Plumbing Recommendations??

[Daragon]

Hello Everyone

When I set up my 125 (w/dual megaflows) I used 1" PVC for the drain. Now I want to change it (go figure, a neverending battle ). I am curious what size everyone else is using or would recommend.

I know it would be kind of a pain-in-the-butt to change since the tank is already setup, but what in this hobby is NOT a pain-in-the-butt? (don't answer that)

Thanks in advance!!

 

[denvig]

Why do you want to change it? The two drains will give you 1200 gph, more than enough to be going thru your sump. In fact too much.

 

[Daragon]

Wouldn't the 1" restrict flow and I have the two drains connect into one.

 

[BigCrowd42]

I have the same setup and i just ran both returns separately to the sump and put a filter soch on both of them. That way I get the full 1200gph. I have a mag12 pushing it back to 2 outlets. I also used as much soft tubing as i could it makes it mush quieter.My experience with hard PVC is it makes a lot of noise.Just my 2 cents

 

[Daragon]

I have two 9.5 magdrive's powering my return. Mine is pretty loud, using tubing really makes it quieter?

 

[Piscevore]

The drain that we plumbed on my tank is really loud too, Adam. I think the "soft" bends we created to move things this way or that make a lot of noise adam. To have a silent tank, you need straight pipes or hose.

 

[ScottM]

spaflex.

 

[Piscevore]

I need you to show me some of that spa flex. Is that home depotable? We should totally snag some of that sh** adam. I gotta do my 72, 50, and we can do the 125 too.. it'll be an adventure I bet it would be easy too, since there are no elbows etc to worry 'bout.

 

[Daragon]

I've seen it at HD, looks like we'll be doing another (3) project(s) Ryan...

Scott, what size?

 

[mrw64]

Spa-flex

I have not seen spa-flex at Home Depot but I did buy some at Lowes. The Lowes in Springfield had 1" and 1 1/2". It's not cheap. The 1" I bought was $2.99/ft, I think. I used 8ft of it for my return from my basement. Very quiet.

 

[ScottM]

lowes had it.
stick with the 1" for the drains unless you plan to do more than 2000gph thru the pipes. also don't run them into 1 pipe. if your running 9.5's it might be easier to run tubing instead of finding 3/4" spaflex.

try mcmaster carr or grainger

 

[BigCrowd42]

Do you have to throttle back on the flow of those pumps with valves? Sometimes the pumps get louder when you choke them back.I run my mag12 wide open I put valves in place after the split but they are full open.It is quieter than a friends mag7 that he has to throttle back the flow.I also think flexible hose helps with noise.Flexible tubing is much quieter..

I have two 9.5 magdrive's powering my return. Mine is pretty loud, using tubing really makes it quieter?

 

[Piscevore]

I am running a 1" drain on my 50, with a t4 running at full tilt through 1" tubing stepped down to 3/4" into a SCWD and spray bars (3/4"). Great flow The 1" drain is LOUD. It has several 45's in it to "angle" into my sump. It sunds like the toilet water running down through the house piping constantly.

 

[nunofs]

FWIW, I found savko.com to have the cheapest price on 1" spa-flex, $0.74 per foot, and a 5% quantity discount if you order a full 50ft roll. Shipping isn't too bad, it's certainly less expensive than buying at HD.

Nuno

 

[Piscevore]

Whoa. Thanks!

 

[NateHanson]

Ryan, did you see the thread a few weeks ago about silencing the drain in your sump. I can show you up here on Friday.

 

[Daragon]

Do you have to throttle back on the flow of those pumps with valves? Sometimes the pumps get louder when you choke them back.I run my mag12 wide open I put valves in place after the split but they are full open.It is quieter than a friends mag7 that he has to throttle back the flow.I also think flexible hose helps with noise.Flexible tubing is much quieter..

I do have the valves to throttle back but mine are full throttle.

Ryan, did you see the thread a few weeks ago about silencing the drain in your sump. I can show you up here on Friday.

I tried that but did not work, actually I tried it three different ways. The micro-bubbles got worse. I think I have too much flow for it to work because I have the two drains connected. It might work if my drains are seperate come to think of it.

 

[NateHanson]

Do you have two 1" drains joining to one 1" pipe going into your sump? I imagine that could cause issues since the water would have to go much faster after the Y. I think going to 1 1/2" pipe after the Y would probaly be a good first step.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I have a 125g with dual 1.5" drains, with seperate drains down to the sump.
I'm pumping over 1400gph thru the tank with an Iwaki 70. Too much flow for (1) 1.5" drain. But in case one gets slightly (or major) clogged, either one can take almost the full flow.

I'd rather have more drain then I need, then too little

 

[Daragon]

Do you have two 1" drains joining to one 1" pipe going into your sump? I imagine that could cause issues since the water would have to go much faster after the Y. I think going to 1 1/2" pipe after the Y would probaly be a good first step.

Yes it goes from two 1" pipes to one 1" pipe, and does it ever shoot out...