Waste collectors-how do they work?

[Cap'n]

Why would you need the auto shut-off, ball valves, etc?

My skimmer has a small hole in the collection chamber with a piece of air line tubing going from this hole to a reservoir (2L pop bottle) under my stand. Skimmate rises to the level of the hole and runs (slowly) down to the reservoir. Whenever I clean the skimmer I make sure to spray a bunch of water in the chamber and down the tube to prevent blockages.

This is the way the skimmer came and is the only skimmer I have ever used so I assumed most would have something similar. It is an airstone operated skimmer which could explain the extra requirements for a beckett. What would be the pros and cons of a setup like mine?