OK Jim, I found you again and you are really making me . :mad2:
First, you helped me get the RC180 when it was posted in the used forum. That was cool. But you cost me a lot of dough in doing so, because I envyed your skimmer in a thread I saw and had to get the RC180.
Second, I thought I was the first to get the ER 1262, as mine arrives tomorrow.
Third, What the HELL do you mean!!!
As for price... I have no idea what these will cost.
Are you telling me you got a freebee! :eek2: You totally suck. :blown: I just paid $305 for it.
BTW, this is all in good humor. I am glad to find this thread and step on your coat-tails once again. :beer:
OK, Skip you have some good points and I have heard this argument before from you and a few others about the Deltec vs. ER. I have no experience with Deltec so I can not comment about its quality vs ER, however I have some resources available and when I get some time I will do some investigating.
Here is my speculation. I think there are one of two differences between the 1260 and 1262. Either the 1262 spins faster and has a different impeller, or the input and output sizes are just larger. I am betting on the later.
I think the larger intake will account for the 40% increase in output flow. Consider the new series Dolphin Ampmaster 3000/3600. With a 1.5" intake the skimmer produces 3000gph, but when using the same pump with the 2" intake the pump produces 3600gph. I bet this accounts for the differences in the 1260/1262.
My buddy has an H&S 200-1260. That skimmer pulls 14lpm air with 10" head. He also has an eheim 1262 stock water pump for his return. I will try to get over to his house and take some photos of the impellers and intake/outputs.
Furthermore, I bought a standard 1260 water pump that I was going to fit to the ER180 body (one week before I got wind that ER was coming out with the Ehiem pump). I thought this would be a simple project. But it failed! I borrowed my buddies H&S eheim 1260 so I could fit the pinwheel in my pump just to rule out that my modified spike wheel was flawed. Well, my 1260 with the H&S pinwheel also failed. I then discovered that the major difference between my 1260 and the H&S MODIFIED 1260 is that the intake volute is has different diameters. Mine has a 3/4" threaded intake and the H&S was metric but closer to 1". The problem I had was that the pump worked, but air flow was about 6lpm and the bubble quality was poor. It also cavitated and made tons of noise.
OK, so this is my hypothesis: I think H&S uses a 1260 pump and modifies it with a different volute assembly that has a larger intake. I am betting that the stock 1262 already has this larger volute on it compared to the standard 1260, explaining why the water pump versions account for a 40% increase in flow output. Therefore, it makes sense that ER could just purchase the 1262 and not have to change the volute assembly. This is only an idea. But I will have more answers in the nest couple days.
I have acceess to the eheim 1260 standard pump, the 1260 H&S modified skimmer pump, a standard 1262 pump and the new eheim 1262 modified skimmer pump. I will check all this out and report back.
Oh, btw, one more cool thing. I ordered the H&S air intake and volute assembly to place on my standard eheim 1260. If my calculations are right, this should work and I could then test my spike wheel mod and see if it pulls more air.
One last thing, I think with a larger volute, the 1260 H&S would have similar power specs as the ER 1262. Therefore disputing the idea that Deltec or in this case H&S have a more efficient skimmer designs that requires a smaller eheim pump to get the same results that ER gets by using the 1262 pump. My bet is that the H&S 1260 and ER 1262 will have very similar performance specs. I will test the wattage draw, amp draw, and air intake in lph. If I can find a way, I will also test the water throughput in each pump.
For some pictures of my failed eheim1260 attempt and comparative pictures of the H&S pinwheel, see this page:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=914374&perpage=25&pagenumber=11
