Wow. You gave excellent and thorough advice. You’re a plumbing pro! I now know who to call for any plumbing work.looks pretty good, some comments from me...
- most important - it looks like all of the plumbing is more or less fully supported by the glass. This will cause a lot of stress on the glass, especially once the plumbing is full of water. You'll also be adding additional stress to the glass each time you torque the valves on the drain. I strongly encourage you to secure the plumbing to the stand using screws and pipe clamps. check out my build thread for some ideas, and I included a photo of an example below. Especially since your tank is rimmed and so uses very thin glass, you don't want to risk shattering it with the weight of your plumbing. product links: https://amzn.to/4hkJKUV https://amzn.to/3QWgGs6
- It looks like all your plumbing is the same size. you generally want your drains larger than your returns if you are splitting your return fully in 2 from the source. You're basically asking your return pump to move 2x as much water as a full siphon drain, with head pressure, and 90 degree elbows. doesn't seem like this will work the way you want it to. As an example, in my system, I run 1 inch return line to the tank, then split it to a 2x 3/4" loc line via a 7 fitting. 1 return line at one diameter cannot magically feed enough water to become double.
- I see your returns will be significantly below the water line on entry to the tank. Keep in mind that in the case of power failure or return pump failure, your tank will back-siphon down to the bottom of the returns inside the tank. Make 100% sure the water level you run in the sump can handle the full volume that will back siphon in the case of pump failure or power outage, otherwise it's a flood guaranteed. Test this before you put the tank inside.
- You should move the gate valve to the vertical section of the main drain if possible. gate valves can become clogged much more easily in horizontal or vertical orientations. perhaps lengthen the vertical run of the main drain so you can manipulate the valve from the front of the tank, if the tank will be against a wall.
- No need for a ball valve on the return line. Just use a DC controllable pump instead. That way you just set the return to the rate you want, and tune it with the drain gate valve.
- I wouldn't want the emergency drain going into the center chamber unless there will never be anything there for the flow to stir up in the case it needs to drain water. I'd just run it to the sock.
- More of a nice to have than a necessity, but I'd recommend you use multiple 45 degree fittings on the return lines rather than 90 degree elbows, which create significantly more resistance and reduce the efficiency of the return pump. also on the topic of the return plumbing, it seems to me that most water will take the path of least resistance and go straight up, favoring one side of the 2 returns. you could mitigate this by using a Y fitting to split the return near to the pump.
you are too kind. let's just say that failure and mistakes are the best teachers :grinning-squinting-face:
Hey I appreciate all the advice. (1) I’ll definitely be supporting all the plumbing after gluing everything in, I really like those stainless steel straps you used that should work perfectly because the pipes are not right up against the stand. (2) since everything is drilled already do you think I should use reducers and change the returns to 1/2” ? (3) The return lines are only about an inch under the waterline. The sump water level will only be 6 inches so I should have space for 10 extra gallons the tank is 40 gallons, but I’ll definitely test this. (4) I should be able to lengthen the main drain and move the gate valve. (5) I do have a dc pump so I’ll just remove the valve, I had a extra so I figured it wouldn’t hurt lol. (6) Yeah I was planning on using the center section for macro algae and possibly a sand bed so I’ll definitely move the emergency drain to the sock section. (7) If you think 1/2” return lines will work I’ll just replumb the returns using the y fitting and 45s.looks pretty good, some comments from me...
- most important - it looks like all of the plumbing is more or less fully supported by the glass. This will cause a lot of stress on the glass, especially once the plumbing is full of water. You'll also be adding additional stress to the glass each time you torque the valves on the drain. I strongly encourage you to secure the plumbing to the stand using screws and pipe clamps. check out my build thread for some ideas, and I included a photo of an example below. Especially since your tank is rimmed and so uses very thin glass, you don't want to risk shattering it with the weight of your plumbing. product links: https://amzn.to/4hkJKUV https://amzn.to/3QWgGs6
- It looks like all your plumbing is the same size. you generally want your drains larger than your returns if you are splitting your return fully in 2 from the source. You're basically asking your return pump to move 2x as much water as a full siphon drain, with head pressure, and 90 degree elbows. doesn't seem like this will work the way you want it to. As an example, in my system, I run 1 inch return line to the tank, then split it to a 2x 3/4" loc line via a 7 fitting. 1 return line at one diameter cannot magically feed enough water to become double.
- I see your returns will be significantly below the water line on entry to the tank. Keep in mind that in the case of power failure or return pump failure, your tank will back-siphon down to the bottom of the returns inside the tank. Make 100% sure the water level you run in the sump can handle the full volume that will back siphon in the case of pump failure or power outage, otherwise it's a flood guaranteed. Test this before you put the tank inside.
- You should move the gate valve to the vertical section of the main drain if possible. gate valves can become clogged much more easily in horizontal or vertical orientations. perhaps lengthen the vertical run of the main drain so you can manipulate the valve from the front of the tank, if the tank will be against a wall.
- No need for a ball valve on the return line. Just use a DC controllable pump instead. That way you just set the return to the rate you want, and tune it with the drain gate valve.
- I wouldn't want the emergency drain going into the center chamber unless there will never be anything there for the flow to stir up in the case it needs to drain water. I'd just run it to the sock.
- More of a nice to have than a necessity, but I'd recommend you use multiple 45 degree fittings on the return lines rather than 90 degree elbows, which create significantly more resistance and reduce the efficiency of the return pump. also on the topic of the return plumbing, it seems to me that most water will take the path of least resistance and go straight up, favoring one side of the 2 returns. you could mitigate this by using a Y fitting to split the return near to the pump.
The drains and returns are all 3/4”, so your saying I can just use a 3/4 to 1/2 y right above the pump and then I wouldn’t have to change the 3/4 return pipe?
Ok understood. Another question I have is that I heard that check valves don’t really work well so while I’m running the new 1/2” returns should I just use regular unions and then use some sch 80 ball valves so I can shut them while doing maintenance? And thanks again for all the advice.
I wouldn't use any sort of check or ball valves on the returns. If you ensured the sump can handle the water volume that will drain from the tank when return pump is off, then you simply shut off the pump and let it drain into the sump if you have maintenance to do that requires shutting off the return pump.
Got it !! I’ll update once it’s all done, hopefully have some time this weekend.
Hey yeah I’ll def support everything, as far as the check valve I’ll just skip it and like you said add some tru union ball valves that way if I need to turn the pump off my sump won’t be almost completely full. I’ll prob just leave the 3/4 street 90s coming out of the return bulkheads and then use a 3/4 to 1/2 reducers to change the returns to 1/2” and then replumb it so the the wye is at the center. I won’t be gluing anything inside the overflow or the 2 drain down pipes over the sump that way I can easily remove them and change the socks out. I’m going to extend the main drain line a little so I can move the gate valve to a vertical position and easily access it from under the stand.
What’s the deal with this elbow fitting with no downpipe?Got a chance to redo the plumbing today, I reduced the returns to 1/2”, moved the tee on the return to the center, moved the emergency drain to the sock section, and moved the gate valve to a vertical position. Other than a few small adjustments on the pipe lengths so that it’s all level and get everything supported with pipe straps I think I’m ready for glue. Anything else I should change?
I just need to add a down pipe, should I leave the emergency drain down pipe above the water line so it splashes when its being used?What’s the deal with this elbow fitting with no downpipe?
Totally up to you, but in any case definitely have the end of the emergency drain pipe below the rim of the sump.you still need the return pipes supported, but everything else looks decent to me!
