What is the best skimmer?

[LKN]

What is the most effective skimmer on the market?
Specifically, the most effective with a VS pump running long cycles at low to moderate flow.
Do the Venturi live up to the hype?
Have there been any real breakthroughs in skimmer technology or are they all fairly similar?

 

[Jimrahbe]

LKN,

In my mind, Venturi skimmers are mostly hype and are more trouble than they are worth.

My suggest is that two skimmers are better than one and that standard skimmers work just fine with VS pumps running at low RPMs.

Just because they don't have a lot of visible skimming action, doesn't mean they are not working just fine.

I run my IntelliFlo pump at 1200 RPM most of the time and nothing stays on the surface of my water for very long without ending up in my skimmers.

The skimmer's weir door is what makes a skimmer... skim well. It is not the amount of water that flows through them per second, nor any magical venturi action.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

If you need proof that skimmers work even with low RPM, put a skimmer sock on the skimmer basket for protection and float a few ping pong balls on the water. The sock will protect you from them accidentally going down (clog!) your skimmer pipe.