Optimized Beckett

I'm using a blueline 1100 pump with my beckett at 5 ft. Still pretty impressive air flow compared to a venturi but my skimmer has much more capacilty. I've got to borrow something bigger before I buy. But when you start looking at 200Watt pumps I think its better to build a less tall skimmer.

tTere's a Barr (john?) guy who builds skimmers and frequenly posts diy here. He's got a diagram that shows airflow on a becket is non-linear. So that the bigger the pump you get even more air than expected. It looks like for his 4ft beckett skimmers he recomends a pump which does 800gal/hr at 12 ft. Most pumps die at 12 ft head.
He would also be the best i think at testing you're mod and putting some numbers on it.
 
Waylander,
What did you plug the holes with? Epoxy?

rivan,
Its Brent Barr of Barr Aquatics, Zephrant here on RC, and a sharp cookie if there ever was one.
 
Test on a small pump...
I had built a small bodied (relative term) skimmer for a friend that wanted to drive it with a Dolphin 900. Skimmer ~28" of 6" dia. 22" of that as body and cone with the remainder in 2 1/2" neck/cup. Less than stellar IMO (OK It needed hit with a stick) but it pleased the guy while I thought it was barely adequate. With the modded beckett, as with the other pumps, I had to drop the water level 3-4" to keep it from filling the cup. Much, much better - It looked like and unmodded beckett on a mag12 or the pictures that some members have post of DIY 6" skimmers driven with the OR 2700. As soon as I find one, I want to try something like a mag7 or something similar. I think that around that flow, I will have to do some modding on the interior piece to get the needed pressure differential to function correctly or vary hole size or number. I think I can build a downsized beckett fairly easily but that is something to play with later...along with varying number of holes and size.
 
I just so happen to have a spare beckett kicking around.
I run a single beckett in my 54" tall 6" diameter bodied skimmer. I'm driving this thing with a PCX-70 right now.

I will have to give this a shot. I'll make sure to post before and after pics.

Tyler
 
pennilessreefer - none of the ones that I have built have had a burping problem. Possibly, the lowering of the water level neccessary with the mod might get the problem area in the skimmer above the waterline which should/might help the problem.

tgunn - thanks! If you can, note the foam/water line before and after.
 
Yes, I'm hoping this can somewhat alleviate the tradeoff between running more air and getting "the burps"

I don't know if it's me just sort of being OCD or something, but I want to see bubbles all the way up the chamber, and not just swirling in the bottom 2/3. I actually feel that on my MR2, the air/water mixture needs to be increased and overall flow decreased; but not at the expense of disrupting the head. I think that this can only be accomplished by focusing on the beckett itself, like you have done here. :)



I actually ordered 2 new becketts off of ebay to try this out.

Additionally, I have a Iwaki md-30rZt (high head) that I want to try swapping the pcx55 out with.
 
I just drilled 40 1/16 holes in the beckett I'll test. Based on a "blow" test of this one and an unmodded becket I'm guessing you might need as much or more than 50 holes to get the same airflow.

I drilled from iside to outside. When you do it this way there's more visible are to play with.

Unfotunately I've got to wait 24 hrs for some silicone on mine to dry to see the results.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8419816#post8419816 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Waylander

tgunn - thanks! If you can, note the foam/water line before and after.
Click to expand...

I will be sure to do so...
I've been tweaking my skimmer lately because I noticed I was running it with way too little air...

We'll see how this helps things out!

Tyler
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8419826#post8419826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Tyler,

I really enjoyed checking out your web site. Lots of cool stuff and great planning. :)
Click to expand...
Hey Jonathan,

Thanks for the comments!
I've been following your build thread throughout it's existence and I have to commend you on the amount of thought and planning you've put into your setup..

My 140 was such a massive undertaking, and you did it on a much larger scale!

Tyler
 
I changed another one out on a 4' skimmer that I built for the LFS. I think you high pressure people better get prepared. :rollface:
I had to completely open the gate valve (Euroreef type - over the side) and it was barely enough to keep it from blowing through the cup. I had shut the air almost completely off and then slowly increase it over a 15 minute period. Foam/water line at least 6" lower than before the mod. ENOUGH air is and will not be a problem. We are talking massive quantities of micro-bubbles in a skimmer!
:dance:

You might want to stick at 20-30 holes. Easier to add than plug.
 
wwop.gif



sorry. .had to do it :)
 
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll try to get it done this weekend if I can. Til then, just imagine your skimmer filled with milk and beckett people looking to trade DOWN in pump size.:eek1:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8420865#post8420865 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Waylander
Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll try to get it done this weekend if I can. Til then, just imagine your skimmer filled with milk and beckett people looking to trade DOWN in pump size.:eek1:
Click to expand...

Ooooh man, if I could trade down from my power hungry pcx-70 I would be quite happy! :)

This will be very interesting to try...

Tyler
 
Here's my modified beckett. I'll have to wait until tommorow evening to try it out though to give the epoxy putty time to dry.
IMG_2039.JPG


also I had my hands in the tank tonight so I'll let that work itself out until tommorow (find the bubbles are always VERY big after putting my hands in the tank).

Tyler
 
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