Return line for herbie question (1 Viewer)

[Dragon Eye]

How do you bond the flex tubing to the PVC?

They make a barb fitting in plastic that you can usually find at Home Depot or Lowes- just need to go in with the tube dimensions and hard pipe dimensions to find the right size. Put the tube over the barb and secure with a clamp.

Also do you use anything to support the return PVC to the back of the Tank/stand? Now I'm confused of what to do.

Yes- If you have a wood stand you can use a conduit holder (u shaped plastic piece with holes for screws on either end) and screw to your stand, or you can use those same holders with acrylic and some double stick tape to secure to the back of the tank. Either way both are removable in case of a move or reconfigure.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

FWIW - my entire plumbing is all sched 80. Thought about flex but with the break down sooner or later and also the uncertainty of clamps......went all PVC.

Also used sched 80 for 99% of it as I am paranoid. MOA is replacing all of thier sched 40 plumbing now with sched 80 as the 40 they put in to begin with - is now failing (cracking etc)......just an example. You wont have millions of gallons running through your plumbing....

My thought was, why not spend the extra few $$ for something that is rated for 80 degree water rather than 40 degree water? JMO

Have not had an issue yet. Most at least have a lil bit of flex on thier return pump to get it out for cleaning, we just put in a split so that all I have to do is loosen 1 connector on the line and I can still pull the pump out with no issues

I also know alot use the flex by the pump to cut down on noise, but mine has always been very quiet - never needed to switch it out

Thanks for posting that Angie! I was wondering what those different valves are for on the return?

So it'd be possible to get the 3/4" ID to attach to the Ehiem, then have a 1' of PVC to a 45 degree elbow to make it go to the back of the tank then elbow again at 45 degrees then straight up the back of the tank and then create something to enter the tank (may be the original black piece the overflow came with?)?

The braided vinyl tubing seems a lot easier but possible for more problems. I'm in an apartment so there isn't really much room for error. Note the paranoia.

 

[acharpenter]

Thanks for posting that Angie! I was wondering what those different valves are for on the return?

Its a valve for water changes. Close the valve at the top of the line, open the one in the middle, throw a bucket in and ta-da - pump driven water changes

Angie, PVC is rated for 140 degrees. At 80 degrees, it is "derated" something like 10% over its nominal rating. For 1" PVC (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-pressures-d_796.html), thats 270 PSI. Your fish tank drain is not going to create anything near that pressure.

So, why do it? How about this - sched 80 as a LOWER capacity due to the thicker walls. So, in fact, sched 80 is worse for fish tanks that 40. There is no plausible argument for using sched 80 on fish tanks other than "grey looks cooler."

OK fine Mr.Smarty-pants, i'll go with grey looks cooler!

 

[Merkurfan]

white pipe and a can of gray paint is STILL cheaper than gray pipe..

You'll find the hose barbs with the plastic sprinkler system parts. Also in the plumbing department. at least they are at menards.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

I'm leaning towards getting a 3/4" thread, gluing to to 4.5' of Spa flex or nylon tubing then creating a PVC U thing to get over the lip.

There are many posts on RC utilizing the nylon tubing or this green type of tube. Is there a way to glue that tubing to pvc or that plastic piece that I posted a picture in the first thread?

Almost be cheaper to buy a fellow reefer a 12 pack and let them do it there way. :beerchug:

 

[reeffamily]

use plastic clamps only. on your return pump it sits in salt water and will rust as eveyone said. you'll send rust through your whole system in no time.

 

[hypertech]

use plastic clamps only. on your return pump it sits in salt water and will rust as eveyone said. you'll send rust through your whole system in no time.

Strange that they've never given me any problem at all. Although the possibility for rust is there, the stainless ones I have used many times for long periods have never had any appreciable rust.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

Strange that they've never given me any problem at all. Although the possibility for rust is there, the stainless ones I have used many times for long periods have never had any appreciable rust.

Matt are you just going to used standard nylon tube, the fitting that came with the Ehiem and SS clamp that? On the return to the tank, what are you going to utilize? Is there any way to bond that?


Why did you try the half PVC/ half tube route initially. So many folks on RC utilize tubes on their returns.

 

[hypertech]

Yes, I just clamp 3/4 id tube to the fitting that comes with the pump.

I am OCD about noise and a length of tube reduces noise. It also gives you a margin of error if your plumbing isn't perfect.

To connect to the hard pipe, I get a slip to thread adapter and thread on a barb (with Teflon tape).

A union is still nice as it makes it easier to get the pump on and off.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

"AVOID HARD PLUMBING IN THE PUMP RETURN LINE! We cannot stress this enough! Although (to an amateur) a filtration system plumbed with hard PVC may LOOK neater and more professional than one plumbed with flexible vinyl or (preferably) flexible PVC, hard PVC elbows and pipe provide more resistance than flexible tubing. This increases head pressure and makes the pump work considerably harder and operate at a hotter temperature."
http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/pumptips.shtml

 

[mrbeachbum2]

Yes, I just clamp 3/4 id tube to the fitting that comes with the pump.

I am OCD about noise and a length of tube reduces noise. It also gives you a margin of error if your plumbing isn't perfect.

To connect to the hard pipe, I get a slip to thread adapter and thread on a barb (with Teflon tape).

A union is still nice as it makes it easier to get the pump on and off.

But there is no way to glue/bond the nylon tubing to the U directional tube?

Is this the return you'll be using Matt? http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/pumptips.shtml

I initially had 1" ID tubing, which would be a big NO NO, since my drain is 1".

 

[mrbeachbum2]

Epoxy a bad idea?

 

[hypertech]

No no no no no no no

For the umpteenth time, you cannot glue that tube to PVC.

 

[Merkurfan]

"AVOID HARD PLUMBING IN THE PUMP RETURN LINE! We cannot stress this enough! Although (to an amateur) a filtration system plumbed with hard PVC may LOOK neater and more professional than one plumbed with flexible vinyl or (preferably) flexible PVC, hard PVC elbows and pipe provide more resistance than flexible tubing. This increases head pressure and makes the pump work considerably harder and operate at a hotter temperature."
http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/pumptips.shtml

uhhh.... yeah.... ok..

maybe if your hard pipe return has 6 90 degree bends in it. The pipe it's self would not cause any more resistance than the tubing. The elbows are where the resistance would be. Hench the use of 45's over 90's.

Use 45's when ever possible. If you go flexible, make it something light can not get in to so algae can not grow in it.

For over the top don't use flexible, your going to have to go with something hard so it does not come off the lip of the tank. This is where I bend the rule and use 3 90's

 

[mrbeachbum2]

I cannot make this work with 45 degrees elbows. I had to use 90 degree elbows. Will this be bad? I have not glued it yet. Any other ideas? My SWE recommended using these compression fittings since I'll be moving in 2-3 years.

or is this design better

 

[hypertech]

So you are hell bent on gluing the tubing to the PVC but you are ok with compression fittings? Seems something is amiss with our logic processing unit.

 

[Merkurfan]

So you are hell bent on gluing the tubing to the PVC but you are ok with compression fittings? Seems something is amiss with our logic processing unit.

I much prefer the unions over compression. smaller, and threaded. Much less likely to come apart/leak.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

So you are hell bent on gluing the tubing to the PVC but you are ok with compression fittings? Seems something is amiss with our logic processing unit.

This is just what SWE recommended.

 

[mrbeachbum2]

So you are hell bent on gluing the tubing to the PVC but you are ok with compression fittings? Seems something is amiss with our logic processing unit.

The last two posts were referring to gluing vinyl tubing to a plastic direction tube.

 

[Mutu]

I much prefer the unions over compression. smaller, and threaded. Much less likely to come apart/leak.

Yup! I had the option a while ago and went Union and have not looked back!

Though, I will have to redesign soon when I swap tanks... but it will be unions then as well.

Unions would also let you use 45s in your design given the space restriction.