Home made sump pictures

[melev]

Dieter,

When you redo your plumbing (because I'm encouraging ... no... telling you to redo it ), mount a union the pump that is very easy to unscrew when you have to remove the pump for cleaning. Currently, the way you have it set up, you may wake up to a horrible gyser like noise and for the most part that usually results in some bad mojo. The large plumbing will give you greater flow and I would imagine possibly reduce the heat coming off the Mag 9.5.

Btw, that is my old sump with the original drain system on my refugium. Since then, the sump was replaced. I had an extra plastic intake screen from a powerhead that I dropped into the stand pipe to keep anything from getting out of the refugium and into the return area.

 

[dkedrowitsch]

Well if 1 inch will add to the flow (I am temped to move up to at least a 1000gph pump as my CPR overflow is rated for 800GPH and with the head pressure and diverted flow to the fuge, I would probably end up with near 800gph actually making it to the tank. The overflow is 8 or 10 inches wide so I could always add a second bulkhead next to the origional and squeeze a couple hundred more out of it (hey, it may help cut down on the bubble buildup up in the top of flat syphon passage with the extra flow forcing it through) so maybe I could even go with a 1200 GPH return pump. Either way, I would want at least 1 inch so I think it is a good move, as you suggest. And I could keep my mojo!

Actually I have fired this pump up in the sink full of water while cleaning it out and it shot clear up to the cealing. Not the best thing to have happen when the soon to be (in 4 months) wife is busy cleaning in the next room. I figured it would do it...I just HAD to try! :roll:

Thanks Marc, as usual, a big help!
Dieter

 

[dkedrowitsch]

As suggested, I added a union to the plumbing where the pump connects and glued it all together...so no more possible geysers under my tank! I don't have any 1" hardware so it's going to stay 3/4 for now. The 3/4 union had a TINY hole for the flow but the O ring is about as big as the OD of the PVC pipe itself so I reamed the hole out and sanded it smooth. I also put the pump on its side and used a female threaded 90 to connect to the pump. This way the pump now fits under the 'fuge and the inlet sits closer to the bottom so I only have to top off the sump every other day. As far as I can tell the flow has not been affected at all.

I finally did this because I could stand the cavitation noises coming from the mag any longer and pulled it out to take a look. I moved the spacer I had from the magnet end of the impeller to the impeller end (closest to the outer housing) to move the impeller closer the pump body. No more noise! So, I guess that's where it goes. When I pulled it apart to clean it last time, I forgot what end it came from so I just guessed. So for future reference, if you ever do the same the little spacer goes on the top.

Dieter

 

[melev]

Sounds good. I got your email and your paypal. Remind me what connection you needed for the unit again?

 

[SnoopDog]

It looks like a pro did it to me. I have paid good money for sumps that did not look as good as yours.

 

[dkedrowitsch]

Ahh, great! Been watching my email for a reply... *Anxious*

I will be tapping it into 1/2" rigid copper. So one of those clamp on doo-hickeys that pierce the copper pipe and become a valve will be my hookup of choice.

Hey, how do these things mount? I will probably have to build a simple bracket to mount it under the sink perpendicular to the back wall because there is no room against the back of the cabinet due to all the piping. I have plenty of spare acrylic to build something. I'm just curious what kind of bracketry it has.

Thanks Marc!

Dieter

EDIT: For those of you who have no idea what we're talking about, I bought an RODI unit from Marc. HEHE

 

[dkedrowitsch]

SnoopDog: You'd be suprised how easy acrylic is to work with! I know I was. But, if you saw it up close you'd see my joints are not as pretty as they look in the pictures. I should have sanded after cutting...

Still, it holds water!

 

[melev]

The bracket of the main unit has two keyhole slots. You simply screw in a large headed screw in the cabinet, and hang the unit. The separate DI has a bracket as well, and accepts up to 4 screws to keep it in place.

Saddle Piercing valve, and the drain-bracket. Now I remember. Thanks for the speedy reply.

 

[dkedrowitsch]

Saddle Piercing valve! Yup, that's what it was called. I forgot the drain bracket but, yes, that is needed too. Do those connect before or after the trap? I'm guessing after incase the trap gets clogged I don't get sink gunk down into the RO membrane... Correct?

EDIT: Any idea what the dimensions are for the RO unit and the DI add-on? I should start cleaning a spot under the sink to fit it and may build the bracket before hand so all I have to do when it comes is hang it on and hook up the lines.

 

[melev]

If you mount it after the trap, my guess is that it would put a hole in a piece of plumbing that would be quite difficult to replace. This is for the drainline of the RO unit, so even if your trap did clog at some point, that stuff can't go back up the line water is in. I would put it somewhere convenient.

Your unit should go out today, via UPS Ground. I'll be mailing you the instructions separately, but they are on the same webpage you saw the unit, and you can read them online.

I've measured the unit before, but can't remember. I'll go measure mine... 16 x 6 x 16, and 6 x 6 x 14 (the DI) (L x W x H)

 

[dkedrowitsch]

Point taken about the plumbing after the trap. I'd have to look to make sure but I'm pretty sure it's a seperate piece too. I do know the drain is all chrome pipe down there and I think I remember seeing it connect to a larger piece of PVC coming out of the wall.

Cool, thanks for the measurements I'll figure out how I want to mount it tonight. Also, thanks for the quick shipping! Better service then many online retailers, thats for sure.

 

[hillbilly]

Beautiful sump. I was just wondering how many times a week you have to adjust that "Berlin" skimmer? The one I had would always need adjusting.

 

[dkedrowitsch]

Never. Since I put it in this sump a few weeks ago, the water level remains constant and the skimmer _never_ needs tinkering. I have seen many skimmers and this one skims of the blackest crud I have ever seen. Not brown, black water/chunks/mud. I have the pump flow turned all the way up.

Got it used on ebay in new condition with the turbo upgrade pump (with the newer designed impeller that doesn't crack) AND a nice J tube overflow box for $80. For that cheap, I figured it would be worth a try. I have been VERY happy with it.

I think the reason it works so good is I used a short piece of 3/4" pvc to connect the pump to the skimmer, so the water (foam) has a constant perfectly strait path from the pump to the skimmer. With the flexable tube it came with, I'd imagine there would be constant changes in flow causing the skimmer to need constant adjustments.

EDIT: BTW I keep it adjusted so the bubbles are JUST at the mouth of the bell opening for the middle tube. Every once and a while a little burst of bubbles will make it out but no problem. Seems to work best this way.

 

[hillbilly]

Cool! Sounds like you fixed it.