Can this ruin a pump?

[ryshark]

The main question is, is it okay to have a ball valve completely turned off while a pump is on or will it ruin the pump? Here is the back story..

I'm getting back into the hobby.....again. I'm trying to keep the maintenance simple since I'm crazy busy but I am missing reefing. My first step was to get a smaller tank, so I went with a 66-gallon this time. My second is to make water changes and RODI top offs easy. For water changes on my previous tanks (180-gallon and then 120-gallon) I have always done the carry water jugs and carry brute trash cans with water thing which I'm looking to avoid. I want to build a water changing station where the RODI is on top of the Saltwater Brute so I can use gravity to fill the saltwater and ATO container. In order to get the water to the tank which is about 25'-30' away from where my station will be, my plan is to have an internal pump inside of the brute saltwater trashcan which can pump water to the tank. I'd like to be able to turn the pump on at the changing station then walk over to the tank with the tubing in hand. Can I put a ball vale on the end of the tubing and have it completely turned off while I walk to the tank, or is it bad to have a ball valve completely turned off while a pump is running? To get water out of the tank into the drain, I plan to do the opposite...drop the pump into the sump, turn the pump on while the ball valve is complete closed, walk over to the utility sink and turn the ball valve on when I get to the utility sink.

 

[ca1ore]

Used to do something very similar. Never hurt the pump.

 

[ericarenee]

The main question is, is it okay to have a ball valve completely turned off while a pump is on or will it ruin the pump? Here is the back story..

I'm getting back into the hobby.....again. I'm trying to keep the maintenance simple since I'm crazy busy but I am missing reefing. My first step was to get a smaller tank, so I went with a 66-gallon this time. My second is to make water changes and RODI top offs easy. For water changes on my previous tanks (180-gallon and then 120-gallon) I have always done the carry water jugs and carry brute trash cans with water thing which I'm looking to avoid. I want to build a water changing station where the RODI is on top of the Saltwater Brute so I can use gravity to fill the saltwater and ATO container. In order to get the water to the tank which is about 25'-30' away from where my station will be, my plan is to have an internal pump inside of the brute saltwater trashcan which can pump water to the tank. I'd like to be able to turn the pump on at the changing station then walk over to the tank with the tubing in hand. Can I put a ball vale on the end of the tubing and have it completely turned off while I walk to the tank, or is it bad to have a ball valve completely turned off while a pump is running? To get water out of the tank into the drain, I plan to do the opposite...drop the pump into the sump, turn the pump on while the ball valve is complete closed, walk over to the utility sink and turn the ball valve on when I get to the utility sink.

For a few minutes no it will not hurt most pumps. I do this to my mixing pump all the time. its a mag drive 24... my Mixing stating is hard plumbed to my sump with a series of valves. and my return pump for my tank is plumbed into washer box so i can turn two valves and drain water from sump.. NO TOUCHING Water to do water changes

 

[ryshark]

Thanks for your responses. I will give it a shot

 

[nuttyd]

As long as the valve is on the outlet side of the pump, it shouldnt hurt anything. You dont want to restrict water going into the pump.

 

[ElCamino]

why not put a plumbing bypass on the pump? very simple and releases back pressure.
Its not healthy on any pump to do as you are suggesting, sure its works, but if your question is it hard on the pump the answer is yes it is.

 

[tkeracer619]

Centrifugal pumps are not damaged by a valve that shuts down flow on the output. It's not hard on them either. Only situation that could cause issues is if the pump requires water flowing through it for cooling but even so doing it for a short period would be insignificant.