Converting a Pass-Through Skimmer to a Recirculator

[ca1ore]

You have an air flow meter or just wing it? I'd love to see what it pulls on a pw 200 with a big mazzi

Eyeball/wing it

 

[Saveafish]

#wiremanagement
Love your wiring. Lol.
Ive always looked for his ball unions. Never found any.

 

[ca1ore]

Wire MIS-management I think. As to the ball valves, look here

https://www.dripworks.com/spears-ball-valve?msclkid=40815f09e3341f13e636035174c41507&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NB_PLA_Targeted_AllProducts_NonBrand_BING&utm_term=4585238366858297&utm_content=All Products

Ordered some years ago and they were as pictured.

 

[ca1ore]

Ran some water through the unit last night. A few of the old unions leak. O rings are old and dried out ..... waaaah. Of course, they’re old and discontinued and unobtanium. Should be able to find replacement O rings though. I may just replace the unions completely. The only ones I’m stuck with are the two that are welded to the Beckett assemblies. Could probably use gaskets if I cannot find the O rings.

 

[Saveafish]

Ran some water through the unit last night. A few of the old unions leak. O rings are old and dried out ..... waaaah. Of course, they’re old and discontinued and unobtanium. Should be able to find replacement O rings though. I may just replace the unions completely. The only ones I’m stuck with are the two that are welded to the Beckett assemblies. Could probably use gaskets if I cannot find the O rings.

I just go to a farm supply and get the O rings.
On the mazzi take the ball, spring and lil O ring out its made for injecting through it as a ck valve. It slows the air flow.

 

[ca1ore]

The acrylic tube came in sooner than I had been told - underpromise, overdeliver is always better than the inverse. Routed the remaining grooves in the flanges and, voila, extension riser. I’ll say initially that it was pretty simple to make. If, upon test running with water, the new section bursts I reserve the right to revise that conclusion.

 

[Saveafish]

The acrylic tube came in sooner than I had been told - underpromise, overdeliver is always better than the inverse. Routed the remaining grooves in the flanges and, voila, extension riser. I’ll say initially that it was pretty simple to make. If, upon test running with water, the new section bursts I reserve the right to revise that conclusion.

Awesome. I thought with your experience in wood you could it easy.

 

[ca1ore]

Here are the almost complete pictures. Need to let the solvent fully cure. Off to CA on bidness for a few days so should be able to test it next weekend.

 

[ca1ore]

Last picture is with the 885X mazzei injectors. I plan to experiment with both them and the Beckett’s to see which performs better. I also redid the ‘downdraft’ tubes to replace the old unions. Decided to use some blue PVC I had on hand. I fully expect it to perform far better than white.

 

[Saveafish]

You've been busy busy. That looks sweet. I might try using a jig and router on it. I'm worried to melt the plastic. I have that jig when I cut holes out for my speakers. I'm not even sure if I'd have the right bit for plastic.

 

[ca1ore]

I used a 1/4” upcut spiral bit. Took the same approach I do when routing hardwoods - go slowly and only take a small bit of material in each pass (1/8” max). No melting problems at all. Also helps to prevent snapping the bit - I’m really good at doing that.

 

[Victoria M]

#wiremanagement
Love your wiring. Lol.
Ive always looked for his ball unions. Never found any.

I saw this and had to go hunting for the photo! Love ca1ores wire mismanagement! @Saveafish I see the beginnings of a very nice fishroom!
ps...I dunno what is wrong with me but I love fishroom.

 

[ca1ore]

I dunno what is wrong with me but I love fishroom.

I believe there are support groups .....

 

[Victoria M]

I believe there are support groups .....

What do you think I am here for?

 

[ca1ore]

Oh, yeah, good point .... never mind then (in Gilda Radner voice).

 

[Victoria M]

Oh, yeah, good point .... never mind then (in Gilda Radner voice).

My god I don’t know if I can remember her voice. In my head I can almost hear her telling a story from her book about farting out mercury during her cancer treatment and trying to pick the mercury up as it rolled all over her sheets and shot out of her hand if she squeezed it too hard. Such a lovely soul.

 

[ca1ore]

Wondering if I should reinforce the bottom box since it will be exposed to greater water pressure from the extra height? I’m a charter member of overbuilders anonymous so probably will glue in some acrylic square rod. Easy to do now; not so easy to do later.

 

[ca1ore]

Bigger skimmer needs a larger waste collector.

 

[ca1ore]

Skimmer is essentially done. Turns out I’m going to have to rearrange some stuff in the fish room to accommodate. Haven’t had time to s it yet; plus I really want to run it outside with water and the weather has been too cold.

 

[tigé21v]

How wide is that skimmer body? 8"?