Union Fittings

[Singlemalt]

I'm about to set up a 120 reef tank. I'll be plumbing a sump and fuge into my basement. I'll also be installing a closed loop to increase my flow. The tank has 1 inch drains and 3/4 inch returns and I was planning on 3/4 inch plumbing for the closed loop.

So here's my question......I'd like to use pvc union fittings in a number of places but when I looked at them in Home Depot I noticed that the diameter of the inside of the fitting is much smaller than the diameter of the piping that will be feeding it. Will this restrict my flow too much or create pressure that I'll have to account for when I buy a pump?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[192clark]

yes it will restrict, however the couplings, elbows, 90's should be larger on the inside as they fit on the outside of the pvc. I would suggest going up to at least 1.5" and reduce to 3/4 at the tank where the water enters at each nozzle. JM2C

 

[an411]

They should have unions that fit the 3/4 inch pipe I just plumbed my tank with 1 1/4 inch pvc piping and I got unions that fit the pipe inside. Or I know that they make reducers that you can screw into a threaded union that will make a bigger size union fit a 3/4" pvc piping

 

[Singlemalt]

Thanks I'll move up to 1 1/4. Thank god for RC!!