steveoutla
Member
Great, thanks. Now, can anybody answer......is it better to use pvc or flexible tubing for your plumbing?
Critique my plumbing....please
- Thread starter khilgers
- Start date
squidd
Active Member
Steve...Horse apiece on the pipe/tube choice...
Thin wall cpvc will give you a "slightly" larger ID, but elbows will restrict and cut flow...using 2-45* elbows is better than 1-90*...
Flex pipe like "Spa Flex" can eliminate a lot of elbows, twisting, turning and coming up out of an under tank sump...
But they don't have that "professional" look of properly run solid pipe...(but then alot of DIY "plumbing" does not have that "professional" look anyway..
)
"Ribbed" flex tubing adds tons of "friction" restriction to flow...OK for drain lines but not for pumps...
The "ratings charts" are fine for "general" sizing of pumps vs head, but they don't take into concideration additional restriction from different size pipe, elbows, outlets, valves, couplers,etc...
Which is pretty important when you want to "dial in" the correct pump...
As far as ballvalves to control flow...
Pumps have an "effeciency curve" at which they pump the most water per energy used...hence the different sizing and flow rates at different head heights...
So if a certain pump will move 600gph at 60 watts (and let's say that's what you want) and another pump will push 1000 gph at 110 watts...you could "valve it down" to 600gph but it's still going to use 110 watts...Wasted energy/wasted expence...
Also that "wasted energy" is in the form of additional "strain" on the pump (same as pushing the "upper limits" of head height) and strain = wear=shortened life span...
Is it going to die "next week" ...probably not...
But a pump with a 6 year life expectancy will get 5...and a pump with a 2 year life expectancy might get 18 months...
Also a wasted expence (on top of the energy costs)...
Thin wall cpvc will give you a "slightly" larger ID, but elbows will restrict and cut flow...using 2-45* elbows is better than 1-90*...
Flex pipe like "Spa Flex" can eliminate a lot of elbows, twisting, turning and coming up out of an under tank sump...
But they don't have that "professional" look of properly run solid pipe...(but then alot of DIY "plumbing" does not have that "professional" look anyway..
)"Ribbed" flex tubing adds tons of "friction" restriction to flow...OK for drain lines but not for pumps...
The "ratings charts" are fine for "general" sizing of pumps vs head, but they don't take into concideration additional restriction from different size pipe, elbows, outlets, valves, couplers,etc...
Which is pretty important when you want to "dial in" the correct pump...
As far as ballvalves to control flow...
Pumps have an "effeciency curve" at which they pump the most water per energy used...hence the different sizing and flow rates at different head heights...
So if a certain pump will move 600gph at 60 watts (and let's say that's what you want) and another pump will push 1000 gph at 110 watts...you could "valve it down" to 600gph but it's still going to use 110 watts...Wasted energy/wasted expence...
Also that "wasted energy" is in the form of additional "strain" on the pump (same as pushing the "upper limits" of head height) and strain = wear=shortened life span...
Is it going to die "next week" ...probably not...
But a pump with a 6 year life expectancy will get 5...and a pump with a 2 year life expectancy might get 18 months...
Also a wasted expence (on top of the energy costs)...
steveoutla
Member
Squidd - You rock my friend. Thanks a lot for all of your help with this project. I'll take pictures throughout the process and post them. Thanks to everyone else as well for your input.