Maybe we should take this into consideration for collection cups. Then it would take drastically less pressure to remove the scrum from the walls. I would presume even a medium sized mag would do it.
 
Heh- Imagine a big skimmer with a teflon pot for a collection cup- Talk about Ghetto! LOL --I see what you're saying though. I think a good solid spray down once or maybe twice a day would be sufficient enough to keep it clean..
 
Obviously you could remove the handle of the pot, but I would think this would provide the ideal surface for a collection cup and most are aluminum and should be easy to dremel. I second the ghetto look. Although thats how I like my stuff everyone always says my stuff looks ghetto w/ all the duct tape and all. I'm even a ghetto programmer by nature according to my professors, friends, and colleagues. :o)

Just trying to think of solutions to problems outside the box. With the box held together with duct tape of course!
 
I've been thinking about this idea for a long time! I have a Coralife Super Skimmer 220, that I've been thinking about trying this with.

My problem is that I didnt know where to start, until I read this thread.

I'm definately on the tag along wagon!
 
LOL why remove the handle of the pot... As long as it is ghetto it should alo be convienent.

I think that his end goal is to not have to wipe the cup ever.
 
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