PM Bullet 1 Siphon Pull From The Outlet

[Kaiden]

For some reason I can not get my PM Bullet to work correctly. I heard about Siphon Pull From The Outlet What is that? I have a ball valve and an elbow pointed down into the water, would this be the siphon pull..?

[Ereefic]

If your output is submerged in the sump without a T on the output of the skimmer with a vent, is will syphon from the skimmer and the water level will bounce up and down. If you don't have the T you will have to have the output above water so it doesn't create a syphon.

[elephen]

Are you using it in sump or out of sump?

Its basically what ereefic said, its the drain from the skimmer that can't be submerged.

[Kaiden]

The drain is not in the water it is above the water by around 3 inches. It drains down into the sump. I have had it on for about 3 weeks and the skimming is weak..

[Ereefic]

What pump are you using?

[Kaiden]

They told me to buy the Mag 12 and that's what I got, that's coming from PM's mouth. This has got to be one of the worst and most touchy skimmers on the earth...

[5thtonbench]

I've used the PM bullet 1 in various places, and I have to say its been the best functioning skimmer i have owned. I am using a T4 velocity on the skimmer. I owned it with the old OLD intake system that you couldnt even take apart and it worked well even then. With the newer intake with the screw tops I bought from them as an upgrade, it just got better and better. I find it takes a litle while to "break-in" and then some serious skimmate.

Make sure all your fittings are right, and you may be better off adjusting with a gate valve and not a ball valve. If you dont feel like paying the price for the spears valve from the fish stores, get one from US plastics for about half the cost. Its worth it to have that level of control. The PM 1 takes a 1-1/4 gate.

take some pictures of whats going on in your riser tube and maybe that can give us an idea of whats going on.

[Kaiden]

They told me to buy the Mag 12 and that's what I got, that's coming from PM's mouth. This has got to be one of the worst and most touchy skimmers on the earth...

[Kaiden]

I hope this works...

This should be the picture of the skimmer at close up. The water leve is were the bubbles start and they end like a mm later. I don't understand, I hope this helps...


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/Kaidenjohn/DSC00078.jpg http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/Kaidenjohn/DSC00077.jpghttp://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/Kaidenjohn/DSC00076.jpg

[elephen]

I hate how everybody recommends Mag 12's to run becketts. If you want a beckett that is solid, produces a great skimmate and runs like a champ step up to a pressure rated pump.

http://reeftanksupply.com/product_info.php?cPath=39_75&products_id=46

Thats the pump I use to run my Bullet-2 and its the best skimmer I've evern owns... Runs circles around any NW skimmer I've ever used.

[BMitch]

You need a gate valve on your output. This skimmer will be near impossible to dial in with a ball valve.

I'd also give it 72 hours or so to break-in.

Also, you might want to add a hose clamp to the input. I would hate to hear that the tubing came off its fitting and that your Mag 12 splashed water all over the walls.

[elephen]

http://reefs.elephen.com/pics/data/media/5/100_3650.jpg

That gives you an idea of what my chamber looks like. Its really dirty in that pic since I just added the new PM injector. I run my skimmer very wet so I never get any collected gunk on the neck except up by the cup.

[Kaiden]

Thanks alot you guys for the pics and the help. So first things first change the ball valve to a gate valve, well that is in the mail already. Sould this make a diffrence, I don't know. As far as buying a new pump wow that would suck, PM told me this is the guy I needed, it must work with this pump. Hose clamp done. Well so far I don't see anything that is going to help me at this moment, so i guess this is standard opp for this skimmer. About the 72 hour thing it has been up and running for 3 weeks, and not a drop to drink! Wow thanks guys but I am still bummed..

[Ereefic]

PM doesn't supply a gate valve with there skimmer? :eek: That's pretty lame.

Kaiden, run your water level higher for the time being.

[Kaiden]

Ya I know I had to buy one on ebay. It has not arrived yet, so I hope it shows up soon because this is supposed to be an amazing skimmer with the gate valve...anyhow thanks for all your help..you guys and the picks of the skimmers do look mighty sexy...

[Ereefic]

Kaiden, did you get some parts with the skimmer for the output? Apparently, they don't provide a GV on the Bullet 1, but they do with the Bullet 2/3, but the Bullet 1 is supposed to come with something to regulate waterlevel in the skimmer when used in-sump. I'm curious as to what those parts are.

[mm949]

it comes with a preset drain pipe to level water .5" above box...no valve needed...since your pump is much lower Mag12 should work....your valve is closed too much.... to set skimmer run with air OFF set water level to .5" above gray box..use air valve to adjust the skim you want...if skimmer does not look like its flowing a ton of water and bubbles are minimal you will need to check the beckect injector for obstructions....I LOVE PM Skimmers....

[5thtonbench]

To chime back in here...

A picture's worth a thousand words they say, right? :-)
First off, the gate valve will help you, because that water level is going to have to be a bit more controllable. Its not going to change the foam level though, which is obviously devoid of air in this picture. You really dont see much water in the chamber unless you are pushing for really wet skimmate and have it dialed in to do so. That whole chamber should be filling with foam when running properly. This might not be the initial case because typically it takes a bit to "break in" and get the foam running till its popping at the top of the collection cup, so give it time when we do get this running right.

start by opening the air valve all the way and see what happens to the bubbles. The only time I have seen the air so devoid of bubbles is when I clean the unit with fresh water OR the air is shut off.

to clarify, you dont need a gate valve for a skimmer of this type, but you do need something to tighten up the output so you can control the water level by creating backpressure. The gate valve is just the most advisable because most have very little experience controlling the water level with a ball valve. The ball valve is really for on/off while the gate valve is meant to controll flow. A gate valve isnt included with the bullet 1, and I really dont know why because I just dont see how you could get it to work without it... I've played with it and just wasnt happening.

your mag 12 will work, but the above said is right: pressure rated pumps are best. Think of it as having all the horspower but lacking in the torque department. When I first used this I tried it with a mag 9.5 and it definitely didn't work effectively.

[Kaiden]

All right... We have got bubbles... This thing I think had some kind of rock stuck in the Air intake. Now this bullet is sucking some major air. Ok now what size bubbles do you guys use, you said wet and dry skimmate. What is the best and the worst. I already have half of the chamber full with solid bubbles, and that's on the ball valve. Anyhow let me know, thanks you guys..

[elephen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6956915#post6956915 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ereefic
PM doesn't supply a gate valve with there skimmer? :eek: That's pretty lame.

Kaiden, run your water level higher for the time being.

Where did you buy your skimmer from? EVERY PM skimmer I have ever seen has come with a gate valve.

[Ereefic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6973080#post6973080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elephen
Where did you buy your skimmer from? EVERY PM skimmer I have ever seen has come with a gate valve.

I bought my skimmer from MRC, so it has a gate valve. ;) The PM Bullet 1 does not come with a gate valve because they assume everyone running that skimmer runs in in sump, so they supply some other get-up for that application. The Bullet 2/3 come with gate valves.

[Kaiden]

How are you guys running your skimmer. I would like to run mine dry due to over night I had like 1 gallon of grey black water in my collection bucket. How far should the average air intake be. Should the bubbles be small. Anyhow thanks you guys for all your help..