Can You Help Our Totally Messed Up Plumbing Nightmare

[squiddly]

Ok... we really need some help here. Husband tried to install a new section of plumbing into the system so that he could branch off of it to send water to a refugium (not yet built) and into a new UV sterilizer. He set things up this way:

 

 

When it was first fired up (after all of the open fittings were plumbed in) the tank overflowed. Also, the protein skimmer began filling with water and expelling foam out of its top.

 

All help very appreciated.

[jason the filter freak]

Well if your uv sterililizer is in line just plum it in between your pump and the line going back into your tank, with threaded Pvc so it can be removed for maintanace, and just T off with a pvc fitting your input to your sup and put a valve on one side of the T so you can later hook it up to your refugium, and then have it so your refugium just overflows back into the out put area of your sump

[squiddly]

Well if your uv sterililizer is in line just plum it in between your pump and the line going back into your tank, with threaded Pvc so it can be removed for maintanace, and just T off with a pvc fitting your input to your sup and put a valve on one side of the T so you can later hook it up to your refugium, and then have it so your refugium just overflows back into the out put area of your sump

 

Thanks again for your message, Jason. Already did that. I couldn't take another picture before he took it all apart in dusgust. The tank, not the sump overflowed. Take a closer look at the filter part (white cylinder). There are two pipes coming off of that, one that goes behind the main overflow that was plummed to the UV, and the other one coming out that was put on a valve that was closed. However, on the test run, before the bulb was put into the sterilizer, the water somehow overflowed the tank at Squiddly's great disgust and running for towels. I'm getting used to running for towels. Perhaps I will lose a lot of weight this way.

[dhoch]

If the tank overflowed that the drain is not large enough to handle the rate you are pumping back into the tank.

 

part of that may be that without the refugium your drain line is smaller (my guess).

 

Easy solution: Plumb a valve in the return line and restrict the return to the tank... and then when the refugium is online you will probably be able to open it up more.

 

Dave

[jason the filter freak]

:( I had a 55 gallon tank crack on me soo I feel your pain running for towels and even a steam vac on ocasion.

 

 

There is a very very simple way to prevent your tank from over flowing.... I found this out the hard way, and felt really dumb when I did

 

When you start out block the drain from your tank leading to your sump, fill the tank all the way up to your desired level, then unblock it let your overflows drain your tank until they are no longer taking in water ... then OLNY ADD ENOUGH WATER to get the water level of your tank to where it is draining into your overflows again, then engage your sump pump, this way you'll never have enough water in your system to over flow your tank

 

I don't want to disagree with dave, cuz that man is AWSOME! , however I would put a PVC T on your return line with a valve on the open end of the T with a 90 degree bend on it so it aims back down to your sump, this will relive some of your flow with out loosing pressure in your return line, if you put an inline valve and close it part way it will creat back preassure on your return pump which can lead to burning it out.... give me a min and I'll make a diagram

[jason the filter freak]

Here's what I'm talking about

 

the first is just your sump

 

the second is what dave is talking about that "could" lead to burning out your return pump

 

the last is what I'm talking about that should allow you to safely decresse the amount of water flowing back into your tank with no harm to your pump, you could also make the 90 degree bend have a piece of clean vinyl tubing on it or pvc pipe so it goes all the way back into your sump (to prevent splashing )

 

Here's what I'm talking about

 

LET IT BE KNOWN I"M NOT AN ARTIST AND I DID THIS IN A SHORT TIME, this is purely for design idea not art lol

Edited September 4, 2006 by jason the filter freak

[squiddly]

Thanks guys. The husband has rushed off to the Temple of the Home Despot to procure who the heck knows what, and by his grumbling on the way, seems to have some type of plan, leaving me with the acrylic cleaner, the dripping towels, and the now working better ASM-G1. Luckily "Better off Dead" is on TV where the mother gives everyone TV dinners, and her husband an Aardvark coat for Xmas.

[dhoch]

Jason,

 

Actually that plumbing idea of mine (which pretty much everyone does) will not burn out your pump. In fact it's the recommended method for restricting flow through any system.

 

Putting a valve on the outflow side of your pump just creates more resistance (similar to more bends and turns in plumbin, or a longer run).

 

Where you do not want to put a valve is on the INTAKE side of your pump... That will burn out your pump.

 

Finally the return back can be used, but will create more splashing and bubles, unless that return is flowed back into the entry point into the sump...

 

Better and easier way is to just plumb a valve in there...

 

Dave

[jason the filter freak]

Hmm Dave's been in this longer than I have.... And as far as I'm concerend he's the man....

 

My line of thinking was that if you put back preassure on your return pump it might cause it to have extra resistance, which could cause it to work harder...?

 

Like I said dave has been in this longer than I have

 

And to borrow someone else's signature in the club, it's just my opnion and it's worth what you paid for it

Edited September 4, 2006 by jason the filter freak

[squiddly]

Husband said something like "well, why did you bother those people with little things like this? I had everything under control and knew just what to do." If that were so, would I have been sopping up the floor AGAIN? :-) I panicked and posted before I knew what was up.

 

 

here's the fix. He says he's going to put a T back in later so that we can run the refugium, which will go to the right of the protein skimmer, now fixed. *phew*

[jason the filter freak]

Nice signature, glad we could get that all worked out for you

[jason the filter freak]

FYI

 

Here's a chart of Mag pumps and head pressures: Charts for Mag drive application

Courtesy ReefCentral.com, here is a head loss calculator

 

This picture displays the return plumbing, including an additional horizontal valve feeding water to a refugium. The vertical section has a valve to bleed off excess water back into the sump. Details

 

To avoid too much flow to your tank, in case your pump is too powerful, you can put a "tee" in your return plumbing, and an elbow pointing straight back down into your sump. Then you put a ball valve on that. If the valve is wide open, the majority of your water will go straight back into your sump. The more you close the valve, the more water goes up to the tank. This is the best system, because your pump will never feel a restriction and it won't shorten the lifespan of your pump.

[dschflier]

jason,

 

With all do respect. Unless I am not understanding your last thread it appears you are saying again what you said the first time.

 

I have to completely agree with dhoch. All of my mag pumps have always had a flow restrictor/union just after the output. I have had pumps run like this for years without any problems. I think diverting the flow back to the sump will give you a million air bubbles in your tank because the splash back will then get sucked back into the pump.

[jason the filter freak]

jason,

 

With all do respect. Unless I am not understanding your last thread it appears you are saying again what you said the first time.

 

I have to completely agree with dhoch. All of my mag pumps have always had a flow restrictor/union just after the output. I have had pumps run like this for years without any problems. I think diverting the flow back to the sump will give you a million air bubbles in your tank because the splash back will then get sucked back into the pump.

 

 

I don't know why the link didn't come though, it was some one on RC who builds and sells sumps. That was a quotaion out of the article he had written

[GaryL]

if it was a link to RC it wont post here. just some quirky stuff with RC i think. if you could copy the pic and post it on webshots or photobucket or in our gallery it will show up.