HOT TIP Submissions -- Topic: Plumbing Tips

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HOT TIPS Column: July Issue of Advanced Aquarist

July's theme is "Plumging Tips." Please submit any tips or tricks you have found for plumbing your tank. Your tips and tricks will help new and existing reefkeepers and also helps to bring the hobby to the next level (plus it's just cool to get published in a magazine like Advanced Aquarist).

When published, your hot tip will have your username published (along with your real name if you so desire). Every month we will be running a new HOT TIP thread so stay tuned and help out when you can.

The staff at both Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist would like to thank you for your continued interest and support of our online community, magazine, and services.

Let the submissions begin!

Best regards,

Reefs.org and Advanced Aquarist staff

 

[rabagley]

Choose slip and clamped barb fittings over threaded fittings for fixed plumbing whenever possible.

Use the specified adhesive(s) for the material you're gluing (spa flex and rigid PVC use slightly different glues, for instance) and follow all of the recommended steps (prime, glue, slip with a twist, hold; etc.). If you can, attend a Home Depot workshop on home plumbing when you know they'll be covering PVC.

Test all of your plumbing under normal operating conditions, preferably for several days, before subjecting any living thing to dealing with it. I like using food-safe dyes in fresh water to help find any leaks during these tests.

Try not to turn too many corners in a plumbing run, and if you must turn a corner, don't use a 90 degree elbow unless you absolutely have to. Use spa-flex (flexible PVC hose), a sweep (a rigid PVC pipe with a large radius bend in it), or two 45 degree elbows... but avoid 90 degree elbows where possible.

When plumbing with spa-flex (flexible PVC hose), it will almost always have a "set" that follows the curve it got when it was wrapped around the roll during manufacturing. Don't try to fight this "set", instead try to use the bend it already has to your advantage.

Plan your plumbing ahead so that you don't have to wedge it or bend it after gluing to keep it where you want it. Once attached, vertical runs should end up exactly where they're needed without any additional support and longer horizontal runs should only require the occasional strap to keep them from bending under their weight.

Test-fit your plumbing before gluing anything.

If you make a mistake with slip fittings, it is possible to drill out the pipe in the fitting and try again, but it will almost certainly be simpler and less trouble to buy more fittings and pipe. Test-fitting your plumbing before gluing anything should prevent most of the "go back and buy more" type mistakes.

On any bulkhead that leads to or from external equipment (return pump, skimmer, etc.) make sure that there is a ball valve very close to the bulkhead and a union on the other side of the ball valve. A true-union ball valve is even better. You'll eventually need to disconnect the pump or skimmer for repair/maintenance/replacement and this will let that happen with little mess and no fuss.

On the output line of return pumps, put a union and then a ball and/or gate valve close to the pump where you can get to them. A gate valve is better for throttling the return flow, the ball valve is faster to turn off and less hassle if you don't need to throttle the flow. Again, this allows you to disconnect and repair/maintain/replace the pump without disrupting your aquarium.

If you have an in-stand sump, have a plan for how to get the sump out of the stand without tearing the tank and stand apart. Smart placement of unions is again the not-so-secret trick. The litmus test is to complete all of your gluing with the sump outside of the stand, fill the main tank, and then move the sump into place. Only after the sump is placed under the stand do you actually complete the various assemblies (these final steps should not use any glue ). If you can get it in, it's likely you can get it out later. Do not try to momentarily pull on or otherwise force things to get the sump in or out of the stand. You will probably weaken joints and cause leaks.

Do not put restrictions in drains. Even though it's a good idea to have a ball valve to shut down a drain for tank maintenance, throttling a drain with a partially closed valve is a bad idea. Something will eventually catch in the restriction (snails are famous for this, with hair algae the next most likely culprit) and your drain will clog. Unless you have a second drain that can handle the full flow, your return pump will continue to pump the contents of the sump back up to the main tank and the main tank will overflow.

Use of a standpipe (Durso, Stockman, etc.) can be great for quieting overflow boxes and their drains. Don't glue the parts of a standpipe together as you'll want to make occasional adjustments.

Once water starts flowing through your plumbing it will be a little noisy. Once the pipes accumulate a little slime inside (a week to ten days of running salt water through them) this will quiet down a lot. Be patient and buy some earplugs in the meantime.

Quiet a noisy external pump with a neoprene mousepad or two (a good idea for any external pump actually).

Regards,
Ross

 

[shellshocked]

Wrap neoprene pipe insulation around the drain pipes to quiet the noise.

Remember to clean the inside edges of PVC pipe where you cut it - the little burrs etc... WILL catch debris that goes down the drain.

Use a gate valve instead of a ball valve - a ball valve will eventually clog with calcium and become impossible to close.

To clean items like an inline chiller or powerhead simply run it in water with vinegar.

Drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the flexible water pipe (where the water enters the tank from the sump) to prevent back siphon when the power goes out - even better is make sure this is just at the normal water level and it will break siphon automatically when the water level drops a little.

For long return plumbing a very slight drop is all that is required - say 1 inch per 10 feet - you are not trying to move solids like in normal waste plumbing just return the water as quietly and as gently as possible

To quiet the returm from a skimmer into a sump instead of letting it exhaust straight into the sump use a perforated pipe - it will not impede the water flow and will eliminate the splashing noise.

 

[Anonymous]

My one plumbing tip.

If you put a bulkhead at 4" below the top of the tank, and then put a Tee on the outside of the tank with a cap on top with a hole, and a hose on bottom running to your sump, you will almost have a durso standpipe. The only part you are missing is the elbow inside the tank pointing Down.

DOWN!

Got that?

Down!

D O W N

not up like some schmuck named knucklehead did, because that turns it from a really cool invention that quiets a tank into an air sucking monstrosity that takes a year of fiddling just so you can live with it.

That is the only tip I can give because all the rest I have done is just stopgaps to stop that infernal noise

 

[tgallo]

i like to use clear pvc glue and primer instead of the blue/purple color version, works just as well and looks alot neater when done.

 

[TJG]

Plan your plumbing out 1ST. Make a list of every thing you need then add atleast one more of every item on that list.(for smaller parts like elbows add like 3 more) You can always retrun items that are not used. There is nothing more aggravating then having to run up to the store to buy a .25 plubming fitting. Once you have all the parts you will need "dry fit" them (no glue). Once your happy with how that looks, start glueing from the tank down.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, it should be noted that before you do any plumbing you should take a look at Tgallo's thread about his 350

Its pretty easy to find

 

[jcurry@wesketch]

Valves & Unions:
Always buy threaded valves (not slip unless you never plan on modifying your setup) they are a couple of dollars more each, but they can be reused and reconfigured endlessly.

Tubing / pipe:
I prefer to use vinyl flexible tubing as much as possible. It is inexpensive, easy to work with and doesn't require alot of elbows to get where you need to go.
If the tubing kinks when you're trying to make a tight radius use several metal hose clamps to hold the tubing's shape.
Placing the tubing in a bathtub with very hot water makes it more flexible and easier to work with.
When dry fitting rigid PVC pipe mark the connections with a Sharpie marker by making a line across the pipe and fitting. When glueing the joints, rotate the pipe so the marks align.

And last but no least:
You can get anywhere you need to go with three (3) 45 degree elbows.

 

[Modo]

Always measure twice if not three times!

Buy a good pair of pipe cutters. These make a nice smooth cut and no mess from hacksaws. Also, great for cutting tubing.

If you end up using clear tubing in your plumbing, wrap with electrical or duct tape to prevent algae growth within your lines.

A nifty backflow preventative for those that plumb your return to bulkheads is to plumb your lines first above the waterline of the tank. Then plumb back down to the bulkheads. Insert a tee in the portion above the waterline and add a John-Guest or other speed fitting for 1/4" tube. Run the tube to your overflow or anywhere else that it will spray into the tank and not outside. Now when your pumps stop your tank won't drain to the level of the bulkheads because the tubing will draw in air and break the siphon and the water will stay the level of your returns or the level of your tank, which ever is lower.

 

[hillbilly]

You can maximize the efficiency of your water pump by always full port valves and PVC fittings, increase the size of your intake pipe, and not use a prefilter that would restrict flow. Provide 24" or more of piping from the pump's outlet without any fittings or valves. Annually remove your pump's impeller and give it a good cleaning. Look for signs your pump may be ready to fail, rattling, squeeling, and increased heating. When installing a new pump, never overtighten the fittings, you could damage the fitting, and the pump. Use teflon tape on the threads, and tighten hand tight, and then 1/4 with a wrench.

 

[Mihai]

If you want to throttle the return from your sump (e.g. if you have a
pump that's too big, or your overflow cannot handle the flow) do not use
a valve on the output of the pump (on the intake is even worse). The
valve on the output of the pump will create back-pressure which will
reduce the lifetime of the pump. Instead T-off from the pump's
output and return it to the sump (or refugium/algae scrubber, etc.).

Plan for water changes. A bit of planning at the beginning can save
you time and pain in the long run.

 

[leftovers]

The valve on the output of the pump will create back-pressure which will reduce the lifetime of the pump.

There is NOTHING wrong with throttling back a pump on the return You will not decrease a pumps life. They are designed with this in mind. All pumps have back pressure from the head height all a valve does is artificially create head height to reduce flow.

Tee'ing simply moves the source of your artificial head pressure farther away and doesnt increase a pumps life.

 

[Expos Forever]

Use vegetable oil as a lube to get tight-fitting flexible tubing onto barbed fittings.

 

[sawyerc]

I agree that pumps are designed with backpressure in mind. However, teeing should make the pump run cooler. It uses a certain amount of energy and that energy has to go somewhere. It either goes to moving water, heat, or elastic potential energy in the form of slight deformations in the pump (impeller especially.) Teeing will allow more energy to be used to move water and decrease the amount released in the form of heat and EPE. Therefore, the pump runs cooler and there is less damage to the pump. Bottom line - you probably won't damage your pump by using a valve with moderation, but you're probably better off teeing.

 

[leftovers]

again it doesnt matter back pressure is back pressure its a function of physics so whether done via a tee or with a valve you won't extend the pumps life or durability by any measureable amount no matter where its created.

Also doing a tee will force you to make sure that the water you vent back into the sump enters far enough away from the pump suction so that it wont introduce air bubbles into the water column which, if in sufficient amount, will decrease a pumps efficiency.

I can see someone now just having the water dump back into the sump - if you do the tee method be sure the vented water is returned UNDER The water level in the sump

 

[sawyerc]

I might be wrong here, and it doesn't really matter, but I think it's an interesting question. I would think that there would be less back pressure if you tee. The tee is essentially an outlet for extra pressure. Say, for example, that you close a valve on your return after the pump. The pump will continue to expend say 50 watts but it will not move any water. The pressure in the return pipe will rise to a certain point and then stop rising. The pump will keep using 50 watts and that energy will go to heat.

If you wanted to acheive the same result (no water coming out of the return) with a tee, you would simply open the valve on the tee completely, and no water would come out the return assuming that the end of the return is high enough. The pumps is still using 50 watts, but the pressure is reduced and most of that 50 watts is going to moving water instead of producing heat.

This is the most extreme example, the return valve completely closed. But the same idea can be applied to a half open return.

 

[Mihai]

Thanks sawyerc, couldn't put it better myself: the tee does not create any backpresure. The only assumption here is that a pump with backpresure will fail faster than one with no backpressure. I am not in the business, but that's what I heard that happens.

And of course, regarding the bubbles, there will not be any as long as you return under the water line.

Can somebody with pump experience chime in on the assumption above?

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[leftovers]

Using a tee still creates head/back pressure ie the weight of water or pressure of water back down on the impeller.

It can lesson the amount of pressure by venting some of the water back into the sump however the pump is still moving the same amount of water only now its moving it up and over to a valve thats still creating pressure that water still is being held up by the pressure created by the pump.

So while you may think you are decreasing back pressure you really dont do much since the pump is now moving the water across and through another bend in the pipe. That bend creates water friction and head. Your Valve at the end can create/reduce that friction at the end of all this you are back to just about 0 net gain.

So at the end of the day while you think you are saving energy or extending the pumps life you arent doing anyting other than making yourself feel better. The pump doesn't really care one way or the other since the volume of water its going to try and move will remain constant .

If you really want to maximize a pumps energy have no input or output restricitions and size your pump to not need any valve at all (other than for servicing) which is also what i believe the original poster stated.

But placing a valve on the return of a pump is just fine and will not harm the pump. That is my point.

 

[Mihai]

leftovers, you are kidding yourself. Please re-read sawyerc's post: he made the case in there pretty well: think about the extreme cases: In one case you have the pump with the output that flows freely, in the other have the pump with an output that is completly closed. Those two are extreme cases. The solution with the red X in my figure is closer to the case with output completely closed than the green one. The ballgate on the green version only adjusts the rate of return in the sump: if you close it completly you have only the backpresure from the water going in the tank. As soon as you start opening, the backpresure decreases (not increases). In the red solution if you have the ballgate open completely you have the same backpresure as with the green solution with the valve closed. As you start closing the red solution the backpresure increases. Hence there is no question that the backpresure of the green solution is less than the backpresure of the red solution. The only question that remains is wheather eliminating backpresure on the pump is any good (lifetime, energy, heat). I am not competent in making this call though.

All the best,
Mihai

 

[kris4647]

Pressure rated centrifugal pumps actually throttle down in the presence of back pressure; you can see this on the amp draw if you watch while increasing head pressure. So the pump doesnt "fight" the pressure by drawing more amps it actually adjusts itself to the increase in pressure. In light of this I have to disagree with Sawyer about the added heat to a throttled pump system. The watts dont stay the same if the pump is throttled.

Flow Rated Pumps are not recomended to be throttled at all. I believe their volutes have a different size/design that makes it harder on the pump in a throttled situation.

Having said all that I think everyone is essentially right here.

Mihai in the Chemical/Processing industry recycle or spill back lines are very common. Not entirely necessary for your application but not a bad idea except for consuming a little more electricity. You could tie this spill back line into a fluidized bed filter filled with Carbon/Other Media to utilize the extra flow and keep your water clear.

Leftovers you are correct as well. They are made with back pressure in mind.

Hope that helps....