Gurgling Overflow

[Reefering1]

I like to use reinforced tubing to connect to return pump, it's thicker and will not swell.

Does the pump have a barbed fitting to connect 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" tubing? Maybe you can heat the tubing to get it on the barbed fitting for the next size up.. it will stretch and fit very tight.
And are you using pliers to squeeze down the clamp?

 

[UncommonSense]

Okay, we had bad news, good news, then worse news.

Bad news, replaced the pump.

Good news, the 1" fitting on the new pump was much more snug, and stayed stable for the last 2 days. Tank was reduced to a nice tolerable trickle, stable water level, everything great.

Worse news, for no apparent reason, it just came loose again. Glad I was here to prevent overflow, but now we seem back to the same problem. This pump is rated much lower, and wasn't running at max. It was perfectly fine for days, the tubing never rose like it wanted to pop off, and was snug in place. I'm worried to leave it alone now, especially since I thought we were out of the woods with this new pump. There was no warning, and no change in pressure.

The plastic hose clamps aren't holding it either it seems. I have 2 on as snug as they can go, and they'll grip the hose ok, but I can still twist the hose, clamp and all, on the fitting. I don't know what else to do at this point. I know it has been working, I just can't get the tubing to stay. I'm starting to think I'll have to hard plumb at least the section immediately connected to the pump. The 90 above it is double barbed and neither end has moved.

That tube popping off again is a bit surprising!

If I had to guess; it’s the first section of tubing between pump and barbed elbow that’s the culprit here… maybe it’s an oddball size like 7/8” ID, maybe it’s metric, maybe it’s just old/stretched/hardened…

Do you have a fresh section of tubing that you could replace that first length with? That would omit the tubing itself as a culprit… — I’ve personally had good success with braided vinyl tubing! (Available at your local hardware store)

Possibly bring the pump, or at least the barbed fitting in with you to test-fit in store? The tubing should require a good amount of force to push over an associated barbed fitting!

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I like to use reinforced tubing to connect to return pump, it's thicker and will not swell.

Does the pump have a barbed fitting to connect 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" tubing? Maybe you can heat the tubing to get it on the barbed fitting for the next size up.. it will stretch and fit very tight.
And are you using pliers to squeeze down the clamp?

My next size up for fittings for the new pump is 1-1/4", and the tubing is standard 1". To heat the tubing I'd have to break its otherwise unbroken seal on the other end in order to take it somewhere to heat. I used pliers, clamps are both as tight as they can possibly go. Any not in water clamp is a screw-down stainless steel, and not one has moved. At this point I'm scared to leave it alone, even with the pump now down to 50ish%.

 

[UncommonSense]

My next size up for fittings for the new pump is 1-1/4", and the tubing is standard 1". To heat the tubing I'd have to break its otherwise unbroken seal on the other end in order to take it somewhere to heat. I used pliers, clamps are both as tight as they can possibly go. Any not in water clamp is a screw-down stainless steel, and not one has moved. At this point I'm scared to leave it alone, even with the pump now down to 50ish%.

Hmm… this really shouldn’t be happening! Are the barbs on the pump outlet just really small?

I’m still leaning towards swapping the length of tubing between the pump and first barbed elbow… it keeps failing in the same place…

 

[Wandering Albatross]

That tube popping off again is a bit surprising!

If I had to guess; it’s the first section of tubing between pump and barbed elbow that’s the culprit here… maybe it’s an oddball size like 7/8” ID, maybe it’s metric, maybe it’s just old/stretched/hardened…

Do you have a fresh section of tubing that you could replace that first length with? That would omit the tubing itself as a culprit… — I’ve personally had good success with braided vinyl tubing! (Available at your local hardware store)

Possibly bring the pump, or at least the barbed fitting in with you to test-fit in store? The tubing should require a good amount of force to push over an associated barbed fitting!

Surprised me too! It held all day and night and was perfectly stable. Then pop, no warning.

All my plumbing is the same tubing though, cut to size from the same 10ft length. I have a little extra I could recut, but I'm hard pressed to think it's the tubing itself if all the rest is fine. And I find it hard to believe it's because it goes up a foot then hits a 90 because I've seen some of the builds here. No other barbed fitting has this issue, the new fitting was snug so I thought maybe the last pump fitting was just a dud. It's frustrating me now, as I thought we were finally stable on all counts.

 

[Reefering1]

Post pics of barbed fitting(s), and end of tube. Might prove useful.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Hmm… this really shouldn’t be happening! Are the barbs on the pump outlet just really small?

I’m still leaning towards swapping the length of tubing between the pump and first barbed elbow… it keeps failing in the same place…

They did look a touch different from the barbed fittings on the 90s, but this newer pump fitting was snug unlike the last one, for several days, then it just popped about 20 min ago.

 

[UncommonSense]

Surprised me too! It held all day and night and was perfectly stable. Then pop, no warning.

All my plumbing is the same tubing though, cut to size from the same 10ft length. I have a little extra I could recut, but I'm hard pressed to think it's the tubing itself if all the rest is fine. And I find it hard to believe it's because it goes up a foot then hits a 90 because I've seen some of the builds here. No other barbed fitting has this issue, the new fitting was snug so I thought maybe the last pump fitting was just a dud. It's frustrating me now, as I thought we were finally stable on all counts.

The only other thing I can think is looking for a marginally smaller plastic hose clamp… they usually have a listed effective clamping diameter range…

— the range of tube outside diameters that one of these plastic hose clamps can actually clamp effectively is very narrow… (that is to say, they might not work on tubing which is too thick or thin walled, vs. what the manufacturer tested them and subsequently lists them to fit on!)

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Here’s what I’ve got

 

[UncommonSense]

Here’s what I’ve got

Those barbs (black) look pretty small… that could realistically be a big chunk of the problem here!

Your local plumbing/irrigation supply store should have some nicer barbed fittings, assuming the pump’s outlet threads are NPT!

Schedule 80 Straight Barb x Female Thread

Barb/Insert x Female Thread. PVC Straight Insert Fittings for your plumbing needs. Use Schedule 80 Female Inserts where flexible turns and connections to fittings with male threads are needed. More professional look than white Schedule 40 PVC. The golden rule of plumbing is that every job...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Reefering1]

I see the indentation from tight clamp, is it a loose fit without the clamp? I would cut a new piece of tubing(correct length, of course), heat it in hot water(steaming, not boiling), and see if you can force it onto the 1 1/4" barbed fitting. It will stretch. Use a rag or something and squeeze it into the barbs of fitting as it cools. If you get it on, use that.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Those barbs (black) look pretty small… that could realistically be a big chunk of the problem here!

Your local plumbing/irrigation supply store should have some nicer barbed fittings, assuming the pump’s outlet threads are NPT!

Schedule 80 Straight Barb x Female Thread

Barb/Insert x Female Thread. PVC Straight Insert Fittings for your plumbing needs. Use Schedule 80 Female Inserts where flexible turns and connections to fittings with male threads are needed. More professional look than white Schedule 40 PVC. The golden rule of plumbing is that every job...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

That's kinda false advertising by the vendors then it seems, if the pump comes with 3 different sized fittings and none of them actually fit...

The grey double barbed 90s were spears, same as my valves, and all 90s at this point have held great. It's just this one point. If the linked fitting doesn't work, what's my next move? I have a tank with perfect salt levels, perfect temp, nice and clear, just begging for some fish, but I can't trust this one section of plumbing.

 

[UncommonSense]

That's kinda false advertising by the vendors then it seems, if the pump comes with 3 different sized fittings and none of them actually fit...

The grey double barbed 90s were spears, same as my valves, and all 90s at this point have held great. It's just this one point. If the linked fitting doesn't work, what's my next move? I have a tank with perfect salt levels, perfect temp, nice and clear, just begging for some fish, but I can't trust this one section of plumbing.

Next step in escalation would be switching to a different style of tubing for the first section of your return plumbing…

Or, just hard plumbing for even more flow!

Edit: again, the linked barbed adapter fitting will only work if your pump’s outlet is 1” NPT… can you check the specs to confirm that?

 

[Wandering Albatross]

I see the indentation from tight clamp, is it a loose fit without the clamp? I would cut a new piece of tubing(correct length, of course), heat it in hot water(steaming, not boiling), and see if you can force it onto the 1 1/4" barbed fitting. It will stretch. Use a rag or something and squeeze it into the barbs of fitting as it cools. If you get it on, use that.

It was loose with the clamp tightened all the way down, that's the strange thing. The clamp held the tube itself, but it's like it wasn't strong enough to hold the fitting underneath. I could twist and roll the tubing while clamped to the fitting. I'll see if I can get this heated enough, although if it forces its way onto the 1-1/4", the largest clamps I have that aren't stainless steel won't fit anymore.

 

[UncommonSense]

It was loose with the clamp tightened all the way down, that's the strange thing. The clamp held the tube itself, but it's like it wasn't strong enough to hold the fitting underneath. I could twist and roll the tubing while clamped to the fitting. I'll see if I can get this heated enough, although if it forces its way onto the 1-1/4", the largest clamps I have that aren't stainless steel won't fit anymore.

If you force 1” tube into a 1.25” barbed fitting… it’ll likely need to be cut along the tube length to even remove it!

Though, if the plastic hose clamp wasn’t actually clamping the 1” hose down TIGHT on the pump’s 1” barbed outlet; either the barbed outlet is too small, or the hose clamp is too big! (Re: plastic clamps having a narrow clamping range!)

 

[UncommonSense]

double post… (site errors)

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Next step in escalation would be switching to a different style of tubing for the first section of your return plumbing…

Or, just hard plumbing for even more flow!

Edit: again, the linked barbed adapter fitting will only work if your pump’s outlet is 1” NPT… can you check the specs to confirm that?

It doesn't say unfortunately

 

[UncommonSense]

It doesn't say unfortunately

Hmm… the easiest bet might be just running over to the local hardware and/or plumbing store with your pump to see what they have…. Assuming you don’t have any 1” female NPT fittings laying around?

 

[Wandering Albatross]

If you force 1” tube into a 1.25” barbed fitting… it’ll likely need to be cut along the tube length to even remove it!

Though, if the plastic hose clamp wasn’t actually clamping the 1” hose down TIGHT on the pump’s 1” barbed outlet; either the barbed outlet is too small, or the hose clamp is too big! (Re: plastic clamps having a narrow clamping range!)

I agree, the stainless steel have all stayed snug and were obviously holding, plastic is more finicky

 

[Reefering1]

Hard plumbed is the way to go. But that doesn't mean what you have can't work. I've, only ever, had to heat tubing to get a fit I can trust. Tank stuff, fuel lines- everything that needs to seal. Normally have to cut it off to remove. Try heating it and force it onto the next size up. You might have to use both hands and press it into the floor while hot, but it certainly won't come off; and will offer more flow. I've even used lighters to keep it hot while pressing. A couple times, I've even put pvc cement on it and light on fire and push on(exercises extreme caution at your own risk), but I don't think you'll need to do all that.