Another basement return question

[scottwhitson]

Looking for a return pump for my upcoming 120 DT with sump in the basement. Not looking for a lot of flow through the sump if i could hit 750GPH or so that would be ok. Should have around 14' vertical lift with 3 or 4 90* bends. Internal or external would be OK but looking for something efficient. I know the Iwaki and panworlds are good pumps but energy hogs.

 

[neilp2006]

A reply of mine from another thread"”

Converting to Basement Sump
To play devils advocate here- i literally just finished testing a Jebao DCP 18000. I tested with 1.5" sch40 17 feet straight up in my yard and got 1900 gph at 100% (130W). While this is around 1/2 of the stated stats on the box, it is much more than i need for my 180 gallon tank. I can add a T-manifold for a refugium, and frag tank and still hit 7X turnover on my DT.

My plumbing plan is a 5 foot vertical- 15 foot horizontal at a 1/4" per foot pitch- 7 feet vertical. 2 x 90 degree elbows and about 5 feet of flex sch40 in that run. I used a head pressure calculator to calculate the head and it came out at 18.2 feet.

im pretty happy about it. Although it is about 1/2 of the rating, for $129 its a great deal. plus it runs internal so i dont have to drill holes.
https://www.*********.com/index.php?posts/4656947/


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[scottwhitson]

Neilp2006 did you do this testing? Did you have a flow meter? That's pretty decent flow at 17' vertical.

 

[neilp2006]

Neilp2006 did you do this testing? Did you have a flow meter? That's pretty decent flow at 17' vertical.

Yes, last week in my yard.

I premeasured 15 gallons (minimum for the pump to run and not suck air) marked the level with a sharpie, then added 35 more gallons in a 55 brute, marked it with a sharpie, then timed how long it took to reach the lower line. Repeated 5 times and took the average. Took 65 seconds on average.

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[neilp2006]

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[tom obrecht]

Nice test! I like it!

 

[neilp2006]

I've been meaning to do it fir a while but we had major reno on our new house and a toddler running around. The weather finally warmed up so I took my chance.

There's a lot of misinformation about these "˜inexpensive' dc pumps, and I wanted some real world numbers that I could share.

A little disappointed it didn't hit full rated specs, but it's a third the cost of one of those other pumps, half the watts, cool running so no excess heat to worry about, controllable, and is more than adequate.


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[ca1ore]

The thing that folks seem not to take into account with pump comparisons is the longevity/replacement cycles. Yes, something like the Jebao, putting out 1,900 gph for 130 watts at 15' (give or take) certainly 'seems' like a good deal ...... and perhaps it is. But how long will it last, and what are the implications of failure? We all make our own personal choices; for me it's always gong to be bullet-proof reliable over some energy savings. Something like an Iwaki will certainly cost you some watts, but it will also last 20 years. I get that most people don't last in the hobby, so perhaps a a 3 year pump is sufficient: but I'm a long-timer so I look for something more.

 

[scottwhitson]

Yeah I am a little worried on the Jebao as I have had a few of there things in the past and they failed within months. The price is definently appealing though. I could almost get 3 of them for the price of an Iwaki but then I run the risk of it failing when I am out of town. However the super expensive Vectra is not doing so well from what i read either.

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah I am a little worried on the Jebao as I have had a few of there things in the past and they failed within months. The price is definently appealing though. I could almost get 3 of them for the price of an Iwaki but then I run the risk of it failing when I am out of town. However the super expensive Vectra is not doing so well from what i read either.

So I travel a lot for work and cannot risk that the main return pump not be truly reliable; though I am willing to roll the dice for less critical components. I'd not personally use any DC pump as my main, regardless of the price. I do use a Vectra M1 as my closed loop pump; but it's not as essential as the main. FWIW, it's the L1 that appears to be the problem; to the point that it's been redesigned.

Also keep in mind if you're playing the long game, an Iwaki bought every 15 years may still be cheaper then a Jebao/brand de jour repurchased every 3-4.

 

[scottwhitson]

I travel a lot as well and my main reason for concern about the pump. Luckily my wife is capable of replacing the pump and when we both are gone then we have a fellow hobbyist that takes care of our tank.

 

[scottwhitson]

Ca1ore what iwaki do you run? How's the noise level? If I go with an iwaki I think the 55rlt would be a good size, and it uses almost 1/2 as much power as the 70. Have you ran a 55?

 

[neilp2006]

Another basement return question

I'm actually out of work fir a year, so no travel, and with a toddler, new house, one on the way and an unexpected bathroom remodel, it was spend $125 and get things going or wait 12 months and pay for one of the big boys. I'll upgrade to an iwaki or reeflo (do they do internal- all I see is external- may have to switch sump room plans to accommodate an external) or something else when this jebao quits. If it last 2-3 years, that's a decent way to go compared to having my stuff stuck in boxes for 6,9 or another 12 months.


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[neilp2006]

Follow up question-

Can an external pump be placed under a sump that's raised about 3 feet, and be gravity fed, or does it need to be in the same level as the sump tank? I'd run the pvc so there was a 3-4 foot horiOntal run before the intake- no sharp bends right before.

Just curious because Y'all have me planning for a iwaki/reeflo external to replace my definitely doomed in a year jebao, and I'm trying to figure out potential plumbing.

Thanks!


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