Melifluonze
New member
Thanks again for all of the pump and plumbing comments. This is going to be one of those situations where an experiment is in order. Can't really return the pumps, so I'm going to install one and give it a whirl (with a nice big 1 1/2" ball valve on it to crank it back). I'm mid-way through doing this and I'll post pics soon. I'm also thinking that I might use this single pump for most of the sump flow and for most of the tank flow as well... More on this in a second...
I've got my 120 gallon sump set up on a 2X6 frame. The sump has a 2" bulkhead and I'm running it through 2 90 degrees into the pump, reducing it to 1-1/2" along the way. I don't like the idea of 90's in the path, but without them, I'd have about 4 feet of plumbing and pump sticking out! There's a 2" union right after the bulkhead, then the reduction and turns. I think the 120 is leaking, which concerns me, but I won't know until I fill it... *sigh Freshwater test coming up!
I figured out my pump electrical issues (and gave myself a relatively serious burn and fried a nice swath of hair off my leg when the first plug exploded), and I now know what BBQ Human smells like.
So, now my question is this. I've got a single 1 1/2" return back to the tank from the basement. It will have more than enough flow, and I will probably have to crank it down significantly due to having only ONE 1 1/2" drain. (Another experiment to see how that all works!) I am going to do something like what Gary M. did. I am splitting the return into two pipes that run the 84"length of my tank on either side.
I've been thinking that maybe there is a clever way to have multiple outputs on these two pipes that cause the correct amount and type of flow. I've been told that if you aim things right, you can cause a significantly random type of flow that would be adequate to avoid additional pumps and powerheads in the system. I'd like to get there.
Any ideas how this might be accomplished? I don't mind dropping some pipes down from the main pipes in the corners to have flow deeper in the water column. I was thinking that opposing smaller jets installed in two places going down the tank would be good, with larger upper (at the top where the pipes are) and lower (on pipes running down into the tank in the corners) to push the water current towards the drain would work.
Sorry for the excessive typing. I'll see if I can draw some pictures.
I've got my 120 gallon sump set up on a 2X6 frame. The sump has a 2" bulkhead and I'm running it through 2 90 degrees into the pump, reducing it to 1-1/2" along the way. I don't like the idea of 90's in the path, but without them, I'd have about 4 feet of plumbing and pump sticking out! There's a 2" union right after the bulkhead, then the reduction and turns. I think the 120 is leaking, which concerns me, but I won't know until I fill it... *sigh Freshwater test coming up!
I figured out my pump electrical issues (and gave myself a relatively serious burn and fried a nice swath of hair off my leg when the first plug exploded), and I now know what BBQ Human smells like.
So, now my question is this. I've got a single 1 1/2" return back to the tank from the basement. It will have more than enough flow, and I will probably have to crank it down significantly due to having only ONE 1 1/2" drain. (Another experiment to see how that all works!) I am going to do something like what Gary M. did. I am splitting the return into two pipes that run the 84"length of my tank on either side.
I've been thinking that maybe there is a clever way to have multiple outputs on these two pipes that cause the correct amount and type of flow. I've been told that if you aim things right, you can cause a significantly random type of flow that would be adequate to avoid additional pumps and powerheads in the system. I'd like to get there.
Any ideas how this might be accomplished? I don't mind dropping some pipes down from the main pipes in the corners to have flow deeper in the water column. I was thinking that opposing smaller jets installed in two places going down the tank would be good, with larger upper (at the top where the pipes are) and lower (on pipes running down into the tank in the corners) to push the water current towards the drain would work.
Sorry for the excessive typing. I'll see if I can draw some pictures.