Diy Skimmer from Avast

Dan
Thank you very much I am very happy with the skimmer. The one thing I didnt want was a skimmer that needed to be modded straight out of the box. After reading what you wrote about the pinwheel I intend to stay with the stock white wheel
 
Dan
Thank you very much I am very happy with the skimmer. The one thing I didnt want was a skimmer that needed to be modded straight out of the box. After reading what you wrote about the pinwheel I intend to stay with the stock white wheel

I love that you bought a DIY skimmer kit with over 50 parts so you wouldn't have to "mod" it :-)

That video is fantastic, thank you for the kind words :thumbsup:
 
The PSK 2500 is a darn good and very reliable pump if you modify it correctly and don't try and push the pump beyond it's limits.

I would say this pump has more aftermarket accessories than any other pump before it, trying to get just a little more air to skim a bigger tank or fill up a bigger skimmer body has destroyed the reputation of the pump to a large degree.

The white pinwheel we use is actually from Jon Warner's K2 skimmer (original), we bought them a year ago when he changed to the Red Demon and found that it had the right balance of weight, number of pins, size of pins and diameter to accomplish our goal: To create a RELIABLE Sicce pump without the LPH bragging rights. 800LPH is what it pulls and it does so day in and out without start up issues, we matched the skimmer body (7.5" base) and neck (3.75") to the pumps capabilities rather than trying to beef up the pump to put on a larger body skimmer (like the K2). More air, means bigger pins, larger diameter wheel, etc which pushes the pump past it's safe trouble free operating range. AVAST's core philosophy is to provide reasonably priced and reliable equipment, not win SCFH trophies :-)

The only modification done to the volute is to machine out the water intake on the cover, install the air intake and to add the right size reducer to tune the air to the 800LPH mark.

Hey Dan, thanks for the clarification. 800 lph is a solid air draw -- the same as the ATB 840 with the "mini airstar" PSK 2500, if I'm not mistaken. The only thing I wonder about is the asymmetrical volute, which I understand results in reduced performance whenever the pump starts in the reverse direction. It's not a huge deal, but it's obviously something other manufacturers have seen fit to change with a custom volute (e.g., ATB with mini airstar v1.5 and Tunze with the hydrofoamer). Is that not an issue with your version of the PSK-2500?
 
SKH
is there a big difference between the needle wheel that came with the pump and the purple needle wheel I have seen for sale for these pumps?

I don't know much about the Avast pinwheel, but I've heard that the purple pinwheel can have startup and wear issues precisely for the reasons Dan has said -- a too large diameter spindle that the PSK 2500 simply is not meant to run. If this version really pulls 800 lph then that seems like more than enough for this size skimmer body (based on comparison to other well-regarded skimmers with similar body/neck diameters and air draw).
 
Are school project is getting one of these but we are going to be using the sicce 1000 when it gets up and running I will get some pics and a possible video.The psk is a great pump I would even say that pump possibly changed the price we pay and the way we skim are tanks now (refering to the first ATI skimmers)
 
After reading this review and seeing the level of support Avast provides I have made up my mind which skimmer I will be purchasing in the near future. I was initially leaning towards the SRO but for the price and the apparent quality I don't think I'll be able to beat the Avast kit. Thanks for the build thread, can't wait to order my kit!
 
Any plans for a larger version? I was planning on building a 150-180 gallon SPS tank and really like the DIY skimmer. Allows for a big cost savings and I hear the performance is great.
 
There is a possibility of a bigger one in the future, this has been a popular item so we know the demand is there. Probably wouldn't be until summer at the earliest though.
 
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