Check valve install on Rio Hyper Flow pump

h2pvnus · Jul 13, 2014

Hi. I have rio hyper flow 10 and currently using flexible tubing without check valve. Is rhere anyway i can install check valve on flexible tubing or it must be hard plump. I dont know if the hyper flow pump can be hard plumping. Please help thank.

EricB · Jul 13, 2014

Why do you want a check valve?

Jimbo662 · Jul 13, 2014

I've got my return line connected to the pump with a piece of silicon tubing (old pic shows the original tubing I was going to use) and then connected to the hard tubing with a barb fitting.

AZDesertRat · Jul 13, 2014

If your return and sump are designed properly you should never need a check valve. They are a false sense of security and should never be depended on to prevent a flood.

_sludgefactory · Jul 13, 2014

Exactly, your sump should be enough to hold and excess water from your tank when your pumps are off.

h2pvnus · Jul 13, 2014

My sump is low guys. That why i need a check valves

_sludgefactory · Jul 13, 2014

Well relying on a check valve is going to end up flooding your house. My sump is a twenty gallon long and it has plenty of space to hold the drainage from my 92. Try raising your return nozzle and lowering the water level in your sump.

AZDesertRat · Jul 13, 2014

By low what exactly do you mean? In a basement?
There is no reason for a check valve if the returns are placed correctly in the display so only a very small, easily calculated amount of water flows back to the sump in a power outage and your sump is sized correcty so it has a couple gallons of freeboard or spare room to contain that small amount before the return(s) is exposed to atmosphere and the siphon breaks.
In my case I have a 60" long 100G display and my returns are 3/4" below the surface. When power goes off 3.5 gallons maximum flows back to the sump which is a 30G which operates ate around 2/3 full at all times so has 10 gallons of freeboard or spare room to contain that 3.5 gallons. No worries of a flood and no valves to fail, clean or worry about if it will work or not. Check valves will fail and it doesn't have to be a catastrophic failure, even a trickle will flood when you aren't home.

h2pvnus · Jul 13, 2014

LOL look like check valve does not support bu most reefer,

AZDesertRat · Jul 13, 2014

That is correct, reef aquariums are much like a miniature wastewater treatment plant and in plants we avoid check valves like the plague, they are bad news. It doesn't matter if it is a $5 check valve or a $100 check valve, it is not a wise decision. Keep the returns up high and room in the sump and it is never needed. It is very easy to calculate how much will flow back. Length x width x depth in inches divided by 231. In my tank that is 60"L x 18"W x 0.75" deep which =3.5 gallons.

h2pvnus · Jul 13, 2014

Can i drill a hole on the nozzel so it can break the siphon.

AZDesertRat · Jul 13, 2014

Again, a false sense of security and will fail. It requires cleaning and maintenance and even then 5 minutes later an anemone, snail, piece of algae or food can cover it up or get sucked up against it when the power goes off.

Simple air gaps where the returns are just below the surface and exposed to atmosphere when a small amount siphons back require zero maintenance and cannot fail since we all know water will not jump uphill. No worries and you can sleep soundly at night.

Why are you worried?

How low are your returns, how much water does your sump hold and what are the dimensions of your tank? If you can't hold a couple extra gallons in your sump something is wrong.

_sludgefactory · Jul 13, 2014

That could very well be. I built my first on wrong exactly like that when I first started. Best bet in that case is to start for scratch and re-design the sump correctly.