Plumbing Q: OK to join CL + Return?

[Newreeflady]

Scheme: CL to return to tank via OM Squirt. Sump return to join one of the 4 returns from the CL before entering the tank.

Can I take one of the lines off of the OM squirt and join it with my sump return line? Is there anything fundamentally wrong with this? I think it is ok, but thought i'd ask

I would rather only have 4 returns to the tank instead of 5 returns. This will be plenty of variability for a 36g tank, even with one of the lines only switching between partially running and running at max capacity. I would be doing a 1" WYE to join the sump return with one of the OM squirt return lines. Then the WYE will be reduced to 3/4" at the tank to run through Loc-Line.

Thoughts?
Thanks!
-A

 

[sfsuphysics]

Well if you plumb them together then you're going to add a bit of back pressure on that line whenever that opening on the squirt opens.

Not to mention if that sump pump fails for whatever reason you'll drain your entire tank into your sump when the squirt pushes water down that return.

Finally if your closed loop is one that's drilled into the back of the tank such that the pump sucks out of the tank and squirts into to the tank via outlets drilled in the back then you're asking for trouble if the power goes out because a closed loop has no where to go, but with one hole also being attached to the sump you'll drain the water level all the way down to that hole's level.

 

[raddogz]

If you join the return to the Squirt it is no longer a closed loop =)

I have the Squirt attached to my return line and have a siphon break hole in the return (before it reaches the Squirt)

 

[Newreeflady]

Ok, so there are no drilled holes in the tank. The CL will be pulling from a PVC strainer in the tank.

It makes sense, though, in terms of restarting of the pumps. If the main pump does not restart and the CL pump does restart after an outage, then a) the CL pump would pull from the tank and it would drain to the sump and/or b) the water level would lower, causing the flood to stop, but the pump to run dry (ie, kill the pump.)

Thanks for giving me something to think about. Now I need to do a seperate return for the sump for sure.

Best,

Angela