DIY Skimmer, group project

[OneDummHikk]

Ok, it is drilled and almost assembled. I have to pull it back apart to put a T at the bottom of the inlet line. Will take pictures as I put it back together.

[OneDummHikk]

Started with a closet flange. It is made so that you can use 3" pipe on the inside, 4" pipe on the outside:



Home depot, 4.18:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100174125

And then a piece of 3" long 3" diameter pipe. It is cut so that the next piece on top of it (reducer) sits tight to the bottom:



And then a 3"x2" coupling:



2.91 from HD:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100181631

[kwdelre]

Originally Posted by OneDummHikk

Started with a closet flange. It is made so that you can use 3" pipe on the inside, 4" pipe on the outside:



Home depot, 4.18:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100174125

And then a piece of 3" long 3" diameter pipe. It is cut so that the next piece on top of it (reducer) sits tight to the bottom:



And then a 3"x2" coupling:



2.91 from HD:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100181631

Your skimmer is shrinking!

[OneDummHikk]

Then a piece of 2" pipe that is roughly 16" long. It is a piece I had laying around and didn't want to cut it, so it is what it is.



Next, I took a 3/4" T and cut the sides off of it:



The T won't fit inside the 3" coupling, so I cut the sides off of it.

From the bottom of the 3" tube:



And coming out of the top of the 2" pipe:

[OneDummHikk]

Originally Posted by kwdelre

Your skimmer is shrinking!

LOL, yeah it is. I added the inside pipe for contact time, it is coming It does have a 4" outside pipe on it.

[OneDummHikk]

Next, I took a piece of 4" pipe, drilled two holes in it for uniseals:



That is looking from the bottom upwards. The elbow at the "bottom" of the tube connects to the 3/4" pipe with the cut off T in it.

As you can see, the drain pipe just does go through the uniseal. I will probably push it in until it hits the 2" pipe, mark it, pull it back out, drill some holes in it, then put it back in.

This is the outside of the drain:


The drain pipe coming out is a 1" pipe. All of the fittings there are threaded fittings. It has a short piece of pipe between the fittings from the elbow to the ball valve. Why? I had the pieces to do it this way and didn't want to go buy anything else. If the design works, I will glue a 1" gate valve on it (more control with the gate versus a ball).

[OneDummHikk]

This is the elbow that comes in the inlet at the top, through a uniseal, then it connects to the 3/4" pipe going down to the the T. I put the T on it to turn the water outwards, but, also to help hold that pipe up since none of this is glued together yet.



It is a 1" elbow that reduces to 3/4". I think the 1" inlet worked out better. I drilled the hole for a 1" uniseal because I can't find my allen wrenches to change the hole saw bits out. I think it worked out better.



The 1" pipe comes out of the uniseal. The rubber hose on the pump slides right inside the 1" pipe. Then, I slid the pump all the way up to the 1" pipe:

[OneDummHikk]

Top of the skimmer:



Bottom of the skimmer:

[OneDummHikk]

I looked all over the pump and couldn't find any markings at all on it to try to figure out what it is. This is the impeller in the pump:



The inlet of the pump, with the airline:



And the air silencer:



Maybe someone will recognize the pump and be able to tell me what it is. I got it with my corallife 220 skimmer.

[OneDummHikk]

What pictures have I missed of the assembly so that I can take them before I get this thing wet?

[kwdelre]

Woah.....Im confused I have to have it in front of me to understand

[OneDummHikk]

This is the best cross section I can give you. I suck at drawing in Paint and haven't figured out Google Sketch yet:




The black is a 3"-4" closet flange.
The blue inside it is 3" pipe.
The red is a 3"-2" coupling.
The green is 2" pipe.
The darker purple is 4" pipe.
The burgundy/purple is 1" or 3/4" pipe.
The orange is a 4"x2" reducer coupling.

That help any?

[aquawolf]

You are making good progress, when is the test going to happen.

You know you should really just forget about making it fit under the stand and make it as big as you think you will need it to be. Reefermike already showed you how to cover it up with an easy to make box and I know you have some mean carpenter skills.

[OneDummHikk]

Materials list:

4" PVC 24" long. 17.28 for 10'
3" PVC 3" long. 2.08 for 10'
2" PVC 16" long. 5.88 for 10'
2" PVC 4" Long.
1" PVC 12" long. 1.89 for 10'
3/4" PVC 36" long. 1.52 for 10 feet.
1 3/4" uniseal. 4.49 Ace Hardware
1 1" uniseal. 4.49 Ace Hardware
1 3/4" 90.
1 3/4" Tee. .33 each
1 3"/4" Closet Flange. 4.18
2 2"x3" couplings. 2.91 each
1 2"x4" coupling. 5.43
1 1" ball valve 5.29

I gave up looking for the 3/4" elbow on HD's website. The uniseals I bought at the LFS and simply Googled for them. Home Depot will sell you the pipe by the foot. Just don't buy the pre-cut pieces, it is more expensive. Go over to the 10' pieces and cut what you want. Its under 50 dollars for all the parts, not including the pump.

[kwdelre]

Originally Posted by OneDummHikk

This is the best cross section I can give you. I suck at drawing in Paint and haven't figured out Google Sketch yet:




The black is a 3"-4" closet flange.
The blue inside it is 3" pipe.
The red is a 3"-2" coupling.
The green is 2" pipe.
The darker purple is 4" pipe.
The burgundy/purple is 1" or 3/4" pipe.
The orange is a 4"x2" reducer coupling.

That help any?

AHHHHHH now I get it !!