Sicce pumps

David. I am not very savy with the computer. I can not figure out how to upload the images. Do you have an email that I can send them to? Thanks
 
I have the pump up to just over 20 lpm. Working very nice right now! Trying to get it a little higher anybody have any more ideas? Thanks
 
after doing a little more work to the pump the lpm fell back down to 16 lpm. I feel that there is an optimum point for these but i think that I am just not hitting it. The water flow is down to 1400 litres per hour. This is showing that I have more air than water. Watts are down to 25 watts. I am starting to wonder about the meter. Does any body have any idea's? Thanks
 
Well, I got my PSK 2500s in, and took the dremel and modded one right away... just like ATI. I was getting about 20scfh at most as well. Then I realized that the RMB meter that I was using was restricting the intake a bit... so I hooked up a RMC... minor improvement... 25scfh or 12lpm at best. Ill try to improve the intake even more, but something tells me that either our meters are too restrictive, or the meters that ATI is using are giving falsely high readings. Just double checking... the ATI modded one was pulling 17 lpm or scfh? 17lpm actually sounds good (over 1000lph)
 
Hanh, where did you get the pumps from? I have mine running at 18 lpm on a RMA meter. 12 lpm per minute is low. What did you do for a venturi? Thanks
 
Those are the pumps he got from me. It is probably a venturi problem. Are you using 3 layers of PF4?
 
Here it's picture measure direct from the pump, both pump run on the skimmer , i also was able to pull max 35LPM from this pump but it's not easy . the big meter restrict the air (more then on the RMA 22 meter) and i believe it's about 27LPM .


IMG_1824.jpg



also on this mod i extend the neck more 4" higher


IMG_18800.jpg
 
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Mike:

What are you getting out of yours now? I couldn't even get mine to spin and I did (I think) exactly what you did on your test.

Did you restrict your intake? To what dimension?

Just curious.

Hanh: did you manage to break the shaft on one???
 
I didnt break the shaft... it came like that. When I opened the box, the impeller well on one was loose, and the two werent padded between each other. So they most likely knocked together in transport. The shaft was in two when I opened the box.

As for my mod, I used 1/2" PVC as well as 3/4"... I suppose neither one is that 'sweet spot' of 15mm that ATI uses though. Ill have to make something up unless anyone has suggestions.
It was my first crack... Im not complaining or anything. If anyone has pics/tips for how they did theirs, please LMK.
 
The pumps are a USA version. If you look through the thread there are a couple of people on here that you can purchase them from. Thanks
 
http://wisconsinreefsociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1236#1236

I posted a log of my new tank here, and the latest thing is pics of my Sicce PSK 2500 mod. I dont get it. Tomorrow, I will try to hold down the enkamat with fishing line rather than zip-ties. It seems like my zip-ties are actually making contact with the back of the impeller well. I think my holes on the impeller might be closer to the center than most maybe? Otherwise, even though I am using 3 layers of PF4, maybe I have them too dense, or maybe I trimmed them too much. Only, it seems like before I did, I had it wider in diameter, and it had trouble starting. So I made the holes larger (less weight in the impeller so less starting torque needed), and trimmed the mesh a bit. Now it starts, but still... 20scfh.

Nothing I do seems to get me above this. I have tried two different Dwyer meters too... so its not just a defective or restrictive meter. I mean, sure, I would expect some restriction... but both the RMB 5-50 scfh and the RMA 10-100 scfh meters pegged the pump at 20 scfh... and thats with 3/8" waterline for a venturi. I actually need to restrict the air intake a bit or the pump can take in too much and 'pulse'.

Thats 3/4" pipe on the inlet. Not that it matters because I can run the pump w/ only the venturi in the tank and still only get 20 scfh. The airline is 3/8" waterline. The outlet is 1" PVC with and w/o an elbow facing downwards. Its 1" though, and doesnt seem to do a thing to hinder anything.
Sicceskimmer1.jpg

1" 90 elbow on the outlet...
Sicceskimmer2.jpg

Sicceskimmer3.jpg

Venturi is 1/2" pipe inside 3/4" pipe that feeds it. Everything is nice and contoured inside... not that it matters. Then the 3/4" fits in a 1"-3/4" bushing that fits inside the 1" slip-FPT adapter. I have mimic'd the ATI version very closely. The 1/2" pipe ID is 5/8", and the ATI is 15mm. Mine is larger by about 1mm, but I also have that 3/4" ball valve on the intake for fine tuning which really helps with controlling water flow, but not air so much it seems. The air intake is just capped at 20... so to me, that indicates that something inside the pump is the limiting factor. I mean, if I can change all these things around the pump, and see no change... what else could it be?

The outlet is a 3/4" MPT-1" slip adapter. I even bored it out to 7/8" ID with a uni-bit so there is little to no restriction there...
Sicceskimmer7.jpg


So, here is the meat and potatoes...
Sicceskimmer6.jpg

Sicceskimmer5.jpg

Sicceskimmer4.jpg

The mesh is 3 layers, PF4, zip-ties, and about 3/8" thick total. The edges were a bit larger than the disk to begin, but startup problems forced me to trim just a bit more off. Is it too thin now? Any ideas or suggestions are respected and needed. Is there something I am overlooking?
 
Also, anyone have a Quiet One 3000? I think it may be the same pump. I will have to get one for sure, but it has the same impeller design, volute cover, etc. Its just the shell that is different. The pump is made by Sicce for Pentair, and has a 1" outlet rather than the 3/4" on the PSK, so it has a slightly higher gph rating than the PSK, but the same 40 watt rating. And its only $66...
http://www.pentairaquatics.com/products/detail/quiet_one/Q1_3000.html
 
Yikes. maybe I'll hold off. If the zip ties are rubbing you could add a washer under the impeller...

I noticed the similarities to the quiet ones. good pumps. Aquariumspecialty has the 3k for $40
 
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