Clear Silicone Tubing or Soft Black Vinyl for return?

[Fish_Sticks]

Just because there is not much wire management doesnt make it a fire hazard. Infact, the more you ziptie and kink cords the more fire hazard potential there is. Fire doesnt care how things look or how clean it is. Zipties used in a lot of cord management pactices can lead to resistive heating and ultimately, fires.

Ca1ore has been doing this a long time and invested a lot, I'm sure he takes fire safety into account.

Bro I can see an extension coord outlet perched upon that shelf above the sump LOL super janky

 

[ca1ore]

Wow, that looks like such a mess lol. Fire waiting to happen

LOL not really. Key to safety is not overloading circuits and power strips and ensuring that all electrical connections cannot get wet (using drip loops etc.). Otherwise it’s just about satisfying your own individual OCD.

If people want to invest time and energy into colored, parallel plumbing and nice tidy wiring, knock yourself out. I’d rather spend that time and effort on the display - you know, the part that people see.

 

[cracker]

I prefer the black tubing .

 

[A sea K]

I really like the silicone tubing for the return. Take a short piece of your tubing down to the local auto parts store, they'll have varying sizes of plastic wire loom material find the diameter that you can use to cover the silicone to prevent light intrusion in your sump. Doesnt seem to make any noise either.

 

[dealseer]

FWIW, I've done the whole colored PVC, check valve thing (pox on check valves) …. maybe OK for a sump-under-stand, smaller tank; but flex is far better for a basement fish room (especially if you have to thread pipes through and between joists). I simply cannot be bothered to invest intellectual energy in plumbing. I just go for practical.

I’d like to understand more about “pox on check valves”. It seems important but I don’t know what that meant.

 

[ca1ore]

I’d like to understand more about “pox on check valves”. It seems important but I don’t know what that meant.

Just that check valves have more negatives than positives. They get gummed up easily and then don’t work. Better to design plumbing so you don’t need them.

 

[Shaummy]

I use black vinyl on my return. I used to have clear and got algae growth in the tubing just from ambient light coming through.

 

[davocean]

I personally prefer flex to hard plumbing, it just makes cleaner sweeps and less turns and this makes quieter and better flow.

The flex Ca1ore uses has been used by many for many years, and that stuff is great(spa flex) and I use this for my drain, but for my return I use braided hose, it's stronger than the regular clear tubing, and opaque so light does not penetrate as well so it it does not crud up as bad or as fast.
It also allows easy flex to maintain pump.