best pump for sump/fuge return?

[stimpy4242]

I have been testing pumps for danner. The last and longest lasting one was the hybrid hy-drive, but that too has failed. So I need a reliable quiet powerful pump to. Pump up about 6 feet. any suggestions on the best submersible pump that will hold up to saltwater? The rotor in the danner pump literally exploded. Very poor. I am tired of finding problems.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by stimpy4242 http:///forum/thread/384624/best-pump-for-sump-fuge-return#post_3369948
I have been testing pumps for danner. The last and longest lasting one was the hybrid hy-drive, but that too has failed. So I need a reliable quiet powerful pump to. Pump up about 6 feet. any suggestions on the best submersible pump that will hold up to saltwater? The rotor in the danner pump literally exploded. Very poor. I am tired of finding problems.
I believe the Eheim pumps are regaurded as some of the best in regaurds to silence, low heat transfere and long term reliability. The newer line of eheim pumps (the compact line) isn't directly manufactured by eheim so they have yet to prove themselves over the long term. But from what most of the folks who have them are saying is they're fairly powerful and quiet as well. But the originals are still regaurded as the top of the line.

 

[stimpy4242]

I looked at the eheim pumps and I need something with a bit more push...I need at least 2500 gph. I can't find higher than around 1500 with eheim...maybe I am not looking in the right place.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by stimpy4242 http:///forum/thread/384624/best-pump-for-sump-fuge-return#post_3369999
I looked at the eheim pumps and I need something with a bit more push...I need at least 2500 gph. I can't find higher than around 1500 with eheim...maybe I am not looking in the right place.
Submersibles are a tough one. They're currently waiting for the new red dragons to come out or I would say go for one of those. I'd maybe look into the water blaster 10,000. And no, they don't make ehiems that strong, unfortunately.

 

[stimpy4242]

As far as non submersibles go, which ones can draw water up through the suction port to create their own prime? Basically the pump would sit above the water level and if power went out, it would need to create its own prime as gravity would drain it....any suggestions there?

 

[acrylic51]

As far as submersibles as Corey mentioned Eheim and finding a submersible to push that flow is hard....As far as external the best pump IMHO is the Reeflo series pumps. They also make hybrid units; meaning the impellors can be changed out to change with your flow needs. If you do a search you'll find more than what your looking for. They push tons of water, quiet, very low heat transfer out of all the pumps out there, and there electrical consumption isn't bad for pushing that amount of water. The nice thing about the Sequence Reeflo line is that they can be throttled down with no ill effects on the pumps at all and when they are throttled down they basically cause the motor to downspin and in turn don't consume as much electricity as well.....

 

[stimpy4242]

Yes I am familiar with reeflo as that is what is on my closed loop system. Do you know if they can pull a prime? I guess I can ask the manufacturer.

 

[acrylic51]

Honestly I don't think to many pumps are listed as self priming, but what application are you using it for? Meaning is the pulling water from a sump returning it to the tank? Or are you trying to do an up and over the edge with PVC?
I've used nothing but Reeflo's and have never had any issues with shutting them down and the refuting them and not picking right up. I think the big key is flooding the volute with water. The reeflos are usually 1.5 input and soul never go any smaller on the input side. Flood the input of the pump.

 

[stimpy4242]

You can view photos of the end result of the hybride hy-drive from danner manufacturing. This is the 2850 pump.
https://picasaweb.google.com/philipdepalo/HydrivePump?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2iuNGQnfOV8QE#
As far as the reeflo goes, my current setup has the top tank dumping into two sides of the sump / fuge. The center is where the water is returned back to the tank. My "current" pump was submersible and would pump straight up. If I get a non submersible pump, there will be no way to get the pump primed if the power is lost. Meaning if it sits above the sump. When the power is lost all water will drain down out of pump. The water doesn't completely drain from the tank because the returns only sit about an inch below the surface. So that is my problem for now. If I get a non submersible, I guess I could set it beside the sump fuge, although that will kill a lot of room...that way when the pump loses power there will still be water in the pump. however there will be a gap of air in the PVC that is going up and over...will it pull past that?

 

[stimpy4242]

Are my physics right here? Or Will there be more water in the PVC pipe up and around the tank? Is that enough water to prime?

 

[2quills]

I'm thinking your water level in those pipes will look more like this when the power goes off....Infact, I'm actually thinking that the intake line may even stay completely full of water much like the Utubes on an external overflow box would when the power is off.

 

[acrylic51]

So I'm gathering you are going up and over with the PVC by the drawings? I wouldn't advise that way. It could work, but honestly there aren't many self priming pumps. You could look at using the strainer pots for the Reeflo pumps that might solve that issue though.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/384624/best-pump-for-sump-fuge-return#post_3370072
So I'm gathering you are going up and over with the PVC by the drawings? I wouldn't advise that way. It could work, but honestly there aren't many self priming pumps. You could look at using the strainer pots for the Reeflo pumps that might solve that issue though.
Shawn, if the pump were to remain filled with water after the power goes off wouldn't it remain primed?

 

[stimpy4242]

I am afraid to drill the sump because it is a tempered glass tank, so I am sure it will shatter. The middle section is not large enough to put a strainer put into, if that is what you meant. If I can't go up and over then I will just have to keep buying the submersible pumps...the hy-drive was GREAT while it worked, but even with routine maintenance it failed.

 

[acrylic51]

Theoretically it should remained full of water......As you mentioned earlier with the diagram above with the "up and over" setup it could be possible for the siphon to be broken. I honestly wouldn't 100% safely say that it would remained primed or would I rely on that setup. That setup is known/has created issues with getting the pumps primed.
An idea I would have is building or creating out of PVC, using basically a "T" type fitting attaching to the pump, but allowing a cap to be used and accessed in the design that you could add water; flooding the pump with water. Honestly if your in an area that is prone to power outages I would do something else.
Curiousity has peaked my interest, so how big of a tank are we talking about and what is the height from the sump back to the tank? 2500gph is a lot of water to have entering the tank, as well as running through the sump. I'm curious as to why such a big pump, and 6' really isn't tremendious, and depending on the size tank, as I'm sure you already know and has been mentioned you theoretically only want/need 3-5x tank turnover rate through the sump.

 

[stimpy4242]

Always like to bring closure to my posts. So I decided to get another Reeflo Dart pump. I have a reeflo pump on my CL system. Reeflo said to put the pump outside the sump and to plumb up and over but to include a swing check valve on the water side, under the water level. When the power cuts off the water in the pipe will not leave due to the swing valve and since the valve is located under water, when the power kicks back on it will already be primed and ready to go. As a fail safe they do have an overheat switch. So at a minimum I will just have to come home and reprime.
So that is what I am going to do.