DIY HSA, Real HSA and etc..By: Ian McDonald

The HSA as a whole unit is very efficient, very compact, and is very energy efficient. It uses a Pond Foamer like the Beckett #1408. This foamer looks like this:

I will have to make some generalizations about the sizes of some of these things as it will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.We need to make a valve chamber for it, so we need to get 3" PVC pipe, two 3 3/16" diameter discs with holes in the center of about 1" diameter. You want the holes big enough to allow the injector to slip through each end. See below:

Now you want to have a hole in the chamber to allow air to get through, so you will drill a hole in the center of the 3" pipe to accomodate .5" PVC pipe.Take a 2" section of half inch PVC pipe and put PVC glue all over one end, slip it into the 3" Pipe so about 1/4" of it shows on the inside. Allow this to dry for about an hour. Now we want to put the injector into the chamber, so take the disc that a hole in the center that fits the bottom of the injector and slide the injector into it. Glue with silicone.
Allot to cure for 5hrs. Now take the disk and injector and slide in into the bottom of the 3" pipe, apply PVC glue to the disk and the 3" PVC, glue as shown. Now after that has dried, take the disk that is fitted for the top of the injector and slide it on the injector after applying silicone to the center hole and PVC glue to the disk and 3" PVC pipe. See below:

After that has dried you will want to get a PVC hose valve and glue it to the .5" PVC pipe that is sticking out of the valve chamber.(the kind you have to turn a few times to close, not a ball valve or gate valve) The Valve Chamber is now complete. See below:

Now we want to make the body of the skimmer, we will be using 48" of 4" PVC Pipe.
Now you want to drill a hole that is big enough to fit 1" pipe into, about 3" from the top of the bottom of the pipe. Cover half of a 1.5" length of 1" PVC with glue, and insert it into a 1" elbow. Now take that assembly (after drying) anf cover the rest of the 1" pipe with glue, slide it through the hole in the side of the 4" pipe. Take a toilet flange, put glue all over the inside of the 4" pipe, and slip it into the bottom of the 4" pipe. See below:

We now will want to make our collection cup. Take two 4" to 3" reducing couplings, 8" of 4" pipe, 18" of 3" pipe, a 4" FNPTX slip coupling, and a 4" screw on cap and assemble as shown. You must grind down the ridge that stops the 3" pipe from going all the way through, on the top reducer coupling. See below:

Take a 2" piece of 1" pipe and glue it onto the end of the injector.
You must now drill a hole in the cap big enough for 1"pipe to fit into, push the pipe through it after applying glue to it, and the bottom of the injector chamber. Now (after that dries) you must attach a coulpling to the pipe that sticke out of the inverted cap, and then attach 48" of 1" ID PVC pipe. You want the fit to be tight but not permanent, as you must remove it each time you clean the cup. See below:

Now assemble as shown, using silicone to attach the bottom reducing coulpling to the body. Lastly drill a hole into the collection cup as shown to drain waste.The hole should be big enough for 1/2" CPVC pipe to fit into. Also attach 2 elbows to the injector top as shown.

And after it all dries its done.

You just screw the cap/injector assembly off to clean the cup. You have to watch that center tube when doing so or it can fall off when you pull off the injector.
This is much like the real HSA. I have this design found to look and function better than the other DIY HSAs out there, also it breaks less. This design has been in the works for a few months now, and has finally been completed, WOO WOO!! I have been refining this design for a while now, and its good to get it overwith.

Once you get it together it will make more sense than it does now, you will learn many operational techniques and hints along the way also. A good pump for it would be a QuietOne or a Mak4. Don't adjust the water too high because you can get suprises when it decides to go into overdrive. ;)