How hard do you work your return pump

[Marco_99]

What percentage do you all run your pumps on? Do you like a bigger or a smaller pump? Is a heavy turnover your flavor or just enough gph to get by?

 

[UncommonSense]

I size my pumps for a target flow rate then run them wide open; they’re most efficient there!

 

[Kiiyo]

I'm at 45% currently, I'd go higher but don't want to dial in the drain valve again haha.

 

[carri10]

I’ve got an external AC pump. Not throttled at all by any valve. So 100% for me

 

[Savage Henry]

I’m at 60%. I would run lower but the specifications say to run at a minimum 60%. I didn’t know that when I bought the pump so it might be something for people to look out for.

 

[mboley]

I run a VarioS 6 pump on a 50 gallon tank at 50-62%, about 480gph. 50% at night. I use it for in-tank circulation with output through three Locline nozzles. Only other pump is an MP10.

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

I size my pumps for a target flow rate then run them wide open; they’re most efficient there!

DC pumps typically are most efficient around 70% - 80% range seeing that as electrical resistance rises so does the heat and efficiency drops. Not to mention the driver circuits are typically found in the body of the pump to be water cooled. This doesn't take into account of any resistance in the plumbing head pressure.

I look at it like a forced induction on a car, you can take a small super charger/turbo and run it at max but in return your efficiently drops from the increased heat being pushed into the engine. Now if you take a larger super charger/turbo and underdrive it in return you will see decreased heat and higher efficiency.

Either way you look at it, running anything at max increases wear and tear on certain components. A slightly oversized pump running at a lower rate would offer a longer life span and efficiency

 

[UncommonSense]

DC pumps typically are most efficient around 70% - 80% range seeing that as electrical resistance rises so does the heat and efficiency drops. Not to mention the driver circuits are typically found in the body of the pump to be water cooled. This doesn't take into account of any resistance in the plumbing head pressure.

I look at it like a forced induction on a car, you can take a small super charger/turbo and run it at max but in return your efficiently drops from the increased heat being pushed into the engine. Now if you take a larger super charger/turbo and underdrive it in return you will see decreased heat and higher efficiency.

Either way you look at it, running anything at max increases wear and tear on certain components. A slightly oversized pump running at a lower rate would offer a longer life span and efficiency

Ah; I’m referring to AC pumps specifically, and correctly sized return plumbing! (As in, no appreciable frictional flow loss; low water velocity)

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Ah; I’m referring to AC pumps specifically, and correctly sized return plumbing! (As in, no appreciable frictional flow loss; low water velocity)

I would agree with you when it came to an AC pump, I assumed OP was leaning more towards DC since they asked about %

Definitely takes more thought and research to properly size an AC pump, im sure most manufactures dont provide flow curves or any detailed information when it comes to our hobby.

 

[UncommonSense]

I would agree with you when it came to an AC pump, I assumed OP was leaning more towards DC since they asked about %

Definitely takes more thought and research to properly size an AC pump, im sure most manufactures dont provide flow curves or any detailed information when it comes to our hobby.

Agreed! Some manufacturers still do have handy head flow loss charts, I tend to support them with my business!

You see these specs more prevalently in industrial applications, typically with the pumps price tags reflecting it!

I also try to keep a positive displacement flow meter around for testing purposes… it comes in handy from time to time!

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Agreed! Some manufacturers still do have handy head flow loss charts, I tend to support them with my business!

You see these specs more prevalently in industrial applications, typically with the pumps price tags reflecting it!

I also try to keep a positive displacement flow meter around for testing purposes… it comes in handy from time to time!

Oh yea 100%! I was in the industrial industry for many years prior to going into more automated equipment. Great pumps out there with a company to back them!

But unlike ourselves and others like us, most hobbyist will never run one. I still use a mag 7 for a mixing pump, most reefers now days probably never seen one :face-with-tears-of-joy: But the DC advanced over the past several years has been a blessing for our hobby, I run a Jebao DC12000 on my system and love it.

 

[UncommonSense]

Oh yea 100%! I was in the industrial industry for many years prior to going into more automated equipment. Great pumps out there with a company to back them!

But unlike ourselves and others like us, most hobbyist will never run one. I still use a mag 7 for a mixing pump, most reefers now days probably never seen one :face-with-tears-of-joy: But the DC advanced over the past several years has been a blessing for our hobby, I run a Jebao DC12000 on my system and love it.

Here’s a fun reminder of the good ol’ days when pump manufacturers were a bit more… thorough?

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

What percentage do you all run your pumps on? Do you like a bigger or a smaller pump? Is a heavy turnover your flavor or just enough gph to get by?

To answer your question though

I found this chart that would probably give you a good ideal of the size of pump for your current plumbing. I would rate your pump 20% larger than your current needs so that your able to run that 70%-80% or even less to maximize efficiency. Take in account that also means your gravity flow throw your overflow box. Most kits are rated for 600-800 gph on a 1" bulk head

 

[ReefQuestCorals]

Here’s a fun reminder of the good ol’ days when pump manufacturers were a bit more… thorough?

Been a few years since I seen a drawing! Good ol times, ran a similar style pump on our return systems for the cooling tanks on vinyl extruders.

 

[Savage Henry]

Another benefit I find with having an oversized return pump is that I can turn it to 100% when I am cleaning the algae from the display tank. This helps flush the waste into the sump filter sock (which I remove and clean afterwards).

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My return pump runs at 30%

 

[Waters]

I always oversize my pumps and run at lower speeds.

 

[mfinn]

I'm at 46% with my RD3 100 watt on my 240.

 

[Marco_99]

To answer your question though

I found this chart that would probably give you a good ideal of the size of pump for your current plumbing. I would rate your pump 20% larger than your current needs so that your able to run that 70%-80% or even less to maximize efficiency. Take in account that also means your gravity flow throw your overflow box. Most kits are rated for 600-800 gph on a 1" bulk head

I was thinking about this as I was setting up and dialling in my overflow. I have a 4ftx2ft tank with a 40 gal sump running a Reef Factory base pump 10,000 (2,642 gph). This is an external (1”)overflow (1,200 gph) with dual loc- line returns (3/4”).

Testing out the plumbing with the tank just with water I ran it on like 40% for a day. It’s quiet the flow is decent. I bumped it up to 55% -60%( maybe I should go higher?) and like the flow is really nice up top throughout the tank, but I would have to adjust my overflow pipes again because it’s a bit noisy (the ext box runs about a half inch under the bulkheads(dual) for water height, just under half full), but I think I like the higher rate flow, pushes through the sump good. The tank will live being mostly dominated by SPS. I do have two MP 40s that are going to run opposite ends but I do like the higher flow rate turnover. Maybe it’s not needed? Is there a thing as too much?

 

[Quietman]

I have my Tunze Silence DC pump running at 20-25% of max. I run my UV in my return line as tank is <50gal. The extra flow came in handy when cranking up UV flow to treat dinos. Been running it for 5+ years now without a break.