check valve concerns

[Capt_Cully]

Can't remember the reference, but someone, maybe more than one of us, was WAY anti-check valve. I've always used em. No problems I can recall.

Gonna use one on my new tank too, unless just cause is shown why I shouldn't. It wont be my only failsafe. Gonna use a siphon break, bean animal overflow with double emergency lines, among others.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

If you've got all those other failsafes in place, why monkey with a check valve?

They slow flow and reliably fail. Can your sump handle the volume if it fails? If so, I wouldn't bother with one.

 

[Capt_Cully]

How do they fail?

 

[NirvanaFan]

I believe the flaps don't close all the way because of algae.

 

[reefboarder]

I have never had one in an aquarium, but many at work and as scott stated they reliably fail and slow flow. I have had them work loose from the hinge and block flow or allow back flow, they gunk up and dont shut fully when needed, I have also seen them seize after being closed and almost completely blocking flow. I am not advocating you not using them, just sharing my experience.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Fair enough. I guess it would be overkill. I don't like the added headloss either.

I do have a flood protected stand, and an emergency line plumbed from the sump to the house's, for added reassurance.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I have never had one in an aquarium, but many at work and as scott stated they reliably fail and slow flow. I have had them work loose from the hinge and block flow or allow back flow, they gunk up and dont shut fully when needed, I have also seen them seize after being closed and almost completely blocking flow. I am not advocating you not using them, just sharing my experience.

Yikes. Then why the heck are they so expensivo????

 

[toddmh]

that calcium build up is the real killer for those things in marine aquaria..

 

[albano]

that calcium build up is the real killer for those things in marine aquaria..

+1...even cleaning once a year would not be enough, to guarantee that it will work!

 

[captain7359]

If your sump has the capacity to take the excess water when the power is off(which should always be designed so) then the check is a waste. Less flow, more maintenance, and more money are all that can be guaranteed by a check valve.

 

[pascal32]

I'm against them for flow restriction reasons. the ones at lowes are VERY limiting on flow. the clear flapper check valve ones look better. if you decide to go this route try to get a clear one you can visually see.

I like your emergency overflow, I do worry about what will happen if it ever gets used and your return pump turns on afterwards and you are down on water.

If you decide the get a reefkeeper I will gladly help set up the programming and pump a pump protect in (my pump turns of for 5 minutes when the water level is low, then tries again). Might as well wet up an ATO at the same time

 

[Capt_Cully]

In the event of a power outage, the amount I'd lose would be minimal, if any. My sump tanks are 18" deep, but because of skimmers recommended operating depth, water will only be at 12-13" in depth. So that leaves a fairly large footprint plus about 3-4" in reserve depth. That should be more than enough to compensate for the volume within the 1.5" plumbing.

In the event of a seal failure on my Reeflo Snapper, well, a restart would be a moot point. But the stand can handle about 20 gallons of flooding in its own right. But realistically, with a siphon break, the backflow would, again, only amount to the volume within the 1.5" return plumbing at a total of about 6 feet in length.

The emergency bulkhead in the sump, plumbed to the house's plumbing is PRIMARILY as a drain I can link to for water changes. Its emergency function is a nice redundancy for the paranoid reefer.

With all that in mind, I find just cause to ditch the check valve (a clear one I had on hand). Agreed the Lowes model is too stiff for any application in the aquarium hobby IMO.

 

[pascal32]

Sounds good! The pump restart only happens when the level is good which typically is the result of water flowing backwards from the tank