Somebody please help me figure out this PM Bullet-1 skimmer!

[Delphinus]

Ok, so I've finally been running my PM Bullet-1 for about a week and a half now.

So, what a cool skimmer. Pulls out wicked amounts of foam, but I'm noticing a phenomenon I don't like too much. The instructions say to adjust the output valve, so that the water is about 1/3 up the way of the reaction chamber. Then open the air, and adjust both valves so that the water/air interface maintains steady at about 1/3 up the way of the reaction chamber.

What I find is, the water level steadily drops and drops and eventually is all the way down to the skimmer exit. So after about a couple of days, realistically, the skimmer has shut down. I find if I take the skimmer over to the bathtub and give it a real thorough cleaning and scrubbing, and put it back on, then it's back to the effective skimming again, but only for a couple of days.

Ok, so, cleaning the skimmer like that, is just NOT going to be an option. Forget it! Everytime I do that I scratch the bathtub up a little more. Once a month, I can live with, but not several times per week.

...

So what's the problem here? Why does the water level fluctuate so badly? Do I have a bad pump? Do I need to make my exit pipe come up to the top of the box, so that the water level can stay constant maybe?

Can people who have HSA, bullet, downdraft, etc. type skimmers, PLEASE post some pictures of their setup so I can get some ideas maybe on how to improve my plumbing? I'm at my wit's end!!

(Oh BTW the pump is a Mag12.)

[Canadian Man]

Great minds think alike Tony :D
Looks like we both have skimmer questions/problems at the same time.
Sorry man Me got's a big venturi skimmer not a silly old beckett :P

So your water level drops and mine overflows :roll:

[Acro]

Tony,

Do you have any surge buckets of sort on this system? Also is your effeunt from your skimmer under water? Oh one more how do you top up? As far as evaporation water goes.

[Delphinus]

Hi Jamie,

Top-up is via float valve and a bucket; skimmer effluent is just above the water surface (water has to falls about 2-3"); and no surge buckets on this system at the moment.

The thing that has me a bit confused is the little pipe thing that I use to drain the skimmer. I bought the skimmer used; so it has some kind of exit pipe that's non-standard Precision Marine (the larger models come with a gate valve; but for the bullet-1 you're on your own, apparently). I'll snap a picture of the sump and you can see how I've got it (it's probably wrong :oops: )

Stay tuned for the picture ....

[Canadian]

I'd say make sure you're using a gate valve for the skimmer output. That way you'll get finer control of the flow rate. A ball valve or globe valve would likely clog up a little faster. This may not alleviate your problem, but you really should have a gate valve on that skimmer.

[Delphinus]

Yeah, I've been thinking about that, the ball valve is a real challenge at times to fine-tune.

Anyone know a good supplier of PVC gate valves? I don't have a lot of choice locally; the only gate valves I've been able to find are those gate/knife type valves (like a guillotine ... the handle goes up and down, no fine tuning capability) ... :?

[EmilyB]

You just plug in a Euro-reef...... :P :lol: :wink:

[Delphinus]

here is the picture

http://members.shaw.ca/hobiesailor/temp/sump-skimmer1.jpg

[Troy F]

Tony, tell me the size of gate valve you want and I can get you it if you'd like.

I don't see how fine tuning it will help though. Your set up looks fine to me and I can't see anything wrong with it. You mention that it will hold the water level after you clean it? What happens if you just adjust your valve when it starts dropping? Can you do this?

I clean my skimmer every week at the minimum and it usually takes the evening to fine tune the water level but once set the water level never changes no matter how dirty it gets.

[Delphinus]

Basically for now I just close my valve a little more when I notice the water level has dropped too much. The problem is the ball valve seems to require a fair bit of force to adjust, I end up cranking on it and of course thus end up turning it too much, and it gets to be a game of "whoops way too high now" to "whoops way too low now" just by nudging the ball valve one way or the other.

Once a week to clean it I can live with, I'll have to put a union on the pump hose though because I can't get that hose off the barbs whatsoever! Right now I have to take the hose off the pump and carry the skimmer complete with dripping hose.

[Aquattro]

Tony, just a note, but if you go look at precision marine's site, it shows the Bullet 1 comes with a 1-1/4 gate valve. That's probably what you should get for it.

[Delphinus]

Hmm, it must have changed. The last time I looked was when I bought the skimmer back in September, and at that time the PM-1 was the only skimmer that the gate valve came as an "option" (for the rest, it comes "standard"). The real irony here, I was in Houston at the time, and guess where Precision Marine is? I should have paid them a visit (I'm sure they're real appreciative of drop-ins :P ) and bugged them for a gate valve. Oh well..

Judging by the looks of how much gate valves cost, I guess that would explain why the skimmer was a good deal. Bummer!! I guess once again you only get what you pay for (unless you're Dez, or Jonny, who both seem to have an uncanny knack of sniffing out free stuff... :) )

[Canadian Man]

:P :lol:

[Aquattro]

Tony, I buy my gate valves for about $15 each. And that price is available to anyone asking for a "deal" across the counter. What do they cost there??

[Troy F]

Brad, where are you getting your gate valves? Maybe you better get Tony one. I'm pretty sure that they'll be at least twice that from the place I'm thinking of.

I paid somewhere around $60 for my true union ball valves and I'm guessing a Spears 1.25" gate valve will cost around $40.

[SuperFudge]

Hi Tony,

Those Ball valves are poor for that application,because they narrow down quite a bit in diameter inside the valve and because they are very hard to adjust and tweak....always too much or not enouph right?
Gate valves are the best option,but a good spears ball valve will turn easily too.

But I doubt that is your problem however, i believe it is building siphon gradually during its exit from the skimmer output...this has happened to me before and with the same results you speak of.

My remedy for this was to "T" the output line instead of the first 90 you have on there,place a good 6-7 inches of pipe vertically on the upside of it and on the other side enouph to stay above the water level of your sump.

Dont glue the top pipe yet,so it can be adjusted in hieght to compensate for adjustments you make with the ballvalve later.

This tends to be abit noisier but worked great for me.


Hope this corrects it for you,

[Delphinus]

Thanks for the idea, cool!

Ok, um, so I think I understand this .... the water will exit out the bottom of the T (will still need a valve of some kind for fine tuning), and the top part will just be static (so to speak) -- it won't have an exit (or is it open) -- water will just go up there and stop ??

You wouldn't have any pictures would you?

[Doug]

Definately better with a gate valve Tony. My 1 1/2 in. valve is perfect to use.

However, I must say the becketts are the most finicky skimmers I have used. They remind me of another venturi skimmer I had years ago. :) Look at them the wrong way and the foam drops. :roll: Sometimes mine drops and never returns to the same level. I have to adjust the valve again. :roll:

They may skim well, but Debs post about sums up my feelings. :D

[SuperFudge]

Tony,

Yes, the "T" is placed vertically and with pvc ends on top (remains uncapped) and bottom with the valve.
It will also tell you if that was your problem, by covering the top with your hand....you will see the water level actually go down if siphon is being created.(we hope it is after doing all this :roll: )

I dont believe that this would be the best advise if your replacing the ballvalve with a larger diam gate valve,and placing this gate valve directly onto the first portion of ther skimmer (minimal plumbing before it).

Your best solution would be to actually run the skimmer output directly at or above your sump average waterline, or directly in your sump at the same water level,running just the gate valve on it.

Good luck,