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  1. #1
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    How to convert skimmer from 1.5ins to 4ins?

    Im sure there was a thread on doing this but i cant find it.

    Now i have a drum [yet to be fitted ] i need to convert my skimmer from 1.5ins to either 3 or 4 ins to go straight into the drum.
    My skimmer is a bog standard one with the basket inside,i will have to chissel into the wall a bit but will a 4ins rubber boot fit onto the base if i cut the bottom off the skimmer?

    I believe 1.5ins would be no good going to the drum with no draw.


    John

  2. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai 1meterchag's Avatar
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    You could increase pipe out of slimmer to 4 inch with pipe fittings. It would not be as much flow as 4 inch direct from bottom, but why do you need 3000 plus gallons going down your skimmer?
    Alex

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  4. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Thanks for your reply,i have the drum with 2 x 4ins inlets i was going to connect my bottom drain to one and the 1.5ins to the other with a reducing boot but i was told i wouldnt get any pull on the skimmer with 1.5ins.

    I dont use a massive pull on the skimmer at the moment,it is just a slow pull,do you think 1.5 would work?
    John

  5. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai 1meterchag's Avatar
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    Yes
    If you increase it to 4 inch and run 4 inch to the drum there will enough flow for a slimmer.
    So fit a rubber boot that is 1.5 inch to 4inch then 4 inch pipe.
    What you do not want to do is end up with more flow and volume going to drum via slimmer. You want the bulk of the water going to drum via bottom drain !!
    Alex

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  7. #5
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Rokusai TAC's Avatar
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    John 1.5 will work, but you will be wasting your flow to your drum by around 70%.
    Would it not be easier to get a new skimmer made to fit the hole with a 3" outlet.

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  9. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Sorry Tac dont know what you mean i would be wasting the flow as it would be pulling off the bottom drain as well,maybe im a bit slow!!!!

    Couldnt change the skimmer all glassed in.
    John

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  11. #7
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1meterchag View Post
    Yes
    If you increase it to 4 inch and run 4 inch to the drum there will enough flow for a slimmer.
    So fit a rubber boot that is 1.5 inch to 4inch then 4 inch pipe.
    What you do not want to do is end up with more flow and volume going to drum via slimmer. You want the bulk of the water going to drum via bottom drain !!
    Alex
    Thanks Alex,so if i cut the 1.5ins fit a reducer to 4ins then four ins to drum would work,i could fit a valve to control the flow.
    John

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  13. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai 1meterchag's Avatar
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    That’s what I would do ! I
    You have to remember that once the 4 inch pipe is full of water the “pull” as the water runs through will be significant.

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  15. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Great thanks Alex,i have to order the boots this weekend so i needed to know what ones.
    John

  16. #10
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai Designer1's Avatar
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    I was a little concerned about my 1.5" feed from the skimmer to drum, but found that turning my pumps up enabled a nice flow from the skimmer. I've also weighted the wier so that it still floats but sits slightly lower in the water, thus not relying on the flow to pull it down.

    A bit of fine tuning required, but it seems to be ok.

    You don't need the skimmer pulling loads otherwise the food wont last a second on the top (if using floating food).

    I was considering an air lift to aid with flow rather than converting to 3/4" as my skimmers built into a wall.
    I've bought all the kit to do it, but think i'm ok without it - time will tell.
    Its a hole in the ground where I throw my money!

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  18. #11
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai Andymadd's Avatar
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    Err Hang on..

    A 4" boot does not fit the skimmer. I have just done mine, I cut the bottom off with a grinder and when I measured it its closer to 6". So I had to do some webbing stuff and found a 6 to 4 straight boot. I can't remember the details but I found a plumbing site that supplied it for about £12 ish post was a fiver.

    I assume your skimmer is similar to mine so I would carefully measure the base and look online before getting the toys out. Then I would fit a 4" valve somewhere for flow control.

    Andy

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  20. #12
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    If I was converting mine then I would seriously consider using boot then reducers to 3" pipe simply because a 3" ball valve is very much cheaper than a 4"! (My skimmer gravity feds the drum via 3" pipe- and enters the drum with a 3" to 4" converter boot). On my system I keep the skimmer valve turned partially towards the off position so it doesn't take too much flow. If I leave the valve fully open with a 3" connection then it would suck any floating food towards it in a matter of seconds. That said, I am pulling over 30,000 lph through the drum so yours might not have so much draw depending on what pumps you have etc.

    As Andy says, if you plan to chop the bottom off your skimmer off the attach a boot it might very well not be a 4" that fits it. Someone recently on here instead of cutting off the bottom of their skimmer drilled it out and fitted a 3" tank connector in the bottom which looked very neat. I can't remember what thread it was on now though.

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  22. #13
    I converted mine 3" like feline said with the tank connector would probably be easier to do rather then chopping out behind the skimmer to get a boot over the outside.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  24. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Thank you all for your replies it is very much appreciated.

    Designer,yes i dont need loads of pull on the skimmer and like you say it is probably a matter of fine tuning,so yours pulls ok on 1.5ins pipe?

    Andy i tried to measure roughly from the top and it did look more like 6ins in diameter.

    Feline,i have some 3ins bends and pipe so i think i will use these as you suggest,i do remember on here someone doing a mod on a skimmer but it was a while back.

    Thank you all once again,at least i know now what bits to order so i can get the drum going and doing its job.
    John

  25. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai Designer1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Thank you all for your replies it is very much appreciated.

    Designer,yes i dont need loads of pull on the skimmer and like you say it is probably a matter of fine tuning,so yours pulls ok on 1.5ins pipe?

    Andy i tried to measure roughly from the top and it did look more like 6ins in diameter.

    Feline,i have some 3ins bends and pipe so i think i will use these as you suggest,i do remember on here someone doing a mod on a skimmer but it was a while back.

    Thank you all once again,at least i know now what bits to order so i can get the drum going and doing its job.

    Yes 1.5" pulling ok with slightly weighted wier
    Its a hole in the ground where I throw my money!

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  27. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by 1meterchag View Post
    Yes
    If you increase it to 4 inch and run 4 inch to the drum there will enough flow for a slimmer.
    So fit a rubber boot that is 1.5 inch to 4inch then 4 inch pipe.
    What you do not want to do is end up with more flow and volume going to drum via slimmer. You want the bulk of the water going to drum via bottom drain !!
    Alex
    No as you still have the 1.5" restriction. Convert it to 3" and valve it with ball valve to adjust flow between skimmer and bd. Any 1.5" is useless for gravity feed.

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  29. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai richsugden's Avatar
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    Skimmer problem

    https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...8&share_type=t


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  31. #18
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai richsugden's Avatar
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    Have a look at this


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  33. #19
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Thanks for that Rich,seems a lot of work as my pipework goes over concrete at the back of the pond.

    Dont think i could remove the skimmer as it is glassed over.
    John

  34. #20
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai richsugden's Avatar
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    Yes it was. my pipe run from skimmer is
    4mt and has you can see full 4” but when I run the drum with a 10000lt pump the skimmer didn’t pull for the skimmer to work I had to go up to 16000lt pump so there is a need for a full 4” from skimmer I think if you leave the skimmer with the original out let them open it up to 4” it is still restricted to the original out let its abut like me with full 4” and putting a 1 1/2 valve on the end my skimmer would not work I think it’s all about your length of pipe run


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