GEO Beckett Skimmer Help

[dngspot]

I was contemplating building a Beckett skimmer when someone on my local site had one he wanted to get red of. It is made by GEO the same folks that make the calcium reactors.

The question is, the Beckett housing is plumed with 1/2 inch pipe. Also the inlet to the Becket is attached to the elbow with a 1/2 inch nipple. This struck me as odd when the Beckett inlet is 3/4 inch. Should I change this? I am going to use a Panworld 150ps to push water.
Any help is appreciated.

Here are a couple of pics.
The skimmer.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/96845DSCF0025-med.JPG

The Beckett housing,
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/96845DSCF0026-med.JPG

The Beckett attached to the housing lid. At the top of the pic is a ½ inch barbed fitting going into a ½ inch elbow. On the other end of the elbow is a nipple that is threaded through the lid. Part of it sticks through the lid and the Beckett is threaded onto the nipple, as seen in the last pic.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/96845DSCF0030-med.JPG

This pic shows the ½ inch nipple sticking through the lid. It also shows the Beckett id tapped, so it can be threaded onto the nipple. There is an o-ring at the base of the nipple, I guess it is there to keep pump water flowing through the Beckett and not leaking from the threads
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/96845DSCF0027-med.JPG

[dngspot]

Bumb

[jh2pizza]

I would as the man himself, but I have a GEO beckett and I run 1" right from the PS200 straight into the top of the beckett housing. NO reductions or 90s, but its somewhat larger of a skimmer and pump. I could see that being a huge limitation t the amount of water you are going to push through the unit but I would try it first. I would however eliminate the barbed fittings any time you can. THey are horrible for head pressure and reduced flow.

[dngspot]

Is the fitting that is glued to the top, is it a 1/2 elbow?

[jh2pizza]

Ok, I would remove the barbed fitting from the elbow and go with a 3/4" line and reduce it right at the elbow using a glued fitting and a union and eliminate the barb al together.

[dngspot]

The barb is going to be removed. I should have not included it with the pics. It will be hard plummed to the pump. I was planning on bringing in 1 inch to the elbow.

[jh2pizza]

IMO, that would be the best set up you can do for it.

[dngspot]

I went to HD and found a 1" mpt to 1" slip fitting. The top of the Beckett fits the ID of the 1" mpt. I am going to drill out the 1/2" fitting and drill and tap top of the lid to accept the 1" mpt to 1" slip fitting.
I will also be removing the 1" down pvc pipe and installing a 2" longer 1.25" acrylic tube.

[dngspot]

Between HD and Lowe's I found all of the pluming I needed. I had a couple parts left over from my “DIY Calcium Reactor from Berlin Skimmers" project. One was the 1 3/8 inner tube would fit well. The reactors was made from 2 Berlin XL, so left over inner tube is about 2 feet long. I had to cut about 3 inches from the tube, when the whole assembly went together the lid of the Beckett housing hit the collection cup flanges. I bought 2-3/4 slip to 1" mpt fittings they fit pretty well in the Berlin tube, a little pvc glue and I have a long 1 inch nipple. The slip fitting maintained the 1 inch passage, no restriction, the rest of the pluming inside the skimmer is 1 inch.
The top was a different story. I brought home from work, a 1 5/16 drill bit and a 1 inch tap. I turned the Becket chamber lid over and drilled from the bottom. After that was done I tapped the top. The Becket now had a little up and down play. Geo added o-rings on the Becket to prevent this and the top was threaded. Now the Becket goes into the 1 inch mpt to 1 inch slip fitting that goes through the top. I put the o-ring around the top of the Beckett and pushed it up against the 1 inch fitting. That elevated the Becket from the bottom about 3/8 of an inch. The ring that comes with a Beckett that has a flange on the end worked to fix this. I simply cut it to 3/8 of an inch and slid it over the bottom of the Beckett and put the other o-ring below it. It went together nicely.
Geo put the air supply for the Beckett on the top lid. It is so close to the fitting that no valve will fit. I am going to buy a 1/4 plug to finish that off. I will then drill into the side of the Beckett housing and tap in a 3/8 Guest fitting.
Here she is so far.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/96845DSCF0031-med.JPG

[mflamb]

The Pan World 150PS is a great pump for a Beckett. I ran 2 of them on my dual beckett. Make sure your skimmer is located for easy beckett removal. You will need to clean it regularly.