Need help with a skimmer........

[crny1]

I have a aerofoamer 1625 that I got used and am using on a 400 gallon system. Where the pump inputs the water there is a clear like bell section before it goes down to the bottom of the reaction chamber. On the top of the bell like piece is a valve with a barbed fitting. What is this valve and fitting for? With reef concepts out of buisness I cant find much info on them. Its on the left in the picture. Thanks in advance.

 

[slief]

Looks like an old Beckett skimmer. If I am not mistaken, that is the air intake and the valve is there so you can adjust the amount of air coming into the beckett chamber. Keep in mind that if it's a Beckett skimmer, Beckett stopped producing Beckett valves a few years ago and finding a replacement Beckett valve for that skimmer could be tough. And beckett valves do go bad. They also need a fair amount of maintenance to keep the skimmer performing properly. Cleaning the beckett valve every week is pretty typical. When I ran a beckett skimmer, that was one of the downsides. Also, beckett skimmers require pressure rated pumps to perform properly which makes them somewhat inefficient in terms of power consumption.

 

[crny1]

Thanks for the response. I kind of thought it was a air valve but opening it or closing it doesnt seem to make much of a difference.
Is the Beckett valve the part in the center of that bell area? Is that bell suppose to get water in it? Running it I get about 1" of water in it.
Thanks

 

[slief]

Attached is a photo that I found online of a beckett valve. The valve sits inline with the water input under that lid and be wedged between the lid and the bottom of that cylinder. As pressurized water passes through the beckett valve a vacuum is created inside that chamber drawning air into the beckett chamber and through the valve mixing into the pressurized water. That chamber should remain about half full of water or at least have water up to the valve inside of the beckett where air is pullled into the beckett (see image below where it says “air in”). So in the case of your skimmer, about 1” sounds about right. If the air intake valve in the cover is having little impact, it could be that your pump isn’t outputting enough pressure or the valve could be toast or at the very least, need cleaning. But as I said above, Beckett skimmers need pressure rated pumps to perform properly. A pump like an Iwaki MD55 or similar would be what I would typically suggest for a beckett skimmer.

 

[crny1]

May be a pump issue then. I have it running on a mag 18 right now.

 

[slief]

May be a pump issue then. I have it running on a mag 18 right now.

A mag 18 is kind of weak IMO. It cuts off at about 15' of head.

Here is a video showing how a beckett skimmer works. Once the skimmer is broken in, opening the air intake valve should increase the amount and size of the bubbles and you should see the results in the neck of the skimmer leading to the collection cup. This assuming there is sufficient pressure from the pump and that the beckett valve is in good condition. If I were you, the first thing I would do is clean the beckett valve. A few minute soak in vinegar and a good scrubbing inside and out with a tooth brush should clean the valve but as I said, they can wear out and the result is a degradation in performance of the valve. The result is a decline in skimmer performance since the valve is the heart of a beckett skimmer and atomizes the air into the water.

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