Ok, I have some more insight to share. I have done a bit of digging and discovered some valuable information.
First, H&S does in fact make their own volute assembly.
Second, Deltec uses the 1262 volute on the 1260 pump. I saw this first hand. I finally had the chance to inspect a Deltec. It was the AP701 model.
Third, the ER uses the 1262 because it not only has the proper sized volute, but it does in fact have more windings in the motor assembly which will allow it to perform better in higher head applications i.e., on skimmers that are 36" and taller. I don’t recall specifics from physics days, but I think additional windings require more current draw (amps) but not necessarily more power consumption (watts).
Lastly, the 8 ports in the center of the ER 1262 impeller (vs. 4 ports on the H&S and Deltec) allows for greater passage of fluid through the impeller to the rotor (magnet) so that it can run cooler.
After a couple days of running, the air draw remains the same, 15lpm. I was wondering something. The ball in the air gauge bounces. I am only reporting the average air draw where the ball appears to read. I do not report the max inflections. Are others observing the bounce when testing? Are you guys reporting max inflections, or the average air draw? Mine will at times pull 22 with inflections, so I just want to compare notes.
More on the Deltec I saw. I must say I was disappointed with the craftsmanship. This was the first thing I noticed. Three facets here: First, they use extruded acrylic, not cell cast acrylic. At top dollar, I don’t want to see a skimmer body with vertical lines due to the extruded material. Second, they use glue to bond the seams. This is what is commonly used in lower end units. The acrylic glues tend to run a tad and have bubbles in them. It just does not meet up to the standards of the bonding techniques used by H&S and ER which is the hot weld technique. This is a grey bead that runs along the joints and gives a very nice appearance and long lasting durability. Third, they use a black material for the reinforced areas and the dome that connects the body to the neck. I’m not sure if this is plastic or acrylic, but I was not fond of it. Others may like it though.
Ok, here are the things I liked. The Deltec did have reinforced areas surrounding high stress areas on the body. They also optimize the pumps to the body. I have heard this comment several times before but failed to understand the meaning until I saw it.
In all the testing we, the hobbyists due, it evolves around pulling as much air into the body as possible. But, the question (at least I have failed to ask) is can the skimmer handle more air draw to produce the most effective skimmer in terms of performance. Determining skimmer efficiency and skimmate quality is very subjective. It is easy to measure power consumption and air draw, but determining the quality of skimmate is probably something that is best left to the manufacturer.
With this in mind I notice several small modifications to the Deltec Eheim pump. First, the impeller pins are longer than those made by ER or H&S and they are graduated in diameter. They are also stiffer that the ER. The ER uses a more flexible plastic in their design. I prefer this over the stiffness, but not sure it matters in performance. BTW, someone commented that ER and H&S have the same pinwheel. This is not true, look at my photo comparisons. The ER pinwheel is longer and has 8 holes vs. 4. It also has three rings of continuous pins, whereas the H&S has some pins removed in specific locations.
The second modification I noticed is that the pump output has been dremmeled to round out the sharp edges. The work looks obviously done by hand, not machine, so it makes me wonder how consistent this practice is. There was no dremmel work done to the intake. I did notice that the intake volute had a threaded ¾†FPT just like the ER1262 does. So that confirmed my belief that Deltec does use the 1260 with the 1262 volute. It makes me wonder if the 1262 pushes more total water volume. The turbulent water flow appears to be greater in the skimmer body than when I used the 1260 pump. The extra flow may not be a good thing, giving a compelling reason why Deltec and H&S have opted to use the 1260 pump vs. the 1262 and going through the hassles of changing the volute. I wish I could find a way to measure this difference. Any ideas? I also notice larger bubbles in the skimmer neck. I think the pump may push too much water, creating larger bubbles. Again, less desirable.
The third modification is the obvious clipping of some pins on the pinwheel in specific locations. Some were completely removed while others were only half length. This is evidence that Deltec optimizes the pump to a specific body. Trimming the pins will consequently decrease the air draw and possibly water flow output, thus producing a more efficient skimmer. Furthermore, this disputes the idea that we should try to draw as much air into the skimmer as humanly possible. So, you can expect to see the same Eheim 1260 pump used on several Deltec bodies, but each impeller pinwheel with have a different pin configuration depending on model. I do not believe H&S or ER have utilized this strategy for optimizing pumps to the body design.
So tomorrow, I will have another look at my Eheim and see if ER did any dremmel work. If not, I may attempt this and see if it improves air draw (now I feel like I have no idea what I am doing). Thus trying to only improve the things I can measure.
I received an H&S volute in the mail yesterday. So, now that 1260 WVP pump that I bought can be used for further testing. The only problem is that H&S uses metric fittings, so I have to find a way to adapt the air intake to US plumbing.
Here is a bit more insight on the skimmers that is useful to know. Deltec USA is a sole importer of the Deltec skimmers. They produce all warranty information, literature, owners’ manuals and tech support for the Deltec skimmers sold here in the USA. They do not manufacture the skimmers here. They are imported from Germany. However, I think they do service work and repairs, but this is not confirmed information. H&S sells to the US market but does not have the investment that Deltec does here in the US. Therefore, Deltec should offer better turn-around time for repairs, product delivery and customer support in the US market. This comes at a cost. In fact, Deltec skimmers cost more than ER and H&S skimmers for this reason, IMO. Try finding prices on skimmers in the European market and you will discover that H&S products cost more than Deltec products. One can conclude that you get what you pay for, but in this case, buying a Deltec equates to paying for their marketing fees and US investments too.
So back to my original argument before I began all the testing. I believe that the Euroreef skimmers do belong up their in the top three with H&S and Deltec. Because they cost less does mean they can not be as good. Importing fees drive up the costs of the German products. So does the common thought that German innovation is far superior to American innovation in the aquarium hobby. In any case, these three manufacturers have slightly different techniques for building a high quality pinwheel skimmer. I do not think you can go wrong with owning any of these skimmers, especially now, when all three employ an Eheim pump.
