Plumbing Help

[RDuhb]

Upgrading to a 125 with dual corner overflows. Each overflow fits two 1" bulkheads. The sump will be in my basement which will be 9' vertical run and a 25' horizontal run. Here's my plan...

Pump: Syncra HF 10.0 Pump (2500 GPH)
Drain: Durso with 1.5" pipe above the bulkhead then reduced to 1" below the bulkhead for the run to the sump. There will be two separate runs to the sump.
Return: One 1.5" pipe that will run from sump to the cabinet then spit to two 1" pipes to feed the returns. The pump will also feed a manifold for other reactors. Not sure if I should use 1" pipe or not.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[mcgyvr]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2595141

[LXXero]

Ahh, that can of worms thread, lol. Some would argue turning that system into a full siphon drain is improper or "would never work" even though it would, to some extent. You didn't actually ask for help doing that, though. So let's avoid going down THAT unnecessary rabbit hole...

If you're gonna just leave it stock, then, I think your plan sounds mostly good.

However a 25' horizontal run?! Is that on the drains too? This could be somewhat problematic...That would be by far my largest concern from what you've said. Horizontal runs should be avoided at all costs, and 25 feet seems almost excessively large. Can you find a better place for the sump to reduce this?

[RDuhb]

However a 25' horizontal run?! Is that on the drains too? This could be somewhat problematic...That would be by far my largest concern from what you've said. Horizontal runs should be avoided at all costs, and 25 feet seems almost excessively large. Can you find a better place for the sump to reduce this?

I'm still trying to come up with a way to get it closer. But in the meantime, what issues will I have with a horizontal run?

[Vinny Kreyling]

1st one coming to mind is the drain down going back to the sump.
Better have plenty of room for that extra 50'.

[LXXero]

You definitely would NOT want to run ANY type of full-siphon drain on a 25-ft horizontal run. So ignore that link the other fellow sent you entirely. Not gonna work on this setup.

The main concern is going to be how much flow can it handle. These are "gravity" drains. Horizontals prevent gravity from doing its's thing, and in turn, reduce the flow.

Does the run have to be horizontal, or can it be diagonal?

For a return, it's different. The line is under pressure. You can always get a bigger pump, and use appropriately sized plumbing, to work-around it. You can't just get a bigger planet and increase gravity though, haha.

When it's gravity, essentially the only thing pushing water through that 25ft of horizontal is the 9ft of vertical pressure before the horizontal. Flow rate with drains is all about the height, you want to assist gravity as much as you can, and horizontals work against it. If you up-size the pipe large enough, it might be better. And if you can do more of a diagonal run as opposed to completely horizontal, even better.

Consider maybe doing 1.5" standpipe, 1" bulkhead, and 1.5" again for the run to the basement....this is going to all be about reducing the friction and ensuring that the 25ft run isn't going to completely be a show stopper.

Also, another issue that hasn't come up yet: Backflow. With 3 nearly 35ft runs filled with water, (2 drains, and a return) when your pump shuts off, all those pipes are going to drain out into your sump. Of course if it's a drain with durso, it'll be mixed with some air, so it's not entirely that bad, but you will need to make sure you can handle all that back flow in the sump, it will definitely be more than you would get with a shorter run.

[RDuhb]

@LXXero:
Thanks for the feedback. My only alternative is to move the tank to the opposite side of the room where it will pretty much be directly over the sump. The real challenge is convincing my wife to rearrange the family room furniture to accommodate my tank. :)
Wish me luck!