Hi all!
I'm a newer member to the site, but have been lurking for a long time...Love the knowledge and experience here!!! You guy's are great!
I was hoping to get some of your opinions to help me on plumbing the returns to my tank. I thought I had a good understanding on how I was going to go about setting this up, but the more thinking/planning about it I do- well, I think iv'e come to a point where I have thought it out too much and now I'm starting to confuse myself!
I read, read, read and then read some more articles/posts but not everything is completely consistent...that or all this research is starting to become mind numbing 
..... anyway, my situation/question....
I recently acquired a 300 gallon acrylic tank and it has one overflow chamber built in, and has several holes drilled for returns on the tank. The guy left all his plumbing for the returns attached, and was using 4 of the holes for returning the water (the rest have plugs). Well first off....the overflow chamber... he had a 1.5'' bulkhead fitting but chose to reduce to a 1'' standpipe (doesn't make much sense)... I want to utilize maximum flow rate, so I replaced w/ a new 1.5'' bulkhead (b/c the other was glued to the reducer) and added a 1.5'' durso. OK, so the overflow/drain is good to go now....
As for the returns, he used 1/2'' pvc piping. I want to achieve somewhere around 1200 gph so will need to replace the piping....I plan on using a mag drive 18.... I will be attaching a tee and elbow w/ ball valve going back into the sump so I can adjust flow...
My question finally....I was under the impression that I need to use a 3/4'' to 1'' male adapter on the pump outlet so I can use a 1'' pipe for the return line (to handle that flow)...Things I have been reading are now confusing me (mainly friction loss and pressure). I will be running the return line about a foot up and then splitting w/a tee into two lines... then about another foot outward on each of those lines will be split with another tee to make a total of four returns lines back into the tank....Since I am doing this, can I just stick with 3/4'' piping, or did I have the right idea in the first place to go to 1''?? Or do you guys have any other suggestions?? And, the return holes in the tank are 1/2'', I was planning on drilling them bigger (to accommodate for bigger piping/fittings) ...or is there any way I can avoid doing that and use what is already there???
I hope I explained everything well enough...I am at work so I can't post any pics of the back of the tank, but I think the description should give you a pretty good idea of what I'm working with...I can always post pics when I get home in the morning...
Please, any info you could offer would be great!!
I'm a newer member to the site, but have been lurking for a long time...Love the knowledge and experience here!!! You guy's are great!
I was hoping to get some of your opinions to help me on plumbing the returns to my tank. I thought I had a good understanding on how I was going to go about setting this up, but the more thinking/planning about it I do- well, I think iv'e come to a point where I have thought it out too much and now I'm starting to confuse myself!
I read, read, read and then read some more articles/posts but not everything is completely consistent...that or all this research is starting to become mind numbing ..... anyway, my situation/question....I recently acquired a 300 gallon acrylic tank and it has one overflow chamber built in, and has several holes drilled for returns on the tank. The guy left all his plumbing for the returns attached, and was using 4 of the holes for returning the water (the rest have plugs). Well first off....the overflow chamber... he had a 1.5'' bulkhead fitting but chose to reduce to a 1'' standpipe (doesn't make much sense)... I want to utilize maximum flow rate, so I replaced w/ a new 1.5'' bulkhead (b/c the other was glued to the reducer) and added a 1.5'' durso. OK, so the overflow/drain is good to go now....
As for the returns, he used 1/2'' pvc piping. I want to achieve somewhere around 1200 gph so will need to replace the piping....I plan on using a mag drive 18.... I will be attaching a tee and elbow w/ ball valve going back into the sump so I can adjust flow...
My question finally....I was under the impression that I need to use a 3/4'' to 1'' male adapter on the pump outlet so I can use a 1'' pipe for the return line (to handle that flow)...Things I have been reading are now confusing me (mainly friction loss and pressure). I will be running the return line about a foot up and then splitting w/a tee into two lines... then about another foot outward on each of those lines will be split with another tee to make a total of four returns lines back into the tank....Since I am doing this, can I just stick with 3/4'' piping, or did I have the right idea in the first place to go to 1''?? Or do you guys have any other suggestions?? And, the return holes in the tank are 1/2'', I was planning on drilling them bigger (to accommodate for bigger piping/fittings) ...or is there any way I can avoid doing that and use what is already there???
I hope I explained everything well enough...I am at work so I can't post any pics of the back of the tank, but I think the description should give you a pretty good idea of what I'm working with...I can always post pics when I get home in the morning...
Please, any info you could offer would be great!!
