I-Tech Skimmer Club .

[flat broke]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14372078#post14372078 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wayner2
So has the air silencer been re-designed on all models?, cause I'm waiting on a small

My small already shipped, but Id be curious to hear if there will be a retrofit available for the first batch that went out.

Chris

 

[lpsluver]

Does anyone know if Aquabee pumps are known to run backwards like Sicce's do on occasion? Seems I am experiencing this. Bubble production is reduced until I restart the pump a few times.

 

[GQuinn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14374235#post14374235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lpsluver
Does anyone know if Aquabee pumps are known to run backwards like Sicce's do on occasion? Seems I am experiencing this. Bubble production is reduced until I restart the pump a few times.

I think the Aquabee pump can run backwards, but there is a flap on the outlet that is supposed to allow for this. Make sure the flap is able to pivot/move.

Gary

 

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14372197#post14372197 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by brucem
The noise is not that bad on my large. I think it is quiet

Same here.

 

[lpsluver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14374266#post14374266 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GQuinn
I think the Aquabee pump can run backwards, but there is a flap on the outlet that is supposed to allow for this. Make sure the flap is able to pivot/move.

Gary

Not sure what flap you are talking about. I guess I have to do some research.

Edit: I got confirmation from someone in the know (banned from RC) that it is common for pinwheel pumps to start backwards. This includes Sicce, AB and Sedras. He told me there is no fix but you can help make it start correctly most of the time by starting it in the correct direction and letting it run for 2 weeks without stopping it.

 

[Cheetos&Cocopuf]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14372741#post14372741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flat broke
My small already shipped, but Id be curious to hear if there will be a retrofit available for the first batch that went out.

Chris

I believe the only potential noise issue was the medium w/ Sicce, which the new air silencer eliminates.

The large, as agreed by others, is virtually silent.

I have no personal experience with the small.

 

[lpsluver]

Just for clarification purposes my 100 with the tubing is quieter than if the tubing was not atteched at all. In fact it is a lot quieter. It is just not "silent" like I'd prefer. My Sicce powered MSX 160 is quieter by comparison. Noise is all relative.

I made my I-Tech silent by putting a drilled (on both ends) pill bottle on top of the Riser Tube with a piece of tubing inserted into the Riser and the pill bottle. Cannot hear any air noise at all. The AB pump is amoung the quietest skimmer pumps I've heard.

 

[mightymizz]

Just got my Itech small today and the build looks great. I also have the DAS aquabee pump. How do I know if my pump is firing up the wrong way as someone mentioned earlier?

I have the skimmer in 6 inches of water, and when the pump fires up with the riser pipe completely open, it only pushes water up about 1/2, to 2/3 into main chamber. There is quite abit of room left in the cone for foam to travel. Does this sound normal?

 

[lpsluver]

It was me Mighty. In 6 inches of water that sounds about right, I guess. If you have crud in your water then is should be noggin pretty soon. I determined mine was running backwards after letting it run for a while, to break in, and then shut it off to fiddle with something. I plugged it back in and left. When I came back the foam level and water level were significantly lower. The cone didn't look as "milky" as it did before. I had heard about Sicce's running backwards so I unplugged and replugged a couple of times and the foam returned and was up higher in the column.

 

[flat broke]

Duplicate

 

[flat broke]

Mighty, to test the direction of the pump, an airflow metter would be good. You'll have to cycle it on and off a copule times to see if there is a difference in airflow. The higher airflow reading will be the "correct" direction.

I wouldn't stress about a wide open skimmer only putting water 1/2-2/3 up the reaction chamber. After the water goes from fizzy to more consistent, start closing off the riser a little to raise the water level... how much I don't know yet.

Because the cone is tapered all the way to the neck, the internal waterline would probably be lower than what most are accustomed to with cylindrical skimmers. As a result We should probably email John and see what he says would be a good starting point for the internal waterline.

Maybe a PM to Emmster or the other gentleman that already had the small could get some concensus on the internal waterline.

As an asside, are you getting any microbubles out of the exhaust?

Chris

 

[mightymizz]

Flat, im getting getting microbubbles out of my exhaust. I am not used to the cone, so Im sure there will be a learning curve. Am I supposed to be getting the microbubbles out of the exhaust? Ive always had the water exiting from the top of the riser pipe on my cylinder type skimmers, so Im not sure about the bubbles exiting now from a cone.

Thanks again all for the help.

 

[flat broke]

Give it a couple days on the microbubbles. It's likely from the skimmer breaking in and the residual oils on the surfaces of the skimmer and pump. It's a normal thing for some new skimmers.

Chris

 

[Wayner2]

Because the cone is tapered all the way to the neck, the internal waterline would probably be lower than what most are accustomed to with cylindrical skimmers. As a result We should probably email John and see what he says would be a good starting point for the internal waterline.

Great Iidea., I hope he's getting access to some of this great feedback and concerns some of us have., any instructions come with the skimmer?

 

[mightymizz]

Ok, so with the wedge pipe in the completely open position, the top of the foam head is only 9inches up into the cone from the base of the skimmer. I also have the skimmer sitting in 6 inches of water.

Only 9 inches from the base of the skimmer seems awfully low, but Im new to the cones so. Any thoughts, Is this normal?

 

[flat broke]

I emailed John after my last post, and I'm sure he'll get back to me this evening. Once I hear back, I'll post up.

You could probably close down the wedge pipe a little so that the water line (not the top of the foam head, but the line between the foam and the milky water) is further up the reaction chamber. As the skimmer breaks in and the reaction chamber gets coated in biofilm/displaces oils (which reduce the surface tension of water causing fizzy bubbles) the foam level will naturally increase a little in the skimmer.

You could probably do some searching for pictures of other cone skimmers to see where the water line is being run. If the 100's body is sized for the airflow of the Aquabee, and other skimmer's bodies are sized for their respective pumps, the waterline would likely be in a simliar location relative to the size of the skimmer.

Hope that helps,
Chris

 

[mightymizz]

Chris, sounds good. Thanks again.

If anyone else has a small and would like to comment, with the wedge pipe in complete open position, the top of my foam is only 9 inches from the bottom of the skimmer. Just curious if anyone else has noticed this, or where your foam level is at in complete open position.

Thanks again!!

 

[Emster]

My AB sometimes starts up backwards too. I thought it was just my pump but looks like others do it too. When it starts up backwards just pull the plug just barely out and push it back in really fast and that usually starts it forward. My pump might be a bad pump because I usually have to plug it and unplug it about 20 times to even get it started again but once its going it wont stop unless there is a power surge

 

[mightymizz]

Emster, how do you know that it started up backwards? I dont have an air meter to test mine?

 

[Emster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14381493#post14381493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mightymizz
Emster, how do you know that it started up backwards? I dont have an air meter to test mine?

When you start running it a few times you will just know when it starts up backwards. It will not put out as much water and it will be louder.