Redundant Pumps

[scriptmonkey]

So I am in the process of putting together a plan for a new build. Going to be about 137ish gallons and the tank is scheduled to be delivered first or second week of April. Currently I have a Varios 8 that has never touched water, was my backup pump on my 75 if ever my Current eFlux ever decided to give up the ghost. I was going to pick up a second one and run that in a 44" sump but it will be tight. A real good friend of mine started poking holes in my idea about it being over complex, how one pump can overwhelm my overflow and drain system there is no need to add two, stuff like that.

My justification is if I am ever away and something happens, I have the second one going and all I have to do is adjust speed remotely to compensate. Plus I do not ever like running anything at 100% all the time. I rather run 2 at 40%, figure it helps with longevity.

Am I being overly paranoid, should I just go with one and just keep a second on the shelf waiting to go instead of active and wet?

 

[laverda]

If one fails it may defeat having a second on if not plumbed properly. You would need good check valves on both. They would both need to be maintained as well.
I debated the same thing with my current tank. Mostly due to the unproven reliability of dc pumps. I would not have worried at all if I had kept my 25 year old AC pump. I just have a identical spare pump so it is easy to change should I ever need to. Add plumbing up to a bulkhead to make changing the pumps out super easy in case you need someone else to do it for you.
Also if you have enough flow in your tank it should be able to go a few days eith out the return pump. One reson I keep one heater in the display as well.

 

[Breadman03]

I just keep a spare pump. If I was to run two pumps, I would plumb them completely independently so that even if Pump1 fails and begins siphoning, Pump2 will be moving water to the display. If you tee them together, you could easily end up in a situation where Pump2 is just pumping water through the tee and out of Pump1.

 

[jda]

If you were really worried, you can use a more reliable pump than a Varios. There are many pumps with decade-long track records. Having a second pump on hand, even if it is an older, noiser pump, is a good idea.

That being said, just make sure that you have some flow pumps in your tank hooked up to a different outlet/circuit and you will be fine. This protects against a circuit issue and also a pump failure. I also like to keep a single heater hidden behind the rocks so that the tank will stay warm.

 

[ca1ore]

If you were really worried, you can use a more reliable pump than a Varios.

Yup!!! I keep a drop in spare for my PanWorld 250 which, ironically, is rusting worse than the one in use because it's been sitting on the shelf for 11 years :)

 

[maroun.c]

Plumbing them in series might helpnif one fails. Plumbing in parallel would require one way valves to be installed. On a small tank i r UKn i have a return pump returning water via return tube in overflow and another small return pump supplying chiller abd output is over the top into the tank. If main pump was to fail the second one would keep the water circulating till im back home. I frequently travel for 2-15 days and tank runs unattended and that adds some redundancy.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Sorry for the delayed response, I was not getting notifications...odd

So the tank will have two returns in back corners. My plan was for:

• Each pump connect to one return.
• I am pulling two new circuits to the tank location.
• Each circuit will have a apex eb832 connected. Off the apex bars, each will have a return pump, one heater, one tank flow pump and one light.

Then someone said, just buy one Red Dragon for the cost of two Varios-8 and be done with it. So.. need to make a decision soon because tank day is coming.

 

[jsvand5]

I wouldn’t use two. Just seems unnecessary to me. Your flow in the tank will be fine to keep your tank going even if your return pump fails. Just have them set up so there is some surface agitation. Not sure what temp you keep your house at but the tank will likely be fine without a heater in the case of a return pump failure as well.