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Help selecting correct valve


DOJOLOACH

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I've got a 40b and a new 20g long sump I'm building. The 40b has one drain and one return line and I'd like to have piper going into two filter socks and two pumps T'd together to the one return line.

 

What do you guys recommend for valves, if any, to use on these lines? I was thinking a gate valve on one of the drain lines right after the T. Possibly a ball valve  on one of return lines before the T

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You are going to need one-way valves on each of the two pumps for the return before the tee, otherwise you are losing all redundancy. If you want to spread a single drain into two socks, you don't need to get crazy wasting money on a gate valve when a ball valve will work just fine. This would be a good setup, as diagrammed in MS Paint:

 

mspain-plumbing.png.baf03b34bf14e9c6aad7ea80d5794555.png

 

 

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11 minutes ago, jservedio said:

You are going to need one-way valves on each of the two pumps for the return before the tee, otherwise you are losing all redundancy. If you want to spread a single drain into two socks, you don't need to get crazy wasting money on a gate valve when a ball valve will work just fine. This would be a good setup, as diagrammed in MS Paint:

 

mspain-plumbing.png.baf03b34bf14e9c6aad7ea80d5794555.png

 

 

Thank you, can't believe I didn't think of the fact losing one of the pumps would cause the other pump to outflow water to return line and reverse through the other pump.

 

What's your opinion on having just one drain line going into an area where both socks are mounted? As oppose to the two lines directly over each sock?

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5 minutes ago, DOJOLOACH said:

What's your opinion on having just one drain line going into an area where both socks are mounted? As oppose to the two lines directly over each sock?

I think it's a better option - it makes it easier to remove the socks if the pipe isn't going directly into them, you won't have to maintain the ball/gate valve, and if you decide to remove the socks completely later, you don't have a monstrosity of pipe there for no reason.

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I would use a double union ball valve. Coralvue sells then for a good price. Lowe's has them for like $7 bucks too. Unions and double union bv's are such key features of tank plumbing I feel like. 

 

 As a mechanical plumber,we really believe unions are life savers lol. 

 

 Also too,do yourself a favor and get double union check valves. You'll thank me later if a pump fails or your power goes out. 

 

 When I bought my plumbing stuff,I got 2 double union bv's,2 double union check valves and 6 unions. 

 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMERICAN-VALVE-PVC-SCH-40-1-1-2-in-Socket-PVC-Ball-Valve/1000339501

 

https://www.coralvue.com/white-true-union-ball-check-valve

 

https://www.coralvue.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=+ball+valves

 

https://www.coralvue.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=+unions

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I'd consider running a complete plumbing line for each return pump for simplicity and full redundancy.  Go over the back with the returns.  Used the drilled holes for independent drain lines, one standpipe can be a little higher than the other so it only takes flow in the event something happens to the main drain.  A few ways you can do it.

 

You sure all that redundancy is worth it, BTW, versus keeping things simpler and more traditional?  Might be better just to have a backup battery for critical functions, depending on what you think the redundancy is guarding against.

 

At least in my situation, having a backup return pump on hand is enough insurance.  Single drain is fine as long as it's plumbed properly.

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