Throttling a canister filter

[PYRU]

Anyone ever use a dimmer to throttle a canister? I have a small xp I was thinking of using for a 29 or 40b.

 

[Oughtsix]

Bad idea!

Just put a valve on the return line of the filter. No it will not hurt the pump! The pump will actually work less because it is moving less water. You are not supposed to put the valve on the supply line to the pump... because that can cause cavitation... but none of the pumps built into an off the shelf canister filter are close to powerful enough to cause cavitation.

 

[jaws7777]

 

[jaws7777]

 

[krichardson]

View attachment 1368647View attachment 1368648View attachment 1368649

Eh...care to explain all that?

 

[jaws7777]

Eh...care to explain all that?

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[krichardson]

 

[duanes]

Any centrifugal pump can safely be throttled with a valve on the outflow to the tank.
Never throttle (choke) the flow into the filter from the tank, this can easily burn out the motor.

 

[neutrino]

I did it a lot when I used to do fluidized bed filters-- I had submersible pumps and adjustable valves (post pump, pre-sand chamber) for correct sand movement. Worked just fine, never hurt the pumps.

 

[Coryloach]

Generally, like everyone says it is no problem but by using a valve what one actually does is increasing the velocity of the water and maintaining the same overall output flow of the filter, hence there is no harm to the filter as well. I'd use that if I want to increase higher surface movement and my filter has low total flow rate. I may be wrong but as far as I know, to decrease the velocity, and thus the turbulence in the water, you want to actually have bigger diameter hose attached to the filter, without any reducers, which is not always possible.