How do I plumb this thing?

[ruddybop]

"" I need on of those blades for scoring so i can take the scrap acrylic and make a patch for the holes on the side.""

The holes on the side are for your bulkhead fitting that you run the hose or pvc from the overflows. Water comes in on the side with this model sump. At least thats what it looks like to me...

 

[Diogenes]

I think the LFS I bought the sump from drilled holes in the side and had a DIY spray bar setup instead of a drip plate.

 

[Oughtsix]

went to lowes and the LFS in annandale. I got some acrylic cut and it looks like once I drill holes it will work. I need on of those blades for scoring so i can take the scrap acrylic and make a patch for the holes on the side. What kind of adhesive should I use? acrylic on acrylic.

I also found some non-kink hose. I took my bulkheads for reference and the bigger one slipped loosely into 1.5 inch tube, the smaller was .75 inch. Does that sound about right? Will a hose clamp tighten that down considerably? I didn't buy the hose because I dont need 60$ worth of hose and marine depot sells it by the foot. I figured I was just order like 3 ft or so of each size, some hose clamps, and any other plumbing you guys recommend from them What kind of hose is good for a return pipe? more no kink?

Did you get everything figured out?

I prefer the hose to be a tiny bit too small and then heat the hose in boiling water so it will stretch just a bit to make it over the fitting. Hose barb fittings work very well for connecting hose to pvc... at HD and Lowes the hose barb fittings are in the black Poly pipe section of plumbing. A touch of soap, cooking oil, silicone sealer or spit will help lube a tight heated hose end over a fitting that is a touch too big.

If you are going to clamp a hose that is just a bit too big for the fitting I would recommend that you still heat the end of the hose in boiling water before slipping it over the fitting and putting the hose clamp on. This makes the hose very pliable and much less likely to leave any little water passages between the hose and the fitting. A little bit of silicone is a great bit of insurance if you are worried about the fit.

 

[Diogenes]

Progress on the 90g!

After breaking the first drip plate, I cut another piece of acrylic and made another one. I've also made some headway on the drain. I have a couple questions.

okay, first question:

To drill a hole in what wll be the cover of the wet dry, do I need one of these, or one of these?

Second question: What size hole should I drill to put in a bulkhead that will accept a 3/4" piece of PVC? What size bulkhead would that be?

Third question:

How can I plumb a mag 9.5? The instructions say that it has 3/4 NPT threads. Is there like an adapter or something for this? Also the instructions say that you should use at least 1.5 inch pvc as the return pipe. This will be considerably larger than my bulkhead or the 3/4" NPT threads. How does that work? Is there some sort of fitting that can take the size up/down as needed? A pic of the pump is included below.

Fourth question:

How do I make a cover out of these blank piece of acrylic? Does it need to be waterproofed and if so what do I waterproof it with? I thought about silicone but then i couldn't easily maintain the bioball chamber. I'd basically have to reseal it every time I performed maintenance. I thought about using teflon tape or gorilla tape and just removing/replacing it as needed. What do you guys think?

Pics:

mag 9.5

 

[Diogenes]

bump

 

[Oughtsix]

okay, first question:

To drill a hole in what wll be the cover of the wet dry, do I need one of these, or one of these?

The flat bit will probably work but the hole saw will definitely work and be much less trouble and much less chance of cracking the plate. Your link is to the hole saw itself, you will also need the hole saw arbor to mount the hole saw on.

Second question: What size hole should I drill to put in a bulkhead that will accept a 3/4" piece of PVC? What size bulkhead would that be?

I assume you are talking about a bulkhead for the top water entry into the sump. This does not have to be a water tight bulkhead so it is common practice (even with commercially built sumps) to make your own bulkhead.
1) Buy a 1.5" (or size appropriate for your down pipe) Female NPT (or slip depending) to Male NPT (threaded) elbow fitting.
http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing/h...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

2) Buy a 1.5" Female NPT to Female NPT coupling fitting.
http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing/h...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

3) Drill a hole in your lid big enough to slip the 1.5" male thread though.
4) Cut ~3/4" off one side of the Female to Female fitting.
5) Slip the Male thread through the hole in the top and use the 3/4" x 1.5" ring from step 4 as a nut to secure the male fitting.
6) Use what ever fitting necessary to attach the down hose to the 1.5" slip fitting.

If your down pipe is 3/4" I would use 1" fittings for the bulkhead. If it is a 1" down pipe I would use 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" fittings.


Third question:

How can I plumb a mag 9.5? The instructions say that it has 3/4 NPT threads. Is there like an adapter or something for this? Also the instructions say that you should use at least 1.5 inch pvc as the return pipe. This will be considerably larger than my bulkhead or the 3/4" NPT threads. How does that work? Is there some sort of fitting that can take the size up/down as needed? A pic of the pump is included below.

NPT stands for National Pipe Thread. It is the standardized thread used for pipes in the US. Home depot and Lowes carries a large assortment of PVC fittings with 3/4" NPT.
I would put a 3/4" union http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 directly on the pump outlet.

This will allow you to easily disconnect the tubing. Next a 3/4" check valve would be a bit of extra insurance even though they are not fool proof.
Then a 3/4" to barbed hose fitting (Look in the poly pipe section of HD as they are not with the other PVC fittings). They are similar to this but a straight fitting and 3/4" NPT (Home depot search sucks) http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

There are many PVC NPT reducers (change one diameter pipe to another diameter) fittings in the home depot plumbing section.

Fourth question:

How do I make a cover out of these blank piece of acrylic? Does it need to be waterproofed and if so what do I waterproof it with? I thought about silicone but then i couldn't easily maintain the bioball chamber. I'd basically have to reseal it every time I performed maintenance. I thought about using teflon tape or gorilla tape and just removing/replacing it as needed. What do you guys think?

No, the cover should not be water tight. My cover just lays on the top of my sump and its only real purpose is to contain splashing and quiet the sump.

 

[Oughtsix]

You want air circulation in the bio ball chamber. A sealed lid would defeat one of the main advantages of a sump... Oxygen exchange.

I always put a couple air stones under my bio ball chamber to assure a constant supply of fresh oxygenated air.