Quick question

[Tazmaniancowboy]

Joe, I think the overflow is only rated for 600. 700 at the max. you will not have much head pressure so you will have to find a way to throttle it down or loose a little back into the sump. I wouldn't want to be pushing the envelope, especially being on the second floor.

Taz

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

According to the headloss calculator on Reef central you are only going to lose about 75 gph. Better throw a series of 90 degree elbows in there...LOL

You need to loselike 300 gph unless you modify the overflow.

Wow most people don't want to see headloss, but you need it!

Just my observation, I do not know how Stan is planning to hook it up, and I am not doubting him at all. He obviously knows what he is doing!

Taz

 

[jsantoli]

I don't know a thing about any of this headloss mumbo jumbo. Is there a plumber in the house!

 

[calaxa]

Joe,

I sent you a PM. I live close by if you need some help getting it plumbed together or you just want me to double check some stuff, etc.

Nathan

 

[Hawkeye]

I don't know a thing about any of this headloss mumbo jumbo. Is there a plumber in the house!

basically, if a pump is pumping water out with NO restriction - it's going to pump at 900gph. But, lets say you want the water to go all the way from the bottom of your stand - to the top of the tank. You need to measure that distance in feet and that is known as your "head loss". Then check the chart and follow that pink/purple line on the right.

From the diagram below - at 12 feet or more distance - this pump will not pump any water. But at 0 feet of distance - it pumps 900 gph. Find the distance of your pump to the tank and then follow the line. Even at 8 feet - it's going to push 635 gph...too much.

More than likely stan wanted you to T it back so that you could use the excess flow for a phosban reactor and/or refugium.



Photo is courtesy of Marine Depot:

 

[jsantoli]

Will at AO suggested putting the T in with a ball valve so I can open it and have however much water I need to lose drain back into the sump. The T'd ball valve should allow me to narrow down exactly how much water the pump is delivering to the tank I think

 

[jsantoli]

And the sump bottom is 4'6" bellow the top of my tank, so a little less than 792gph

 

[calaxa]

Joe,

I have mine plumbed with a valve from the overflow to the sump as well as one from return pump back to display. Also have a valve for fuge. Can never have too many valves and unions. It's nice to be able to control the flow at each portion of the way if possible.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Will at AO suggested putting the T in with a ball valve so I can open it and have however much water I need to lose drain back into the sump. The T'd ball valve should allow me to narrow down exactly how much water the pump is delivering to the tank I think

Joe, without question, slap a tee on the return line to the tank. Here’s a pic of the tee coming off a Mag 9.5 in our sump. What is not seen is that the tee’d off line goes to a valve. You can then use that valve to meter the rate of return of water to the tank. A definite must!

 

[jsantoli]

Perfect, thanks for the pic. I went to home depot yesterday to buy the flex pipe and the guy said he never heard of that. He said all they have is clear rubber tubing and pvc. I am going to the hidden reef this afternoon so I will see what they have there in regards to plumbing stuff but should home depot/lowes have this flex pipe?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Joe, just so you know, I’m pretty sure the flex tubing you are talking about will not fit directly on the barbs coming off your bulkheads.  If it is the flex I know of, it is made to glue-up in standard PVC fittings.  When you go to connect it to your barb fittings on your bulkheads, I’m pretty sure you will have to first glue up a PVC fitting that will also fit a barb and then use a short section of Tygon tubing (typically clear; available at HD), to make that final connection.

I don’t say this with 100% assurance, since I’ve never connected PVC flex to a barb…just believe it can’t be done directly.

Additionally, consider slapping in unions at a couple locations so that you can disassemble sections for cleaning or maintenance.  You can see one in the picture above for removing the Mag pump easily.

 

[Hawkeye]

joe - you could order flex pvc from a site like bulkreefsupplies or from savko (where I got mine):

 

[jsantoli]

I just bought braided hosing, thats what the guy at hidden reef said would be easiest since I am not going a long distance with the water. Here is what I built, as you all suggested, to give the water another route to travel. I hope this is how you guys meant for me to make this. It isnt mounted yet since I dont have the pump until Tuesday.

 

[calaxa]

It's cheaper at THR but yes HD/Lowe's has it. It was the rubber tubing. Don't forget the clamps, etc.

 

[Hawkeye]

That is pretty much the way I did mine...hopefully we're both right! lol!

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

Joe, I'm not a plumber, but if I were doing that setup I would have put the ball valve above the "T" That way you can throttle back the tank and the pressure is relieved by the "T" The other thing I would be concerned about is the check valve. I would not personally use one. I've heard that they do not always work and seeing all of the skeletons growing all over the plastic overflows and PVC standpipes on my tank I'm sure it would be guaranteed to not work at some point in time. I would make sure that you leave enough room in the sump for water that siphons into the tank when power is lost. That return pipe is designed to break siphon at a certain point so that it doesn't siphon all of the water out.

Again, I'm no plumber, but these are my views. maybe someone else can chime in if I'm right or wrong.

Getting there! Water soon?

Taz

 

[Hawkeye]

oops - i didn't know that "thingy" was a check-valve. I don't have any check valves. I also went with tru-union valves - not the ball valves you have.

Anyways - couldn't this set up still work? I would only use the valve below the T for maintenance - that is, when I wanted to clean the pump. The second valve after the T is the one that will help control the flow. Water will naturally exit that way (gravity) and that t will control how much goes up into the tank (which is what you want).

The only "?" is the check valve.

 

[jsantoli]

The check valve is at the lowest point, The guy from the Hidden Reef suggested I get it, I could always take it off if you guys think it is better that way.

 

[Hawkeye]

the check valve is used so that if power were to go out - the water would not backwash into the sump. At least that is how I see it designed by the Hidden Reef staff.

This makes sense if you plan on keeping the water close to the top of the sump.

BUT - check valves are known to falter - so why mess with it? I dunno - maybe you could ask them the logic behind the valve.

To Taz's point - water coming back into the sump thru the return pump (when power is lost) isn't a problem as long as there is room in your sump to handle it. not sure your exp here - but most people will take a marker and mark the sump to what the "highest" point should be. Then cut the power to ensure that the water that backwashes doesn't overflow your sump.

Does that make sense? Not sure if I described it right. Anyways - bottom line is the check valve can stay but don't count on it. If you can remove it now - I'd remove it just so there's one less piece of equipment that might fail. That's my personal opinion - I would ask some of the more experienced folks for additional input (maybe even start a new thread just on check valves).

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

Joe, What I do to fill my tanks when I first build them is to fill the main tank right up to the teeth on the overflow. Then I fill the sump to the highest level that is possible or that I feel comfortable with. Then turn on the pump. The waterlevel in the sump will drop when it fills the tank and remain there when operating. I would also mark the high level as well as the operating level. when you need to top off use the corresponding level line(pump running, use operating level pump off use the high level) If you do this you will not overfill your sump if you have a powerfailure or just stop the pump, BUT REMEMBER that if you add anything significant more sand, rock, etc after the initial setup make sure you redo your marks.

Hope you understand and this helps.

Taz