Plumbing dual Eheim 2213s/dual Hydor ETH-200. Critique/assistance thread
- Thread starter DarkSoul
- Start date
Interesting. Very creative!
Only one thought.... If one filter were to fail.... without you knowing, the other would potentially back flush the other into the tank.
Only thing I can think to resolve that is to install two PVC check valves somewhere in your design in the right places for each canister. - it would have to be before the heaters for each.
What do you think?
Only one thought.... If one filter were to fail.... without you knowing, the other would potentially back flush the other into the tank.
Only thing I can think to resolve that is to install two PVC check valves somewhere in your design in the right places for each canister. - it would have to be before the heaters for each.
What do you think?
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
nice set up. I'd probably use 2 short pieces of flexible hose between the heaters and a Y, into 1 1" pipe, up to the return. that way you can plumb it in place with the tank and still have some wiggle room with the filter in the stand, while avoiding another right angle. the LFS says each right angle reduces flow by 80%... I don't know if that's an exact number or a misinformed estimate, but it's somewhere in the right direction.
I really like this set up, and would do it myself if I had a real stand... but right now my plumbing is really ghetto, and my eheim 2213 is in a desk near the tank... with 3-4 feet of hose
I really like this set up, and would do it myself if I had a real stand... but right now my plumbing is really ghetto, and my eheim 2213 is in a desk near the tank... with 3-4 feet of hose
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
Im going to put check valves on them, but that raised a good point. I hadnt thought of one of them failing and backflushing the other...... BUT I would need a spring loaded valve, that requires only very little pressure to operate.... remember they will also put backpressure on the pumps, and reduce flow. the pressure on these filters is only around 1.5 PSI, if the check valve requires 1 PSI to open, then that leaves only .5 PSI for pushing water.
plus their orientation would cause problems, they would need to be placed right on top of the isolating/disconnect valves, and they would be pointing down in the direction of water flow..... see the problem there?
Im not going to use 1" Pipe, its much much too large for these little filters, and the weight of the water pushing back on the filters, would probably cause them to stop pumping.
80% is a load of hooey..... each elbow reduces the flow by about half. Now you must also take into consideration that I am using MUCH larger pipe in comparison to the size of the OD of the output/input/original tubing.
Ive got a 3/8" ID outlet, pushing water through a 1/2" ID pipe as soon as it leaves the filter. So this will either allow me to hopefully get somewhere near "breaking even" or slow it down even more due to the weight of the water pushing back on the flters, which might not be that big of a problem, due to the plumbing being divided, yet shared at the same time. the extra volume in the Hydors will hopefully absorb some of the backpressure.
plus their orientation would cause problems, they would need to be placed right on top of the isolating/disconnect valves, and they would be pointing down in the direction of water flow..... see the problem there?
Im not going to use 1" Pipe, its much much too large for these little filters, and the weight of the water pushing back on the filters, would probably cause them to stop pumping.
80% is a load of hooey..... each elbow reduces the flow by about half. Now you must also take into consideration that I am using MUCH larger pipe in comparison to the size of the OD of the output/input/original tubing.
Ive got a 3/8" ID outlet, pushing water through a 1/2" ID pipe as soon as it leaves the filter. So this will either allow me to hopefully get somewhere near "breaking even" or slow it down even more due to the weight of the water pushing back on the flters, which might not be that big of a problem, due to the plumbing being divided, yet shared at the same time. the extra volume in the Hydors will hopefully absorb some of the backpressure.
I could put check valves on the input side of each filter, that should still prevent water from going backwards through it.
+1 to that idea. Prevents backflow, and gravity assisting the water coming down should provide plenty of pressure to trigger the valve the right direction.
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
you could always isolate the two sides completely, so that they are physically connected, but not in terms of flow, with 2 intakes and 2 returns... just seal off the center piece between the hydors. this might not be ideal aesthetically, but would eliminate the need for a check valve without adding any more restriction to the flow.
A couple things:
Every angle that you have in your plumbing is reducing your water flow, so you're not going to get anywhere near 232 gph. With 8' of head pressure, it is unlikely that you're going to have enough flow through the filters.
I would install check valves after each filter to prevent pressure from the other filter from restricting it's flow further.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3627&N=2004+113427
or
http://www.aquariumguys.com/oceanclear.html
would be a viable option for what you want to do.
Considering the price of the two eheims and two hydors, it wouldn't be that much different in price.
Every angle that you have in your plumbing is reducing your water flow, so you're not going to get anywhere near 232 gph. With 8' of head pressure, it is unlikely that you're going to have enough flow through the filters.
I would install check valves after each filter to prevent pressure from the other filter from restricting it's flow further.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3627&N=2004+113427
or
http://www.aquariumguys.com/oceanclear.html
would be a viable option for what you want to do.
Considering the price of the two eheims and two hydors, it wouldn't be that much different in price.
Ya now I just have to find one that works with a downward flow.....
If I seperate the two, then I have entirely defeated the purpose for plumbing them both together to begin with.... so that they can both work to overcome the 5' or so of pipe that they need to push water though (each filter only has 4' of head)..... its a small attempt at giving more head pressure with both filters working together on a single line.
If I seperate trhem then I run into:
buying two more intake/outputs
having two more intakes/outputs in my tank.
having to buy more fittings, and running more pipe.
still having a longer run of pipe on the output side, than each single filter can push through.
Im aware of restrictions, read a few posts back... i mention it.
installing check valves after each filter wont work, because I need spring loaded ones, and they will further reduce the amount of flow coming out of the filters.
There is not 8' of head pressure pushing back on the filters, there should be 8' of head coming out of the two filters.
Each filter has 4' of head, with a 3/8" output. both filters are connected at the outputs, before the Hydors, so this should hopefully have enough pressure to actually keep the water flowing through the 5' of pipe or so.
being that its 1/2" though, there will be more water weight pushing back on the filters, but again, this will hopefully be divided amongst the two, actually providing no more water weight, at the filter output, than there would normally be with 3/8" tubing. IE, I will likely have the same flowrate as a single filter, but double the pressure.
also as mentioned, I may end up buying a water pump to boost it along anyway. And I will be installing a flowmeter along the output side as well so I know how much water im turning over.
As for buying yet another filter..... why would I waste the money to buy another filter thats the same cost as the ones ive ALREADY purchased?
seems redundant, and holds me back more.
This system will work, and I should end up with somewhere above 100gph overall flow, without the addition of another pump to boost it.
