Plumbing question

[ph2505]

Hi, hoping i could get some plumbing help: i setup a relatively new tank and i have plumbed in a Geo's algae reactor to one of my return pumps, but im not sure i did it correctly.

this is my return piping, with the T-pipes to redirect flow to the reactor, when looking at how others built this out there is usually a gate valve in between the T-pipes, i forgot to add this... i have the gate valves on the reactor and can control how much is going in and out of the reactor.

Without the gate valve I am not sure the water is flowing correctly from IN to OUT and up the return, hoping i could get some advice. thanks,

 

[tbrown]

@Fish Styx ?

 

[Fish Styx]

Why are they inline? The output from the reactor should not be returning to your manifold.

 

[ph2505]

Why are they inline? The output from the reactor should not be returning to your manifold.

I’m not sure really, I was trying to plumb it similar to how UV would be plumbed off of a return. However I forgot to add the valve in between the T-pipes.

Does this plumbing not work?

 

[UncommonSense]

You’ve got equal pressure on both inlet and outlet, so nothing’s really happening inside the reactor…

A gate valve between inlet and outlet would technically work to restrict pressure on one side of the manifold, but definitely isn’t recommended!

— try just plumbing the reactor outlet to the sump!

 

[ph2505]

You’ve got equal pressure on both inlet and outlet, so nothing’s really happening inside the reactor…

A gate valve between inlet and outlet would technically work to restrict pressure on one side of the manifold, but definitely isn’t recommended!

— try just plumbing the reactor outlet to the sump!

Got it. That’s what I was worried about thanks! Super helpful.

Would it change anything at all if I slightly closed the outlet of the exit of the reactor? Or would the equal pressure from the T-pipe negate that.

 

[UncommonSense]

Would it change anything at all if I slightly closed the outlet of the exit of the reactor? Or would the equal pressure from the T-pipe negate that.

Equal pressure will make any current valve adjustments negligible, your problem will be fixed as soon as you give the outlet somewhere to go!

 

[ph2505]

Equal pressure will make any current valve adjustments negligible, your problem will be fixed as soon as you give the outlet somewhere to go!

Thank you very much