Tiny Might skimmer rockin'
- Thread starter smjtkj
- Start date
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I could use some advice on a flow meter... what do I want to get to measure my dual OR3700's? Could I use that same meter to measure the flow from some of my smaller skimmers as well?
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I have read in some other threads though that the accuracy of some meters is faulty because we are measuring a suction rather than a pressure... the meter itself causes restriction that most pressure systems dont have to deal with. Any considerations here with regards to what I am looking for?
ChemE
New member
Hehe, we were all looking at the same 4 auctions on eBay!
Hahn, try to match the meter so that the range is as small as possible and what you want to measure is around the middle of that range. Technically you could use the 0-200 scfm to measure an aspirating MJ600 but the accuracy of that measurement would be laughable if it even registered on such a beastly flow meter at all. I'm sure you see what I'm driving at.
Hahn, try to match the meter so that the range is as small as possible and what you want to measure is around the middle of that range. Technically you could use the 0-200 scfm to measure an aspirating MJ600 but the accuracy of that measurement would be laughable if it even registered on such a beastly flow meter at all. I'm sure you see what I'm driving at.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
You are going to measure your airflow in Standard Cubic Feet an Hour.
Any of the dwyer meters will do. The larger the scale, the less error you have in the reading as comapared to a shorter scale.
For you dual 3700s any of the 5-50 meters will do. Any larger of a scale and you will lose a lot of accuracy in the reading.
In general you want the full scale reading of any meter to be only marginaly higher and lower than the max and min readings you will ever record. You also want as many increments as possible in the full scale. This gives you a granular reading instead of a macro reading.
Your OR 3700s can only handle able 20 SCFH an hour each, so the 5-50 scale will fit very well.
Any of the dwyer meters will do. The larger the scale, the less error you have in the reading as comapared to a shorter scale.
For you dual 3700s any of the 5-50 meters will do. Any larger of a scale and you will lose a lot of accuracy in the reading.
In general you want the full scale reading of any meter to be only marginaly higher and lower than the max and min readings you will ever record. You also want as many increments as possible in the full scale. This gives you a granular reading instead of a macro reading.
Your OR 3700s can only handle able 20 SCFH an hour each, so the 5-50 scale will fit very well.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
doh... I guess chem beat me to it.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
The meter will cause some resistance no matter if we are looking at postive or negative pressure.
Because what we are measuring is not fixed pressure and fixed displacement, the resistance of the flow memter may cause a small difference in net airlfow. This is especially true because we are measuring a flow that has very little pressure or "pressure headroom" at all. I wouldn't worry about it to much in the 30-40 SCFH range esp if you are going to be feeding with an airpump.
Because what we are measuring is not fixed pressure and fixed displacement, the resistance of the flow memter may cause a small difference in net airlfow. This is especially true because we are measuring a flow that has very little pressure or "pressure headroom" at all. I wouldn't worry about it to much in the 30-40 SCFH range esp if you are going to be feeding with an airpump.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I remember Barr or someone in a conversation talking with him saying that because the pressure we are using is so low in comparison though (I suppose suction or pressure doesnt make a diff), that the meters can really throw off the readings themselves.
Im not going to be feeding with an airpump...
Maybe I should give a jingle to Barr.
Thanks for the info, I dont mean it as a diss or anything... but you know me.. I like to get as much info as possible.
Im not going to be feeding with an airpump...
Maybe I should give a jingle to Barr.
Thanks for the info, I dont mean it as a diss or anything... but you know me.. I like to get as much info as possible.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I have thermoformed 2 skimmer cones that I am not happy with. A club member was kind enough to give me a piece of 1/4 for a 3rd try. The second attempt would work, but I am just not happy with it's symetry. The first attempt was better, but I tried to touch it up and got sidetracked while it was in the oven. To say it has a few bubbles would be an understatement.
I have another router to use (my dewalt spun a bearing... likely becuase I used it to mill some aluminum plate a few years back... which was not a safe or smart thing to do.) So I will be working on the cup tonight if I can get a spiral bit (last one broke when the bearing went).
Once that is done, I should be able to at least get it filled up and running with the small air pump I have. It will be a week or so before the new air pump arrives ( I have not ordered it yet).
I have another router to use (my dewalt spun a bearing... likely becuase I used it to mill some aluminum plate a few years back... which was not a safe or smart thing to do.) So I will be working on the cup tonight if I can get a spiral bit (last one broke when the bearing went).
Once that is done, I should be able to at least get it filled up and running with the small air pump I have. It will be a week or so before the new air pump arrives ( I have not ordered it yet).
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Shrug...
I guess it is someplace in between... More dome shaped, but due to the height, it does not have a lot of contour to it. We will see how this next piece comes out. Like I said I was not real happy with the symetry of the last attempt, but worse was that the glueng area was not flat at all. The combination of it not being perfectly centered and not flat has led me to try again.
I am still not far from trying to order one of those $30 pieces. Spazz did not get back to yet (though he might have an extra 4" flange) so it looks like I will be building one of those this evening also.
The magnet idea worked well, but I am not sure if it is the route I want to go. It takes a LOT of magnetism to get the seal I am looking for. The problem then becomes removing the cup easily.
I guess it is someplace in between... More dome shaped, but due to the height, it does not have a lot of contour to it. We will see how this next piece comes out. Like I said I was not real happy with the symetry of the last attempt, but worse was that the glueng area was not flat at all. The combination of it not being perfectly centered and not flat has led me to try again.
I am still not far from trying to order one of those $30 pieces. Spazz did not get back to yet (though he might have an extra 4" flange) so it looks like I will be building one of those this evening also.
The magnet idea worked well, but I am not sure if it is the route I want to go. It takes a LOT of magnetism to get the seal I am looking for. The problem then becomes removing the cup easily.
Well, I guess I should let you guys know that the Hailea pump I was using on the skimmer took a spill off the top of the light rack onto the concrete floor while I was trying to hook up Dwyer meter to it. It is acting up now. The pump is still working but I have to close the gate valve on the outlet of the skimmer quite a bit to get the water back where it was before. I assume the 7 ft fall messed something up in the pump. With the dwyer hooked directly to the pump with no head pressure it is only reading 70 scfh. Do you guys think it is a goner?
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
What type of guts does the pump have? Is it a linear piston?
Maybe one of the deals on the endcaps is broken or one of the membranes has a small hole in it.
Maybe one of the deals on the endcaps is broken or one of the membranes has a small hole in it.
The pump has 2 rubber diaphrams that operate as fixed magnets and magnets on a rod work together. I guess this would be considered a linear pump. I am bummed because I can't find anywhere online with Hailea pump parts. The person I bought it from on aquabid seems to be gone.
