sump and size of intake and return pipes.

[dial]

hi all.

question. iv set my sump system up (if safegarded it for power outages - and pump burnouts. got a simple magnetic reed switch device setup and it works. done vigerous testing) now what ive done (ill be making an internal overflow box soon, with the syphone pipe going into it.) is iv got a 13mm syphone pipe going into the end of the sump with the skimmer. and i have a 13mm pipe hooked into the return pump back to the tank. so 13mm in and out.

should one or the other be bigger. if so which. just that i was givin a 19mm pipe and a 22mm pipe by the FS but there bot a metre long....

cheers
aron.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

about the output diameter : http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/overflow.htm

 

[1979camaro]

your lfs probably gave you those pipes under the assumption that you would cut them and use elbows to create your plumbing. however, i think all of those pipes are far to small to get you the kind of water flow you will need in a reef. 13mm is about 1/2in and 22mm is only 4/5in i believe. usually on a tank of that size people will run 1.5in (~38mm) returns and 1.5 or 2in (~50mm) downs

 

[jammerz]

im running 1 1/2" input and 1" output if that helps at all

 

[dial]

thanks guys.

ill see what i can do.

 

[fibrechunk]

I know I started out with a 3/4" return (19mm) and was only getting like 180 gph return. I then switched to 1" return and my output doubled to 360 gph. But I also ran two 45 degree angles instead of 90 degrees. Angles add alot of head height.

 

[dial]

oh ok. what size is your intake. would 13mm in and 19mm out be ok. or basicly should i just test it.

cheers
aron

 

[1979camaro]

the thing is you probably are going to want to move about 900gph through your system. i think anything under 1.5" down is going to make it difficult to meet that flow rate. i have a 1.25" down and i am just about maxed out at 750gph

 

[wayne]

The overflow from the main tank needs to be bigger as the return will be pressured. I would use at least one inch for the overflow, and preferably two of them in case of blockage. What's the return ? Is it going to be your main source of water movement?

 

[fibrechunk]

I know as a general rule of thumb you never make the intake smaller then the return. I have my pump in the sump so there is no actual line. If you do want to limit the flow you can do so in the return line. If you run a bigger return then intake it can very hard or fatal to your pump.

 

[dial]

fibrechunk

I have my pump in the sump so there is no actual line ?? what do you mean. is this your return pump
..

cheers aron.

 

[fibrechunk]

I have a mag 1800 and it is inside the sump under water. So there is no actual intake line. The output ( return line) is 1 in pvc pipe.