Plumbing help

[viet-tin]

I attempted to do some plumbing on my tank and it isnt working to well. I have an overflow box rated for 1000gph and a mag12 pump at 4 feet from the dt. I was told to use 1" pvc piping for the return and so far it doesnt seem to be flowing out well and there seems to be a whole lot of micro bubbles. Would chaning my pvc size down help or is there something else i have to do?

 

[viet-tin]

Everything is working fine and water isnt overflowing . The outputs arent flowing out to much and is spitting lots of bubbles.

 

[viet-tin]

Would moving the ball valve closer to the pump side help?

 

[squidd]

Where are you getting the Bubbles...??
From the drain lines into the sump...?
Or from the return pump to the MT...?
Or Both...?
What have you got for baffles to keep the bubbles from the drain lines (which you will get) from getting to the return pump (which you don't want)...?

 

[viet-tin]

Im getting plenty bubbles from the drain line but my baffles stop most of them. Im having problems with the wter pouring into my return area which causes a whole lots of bubbles to get sucked up.

 

[viet-tin]

My pump is actually at 5 feet from my main tank.

 

[rangermonroe]

I drilled some holes in my return line just above the water's surface to allow some of the bubbles to disapate in the return line.
Also, I used a bag of carbon to "dam" the water before it reached the inlet to the pump. The bubbles burst before they can be sucked into the pump.

 

[viet-tin]

maybe ill try that. All i need to do now is find out why my flow is so weak. I think it has something to do with the placement of my ball valve.

 

[rangermonroe]

I use 3/4 inch pipe. The 1" will allow a lot of flow, but not much pressure will be developed.

 

[viet-tin]

Yea...they way everything is set up i get almost no flow at all...but when i do get a lot of flow coming out the outputs, the overflow can handle it...this overflow was rated for 1000gph and it looks like it cant keep up with the pump which should be pumping a little less than that with all the back pressure.

 

[tony detroit]

That is way, way way too small pump for that tank/plumbing. You're looking at 12+ feet of head pressure. Not only vertical lift, but 90's are a foot each, ball valves are worth close to a foot, etc. You should upgrade your pump.

 

[viet-tin]

Im not sure it is too small. Even with all that back pressure the pump is still too much for my overflow.

 

[squidd]

The Mag 12 with the 1" line and elbows and "T" that I can "see" in the pic should be pushing 822 gph to the tank...and should NOT need to be restricted by a ball valve...
If your 1000gph overflow cant handle that volume...there's a problem with the overflow...
(tony...should be 7.62 feet of "head" and 3.29 psi at outlet..)

 

[squidd]

Viet-tin....How about a close up pic of your sump detailing Baffle system ...may be we can "see" something there...:thinking:

 

[viet-tin]

Ill post a few later today, camera is my with me right now. It could be my baffles as well because the baffles for the return area might be a little high making the water splash when it falls creating tons of bubbles. I think i got my over flow box fixed the u-tubes were touching the bottom of the preskimming box so i fixed that and it seems do be doing much better.

 

[viet-tin]

I found my camera
everything is unplugged so the water kind of back siphoned into the sump.

 

[squidd]

Could just be the "angle" of the pic, but the baffles to the "inside" of the return pump chamber do look a little "tall"
I 'm sure when the system is running "that" chamber has much less water in it and the "waterfall" effect is most likely sending bubbles back through the pump...
Most of my systems are set so water doesn't drop more than 1/2" to 1" between chambers...much more than that and bubbles start to be a problem...

 

[viet-tin]

Thats exactly what is happening. I didnt really know what i was doing when i built this thing. So should i just take them out and shorten them?

 

[viet-tin]

Another question. Would it be better to take one of the overflow boxes drainline and have it dump into the fuge instead of the return pump?

 

[squidd]

"T " the drainlines together and then "divert" a portion of the flow to the fuge...
(edit: "should" show second line from HOB "T"d with first...then the split...:notsure: )