Plumbing question

[Manolo_AP]

Hey guys. I am about to redo my sump plumbing and like some input.

The purpose of this redo is to eliminate two pumps from my setup. The chiller pump and the gfo reactor pump. I've been more energy conscious as the cost of this hobby can get away from us.

Here is a crude sketch of what I've come up with.
The valves are in place so I can bypass the chiller during the colder months and put it back in the loop during the summer easily.

Also can a gfo reactor be gravity fed from the drain line? I Dont see why not because not a lot of pressure is needed to tumble gfo.

I have a Rio 2100 return pump on a 72 gallon bowfront

Here's the sketch

 

[noelskii]

I don't think your pump is strong enough. How much pressure does the chiller need? What GFO reactor are you using- I don't think any of the GFO reactors out there can be gravity fed...

 

[Manolo_AP]

Chiller min of 275gph. I have the TLF reactor. I've been planning on upgrading the pump but I think I should be fine for now. I could be wrong.

 

[reefs4life]

I also don't know if the chiller line would work the way you intend it to. You can have the chiller output going back into your return line, it would have to have its own outlet for water to actually flow in and out of the chiller

 

[Manolo_AP]

Just for a not more of clarity. There would only be one return line at a time working. During the summer months I shut off the valves for return line one and open up valves to return line two going to the chiller. And out of the chiller up to the tank.

 

[edd]

I also don't know if the chiller line would work the way you intend it to. You can have the chiller output going back into your return line, it would have to have its own outlet for water to actually flow in and out of the chiller

+1 the way it looks is you have both in and out of chiller going to return line. it won't flow that way. return it to your sump.
as mentioned, your reactor will have to be plumbed to the pump.

 

[Manolo_AP]

No. It goes from the return pump. To the chiller. From the chiller to the return line and to the tank.

 

[reefs4life]

No. It goes from the return pump. To the chiller. From the chiller to the return line and to the tank.

Oh I see what you're saying with the one return line working at a time. Basically only one of those two valves coming out of the the Y at the return pump will be open depending on the season. But it won't work that way either, as water goes from chiller to reactors and DT, most of the water will probably go to reactors because there's no gravity acting against the water going to the reactors. Also, if you have half of your chilled water returning to your sump before going into the DT you might get some fluctuactions/inconstintency with the chiller going on and off.

As a thought, can't you just have water flowing through the chiller all the time just on or off to save yourself some plumbing headache and flushing the chiller between seasons.

 

[edd]

No. It goes from the return pump. To the chiller. From the chiller to the return line and to the tank.

both lines will be pressurized, limiting the amount of flow out to the return line.
i would return it to the sump, just like reactors are plumbed.