Sump Plumbing; Tubing or PVC

[dakota9]

Everyone in this group (when asked) has suggested I go with PVC for plumbing my sump. I'm researching the he{{ out of this, and most sites I see suggests tubing is the way to go. Here's one here:

http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/pumptips.shtml"><span style="color: #810081;">Aquarium pump and plumbing tips</span></a>


But thats just one. Infact most sites are suggesting tubing for various reasons. I like the idea of PVC if I knew that it was done in a manor that would not leak, but tubing has it's perks too, as far fewer connections would be needed, plus removal/maintainance would be much easier.

Seems the big issue is the return line, as most people are suggesting that even if you go with PVC on everything else, the return line should always be constructed of tubing.


I'm not doing anything fancy, just a small basic sump, with a skimmer and one return, in case you needed to know what type of set up I was setting up.

What's your opinions on this?

 

[dannybradley]

I prefer rigid PVC over tubing. It makes for a cleaner install. If set up right, I think it's easier to work on than tubing. Make good friends with a union ball valve.

 

[dakota9]

Is it true that ball valves quit working after a while due to calcium/sediment attaching to it? Many sites suggest gate valves instead......

Man....... I think I'd rather be buying a car than considering all of these plumbing choices.

 

[dannybradley]

I've had the ones from Home Depot get sticky after awhile. I've had better success with the ones from Lowes. With the union ball valve, it's easy to replace the valve part. And you're talking about something that happens years out.

 

[jonathan]

Don't forget about flexible pvc. It does not have quite the turning radius of flex but works well. You can use standard rigid pvc fittings with it also.

JM

 

[dakota9]

Thanks for the advice! I'm going all PVC I guess.

 

[tsciarini]

I prefer gate valves for their ease of use and control. Also, if buying ball valves check for any oils used internally as lubrication.

As far as PVC vs flex tubing. PVC is a nice clean look but can also restrict quite a bit of flow. Flex provides less resistance and more, well... flexibility.

What do I use?
PVC overflow, flex return.
The flex takes out alot of the vibration noise from the return pumps and is easier to get where you want it to go without restricting 90's and 45's.

 

[dakota9]

I'll ask Fishy Business Stevan if he uses flex, that sounds like a reasonable conclusion, thanks!

 

[tsciarini]

oh I should also note that I'm plumbing between two rooms. Sometimes when dealing with a small space cramped in a stand, all PVC works better just so that you can keep it more compact and still have room for other items.

 

[dakota9]

Hm, ok....... I'm nothing if not flexible </em>myself, I'll just got with what fishy business suggests.

 

[victor626nj]

its up to you and how much you want to spend i got like 10 bucks into my plumbing pvc is alot more expensive in my opinion

 

[jefft]

I used pvc on the overflow and return. I didn't want to deal with any clamps leaking on the wifes new carpet and I don't have any significant pump noise. My skimmer made some noise til it finally broke in. I also used Lowes gate valves on both lines.

 

[tsciarini]

jefft;80908 wrote: I also used Lowes gate valves on both lines.

You mean ball valves?

 

[jefft]

Yea

 

[skriz]

I like PVC. The flex stuff is rather difficult to work with and just makes me nervous. You cant make pvc look so clean and it is sturdy. You can use the long elbows instead of the tight 90's to give you less restriction in the turns.

I have to redo my sump plumbing because some of it is done in flex and it is very ugly and very in the way.

 

[schwaggs]

I used a combination of rigid PVC and flexible PVC (spa-flex). I use the rigid for straight, long runs then switch to spa-flex when connecting to bulkheads or pumps. It works great. Also, if you can wait a couple days for it to arrive, a great source is