Plumbing questions !
- Thread starter Ryan Rioux
- Start date
- Tagged users None
keddre
Well-Known Member
IMO I would flip the sump so that they aren't crossed like they are, plus I would wrap the ball valves in unions. Also I would add a gate valve on the drain.
Edit: and a check valve on the drain. Note these are PERSONAL opinions. But I would strongly recommend unions so that you can glue it all
Edit: and a check valve on the drain. Note these are PERSONAL opinions. But I would strongly recommend unions so that you can glue it all
Big G
captain dunsel
Suggest you consider connecting the pump to the pipe with a short piece of "soft silicone tubing". It allows a bit of wiggle room plus cuts down on the transfer of vibration from the pump. BRS sells the soft silicone. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/white-soft-silicone-tubing-sold-by-the-foot.html
Also place a kitchen heat silicone pad under the pump. Makes it all very quiet. Nice.
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux
Well-Known Member
Are you saying a gate valve instead of the ball valve?
Big G
captain dunsel
Ball valves can be very difficult to turn over time and they are difficult to use to adjust flow. Gate valves work great. Cepex brand are the best they come with union connections on both ends.
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux
Well-Known Member
I have a ton of the soft tubing 1" that came with the regular sump that comes with the system. I could have just connected the pump by tubing rather then pvc .
keddre
Well-Known Member
I would say both in case you ever want to cut off the waterflow for whatever reason in the order of tank->gate->ball->sump. But if you only want one, I'd do gate. While you can use a ball valve and get the same effect, not using a gate is my biggest regret on my plumbing
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux
Well-Known Member
I can't find a 1" cepex gate valve . I'm only coming up with cepex 1" ball valve
Big G
captain dunsel
I have the same Eshopps sump. The soft silicone is even softer than that which comes with the sump. Use zip ties to tighten the connection. Here's a picture. You need the pvc to have a valve on your return line. So just a bit of the soft silicone at the pump.
Big G
captain dunsel
The Cepex ball valve is the one to use on the return line from pump to tank; the Spears brand gate valve is used from the overflow to the sump to adjust the flow just right to keep even with the pump's output. The valves BRS sells are topnotch. I put them on my tank. I used cheap home depot ball valves on my mixing station and it was a huge mistake. I use those all the time on the mixing station. A real pain. Lesson learned. Gate valves are for metering/adjusting; ball valves are for on/off. Cheers!
Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
Ultimate Member
Reef Squad
Excellence Award
MTRCMember
R2R App User
Hospitality Award
My Tank Thread
1. I would not recommend capping off the third bulkhead...go ahead and make it an emergency drain in a Herbie overflow design. Here's a link on exactly how to set it up...it's really easy and will make your system almost noise free! http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/ The emergency line is mostly dry, but if there is ever a blockage in your main siphon drain line (snail, fish, etc...), then water in your tank has somewhere to go rather than over the rim into your room! You can plumb it to go to filter socks, but can also just have it dump directly into any area of the sump...if you see a lot of water coming out of it, you know you have a blockage problem in your main siphon drain line!
2. Many people use a piece of silicone or vinyl tubing between the return pump and the hard plumbing to help with vibration noises. It looks like you are using a Varios4 or Varios6 DC pump? If so, I have a Varios 6 hard-plumbed without the silicone tubing and it is dead quiet! No vibration problems at all. So, if you don't want to go to the expense of that, I think you will be fine with the hard plumbing with this return pump. Now if it's a different pump, I can't comment on whether it will be quiet or not!
3. Definitely use a Spears Gate Valve on your main siphon drain line (if using the Herbie overflow design in the above link). A ball valve like you have shown will be difficult to finely tune the flow. I use a Cepex ball valve on my return pump line just in case I need to cut the flow for some reason...I don't foresee the use in my system since I have a DC controllable pump, though.
4. Drain lines (especially the full siphon line) should go straight as possible into the sump...no 90 degree runs, but a 45 degree elbow is Ok. A horizontal run of the drain line can cause air to be held in the pipe causing reduced flow and noise.
5. Use unions often to assist with changing things later...or fixing stuff...or adding manifolds later, etc... Definitely put a union at the top right after the bulkheads and another one near the return pump (but up where it is out of the normal water line). Don't leave any of the pipe connections unprimed and uncemented on the return line! The return line actually has some good pressure being pushed through it...just asking for leaks! I didn't cement my final connections into my sump from the drain lines, though...no pressure there, and allows for movement and changing pipe lengths into the sump (if needed).
6. I don't like check valves on the return lines...some people like them, but most feel they can be just as dangerous as if not running with them since they fail easily. There are a few that you can use that can be cleaned and have internal parts replaced, but then those are costly! Build the sump right with the proper water depths...and don't let your return hose in your DT to be more than an inch under water, and the sump should be able to handle the back siphon with a power outage.
2. Many people use a piece of silicone or vinyl tubing between the return pump and the hard plumbing to help with vibration noises. It looks like you are using a Varios4 or Varios6 DC pump? If so, I have a Varios 6 hard-plumbed without the silicone tubing and it is dead quiet! No vibration problems at all. So, if you don't want to go to the expense of that, I think you will be fine with the hard plumbing with this return pump. Now if it's a different pump, I can't comment on whether it will be quiet or not!
3. Definitely use a Spears Gate Valve on your main siphon drain line (if using the Herbie overflow design in the above link). A ball valve like you have shown will be difficult to finely tune the flow. I use a Cepex ball valve on my return pump line just in case I need to cut the flow for some reason...I don't foresee the use in my system since I have a DC controllable pump, though.
4. Drain lines (especially the full siphon line) should go straight as possible into the sump...no 90 degree runs, but a 45 degree elbow is Ok. A horizontal run of the drain line can cause air to be held in the pipe causing reduced flow and noise.
5. Use unions often to assist with changing things later...or fixing stuff...or adding manifolds later, etc... Definitely put a union at the top right after the bulkheads and another one near the return pump (but up where it is out of the normal water line). Don't leave any of the pipe connections unprimed and uncemented on the return line! The return line actually has some good pressure being pushed through it...just asking for leaks! I didn't cement my final connections into my sump from the drain lines, though...no pressure there, and allows for movement and changing pipe lengths into the sump (if needed).
6. I don't like check valves on the return lines...some people like them, but most feel they can be just as dangerous as if not running with them since they fail easily. There are a few that you can use that can be cleaned and have internal parts replaced, but then those are costly! Build the sump right with the proper water depths...and don't let your return hose in your DT to be more than an inch under water, and the sump should be able to handle the back siphon with a power outage.
Similar threads
New Posts
-
-
What is your preferred method of Nitrate and Phosphate Reduction?- Latest: Ernie Mccracken
-
Pennsylvania Lighting Dry Goods 3 Radion XR15 G4 Pro Lights
- Latest: VanillaBean5813
