Plumbing question ?

belzebuth · #1 10-22-2013, 07:43 PM

Can someone have a look at the drawing below and tell me if this would work...Tank sprang a leak last week and I have to replace it. The new tank has been drilled so I am thinking of going with a Herbie (old tank had CPR overflow).

The old tank also had a hang on the tank CPR refugium so I would really like to relocate this into the sump.

I am not familiar with Herbie style overflow so if someone could chime on this I would really appreciate it.

I apologize in advance for my childish drawing...he he it's not my forte

Thanks
Andy

kien · #2 10-22-2013, 09:14 PM

what is the Eheim canister for?

As for the Herbie, it appears you have it set up properly in your drawing. The gate value allows you to adjust the flow of water from the Display Tank/Overflow box, into the sump. This effectively allows you to control the height of the water in the overflow box. Typically you want the water in your overflow box to be well above the main drain pipe so that you don't get that slurping and gurgle noise due to water and air getting sucked into the main drain pipe. The emergency pipe is left wide open in the event that something gets into your (slightly closed) main drain pipe and clogs it.

belzebuth · #3 10-22-2013, 09:18 PM

Since the skimmer is external.. I use it as a pump and sometime will run carbon in it if needs to

Sorry I should have specified.

Cal_stir · #4 10-22-2013, 09:19 PM

The return pump will need to be self priming

belzebuth · #5 10-22-2013, 09:24 PM

I guess I will have to look at the current pump... not sure if it's "self priming" humm...

IanWR · #6 10-22-2013, 09:25 PM

I think what you have would work, I don't know if it is optimal. For example, with the herbie I don't think you will need a bubble trap off the drain since you shouldn't be getting bubbles there. Not knowing what all your equipment is, it does look like it could be simplified. You seem you be using your eheim to run a skimmer and uv? You could scrap the cannister and t off the return to run uv and/or reactors (I assume the skimmer actually has its own pump

).

As for the herbie specifically, looks like you have it right. Your 2 drains are not tied together, you have the siphon lower than the emergency, and you have the drains terminating a couple inches below the water in the sump. Looks good!

- ian

belzebuth · #7 10-22-2013, 09:46 PM

Hi Ian,
No the skimmer doesn't have his own pump this is why I use the eheim canister... Will be upgrading skimmer eventually.

I am reusing my previous sump which has already the bubble trap

The tank came with the plumbing and one of the tube is larger than the other one...should my emergency drain be the larger of the two ?

I'm thinking yes ...

reefwars · #8 10-22-2013, 09:52 PM

two things i notice that i would change but arnt life or death and just personal preference

one is the emergency i would have it just above water level in your sump so that when its in use you know theres an issue , if its submerged youll never know its running only to look to see if water is goling down the pipe, if you plan to have a trickle going down it then run it just at the waters surface.

the other is i would feed my fuge with the return pump and a valve to control the flow , that ways your not diverting water away from your herbies drain and you can control how much flow you want in your refugium and fine tune it.

my 2 cents:P

intarsiabox · #9 10-23-2013, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belzebuth

I guess I will have to look at the current pump... not sure if it's "self priming" humm...

This was mentioned because in your drawing you have the return pump having to draw water up out of the sump. Because the plumbing to the suction side of the pump is vertical, the pipe will have no water in the line at start up and pumps can't pump air. An option would be to drill a hole for a bulkhead towards the bottom of the return section of your sump that the pump's suction line can be attached to and have the pump sitting at the same level as the bottom of the sump and not elevated. Option B would be to leave it as you have in drawing and see if you can find a PVC foot valve to attach to the intake pipe in the sump. This way you would only have to fill the return line with water once and the valve will prevent the water from pouring back out of the line when the pump is turned off, hence keeping your prime.

gregzz4 · #10 10-23-2013, 01:42 AM

Personal preference ...
I'd use the larger drain as the main

And ya, about the self-priming pump, good catch Cal

I'd recommend the heater be after the pump so it's pushing not pulling through it. Any air that gets into the heater may become trapped and cook it ... maybe never happen, but a thought