Check valve or no check valve

[burtonboy182]

I’m having a hard time fitting my check valve into my plumbing. I can make it work but it’s gonna be tight.

Is it worth using one?

 

[Oscaror]

I’m having a hard time fitting my check valve into my plumbing. I can make it work but it’s gonna be tight.

Is it worth using one?

A Y check valve is DEFINITELY worth it. Take it from me, who used a cheap check valve and ended up with a flooded living room. You NEED a good check valve! I don't usually deal in absolutes but I'm 100% certain about this

 

[Mal11224]

I don't think it is absolutely needed. It depends on your setup and how deep you have your return valves. Water will siphon back into the sump from the tank and the deeper they are, the more water will siphon back. I would just keep the nozzles somewhat close to the surface to avoid an overflow into your sump.

 

[Tony Elenbaas]

A check valve is needed if your sump gets full before the return nozzle breaks suction.

 

[falc]

I use a Wye on my return plumbing to keep from draining all the water out of the plumbing and filling up with air when i shut off my pump. I don't worry about an overflowing the sump but I don't like my return spitting out a lot of air when it restarts.

 

[theMeat]

A check valve is useless on a saltwater tank. It will be gunk’d up within 6 mos to the point of not functioning.
Drill a hole in your return line just below the tank’s water level to act as a siphon break

 

[Idoc]

I wouldn't and didn't use one...too many risks of them clogging and restricting flow.

It's not difficult...just calculate the remaining space in your sump above the current water line and convert that to gallons, then calculate the amount of water in gallons in the DT (as well as the water in the overflow that will also drain back into the sump without power) that will return back to the sump before the siphon is broken. As long as your sump can handle that amount of water returning back into the sump, then no fears of ever having a flood!

 

[JoshH]

I agree with those above in skipping the check valve and ensuring your sump can handle the extra water volume. It's really the only way to be 100% safe and if your struggling to find the room to install it it will save you the grief

 

[vanpire]

Calculate and test.

 

[ca1ore]

Oh no, no check valve. Check valve = badly designed system. They invariably fail, and put unnecessary back pressure on the pump. Amateur hour IMO . I stopped using them two decades ago. Siphon break is better; return just below water surface is best. It cannot fail.

There is only one, semi sensible reason to use one; and I defy anyone to guess what it is LOL.

 

[theMeat]

I give up, what is it?

 

[Hitman]

Definitely NOOO!!!! They require weekly cleaning to prevent gunk in them and they add a lot of back pressure on your pump. Design your sump/refugium so it would accommodate any and all possible backflow from your tank and then make sure there's still at least 3" of room left to the top. Then add the second level of protection and do the siphon tricks stated above.

 

[ca1ore]

I give up, what is it?

Nobody is going to guess, I would not have had I not had a curious issue with my pump. It’s a basement sump with about 14’ of head on a PanWorld 250. I’ve plenty of space in my sump for drain down, but it comes down so hard that the pump impeller back spins. If the pump attempts to restart while back spinning it malfunctions and if left too long will burn out. I considered a check valve to prevent back spin, but I need every GPH I can get. Better solution was to program a restart delay on my apex.

 

[cracker]

I agree with those for no check valve . Just another unnecessary gadget with all the negatives mentioned.

 

[Matt Carden]

No check valve here

 

[JumboShrimp]

These flaired return nozzles are half-in the water, half-out. When the pump cuts out (e.g., power outage), there simply is no siphoning— so I do not have/need a check valve.

PS: I have a 3-hole, bottom-drilled tank, and I’m using a Bean Animal overflow; there is no way both drains ‘plus’ the 3rd emergency drain could all get clogged simultaneously flooding the DT and swamping the flaired nozzles.

 

[Alfrareef]

No check valve here. Just a return nozzle near surface and a small hole drilled on it as an extra precaution if the nozzle “moves”...

 

[rockskimmerflow]

Yup, like others have said, skip it. No need in a properly laid out system. Only time I've ever used one in a system I designed was when a client demanded a pair of pumps be plumbed into the same manifold for redundancy. A check valve on each pump outlet was needed to prevent water from flowing back through the other pump should one fail. It works fine, and the best part is, they don't need to seal water tight to do their job of preventing most of the water from flowing through the other pump in the event of a singular failure. I would never want to rely on one for flood prevention in a power outage situation.

 

[maroun.c]

I'm in favour of a larger sump with enough space to take all water that syphons back when return pump is off

 

[ca1ore]

BTW, there was somebody here (or maybe on RC) who setup a 'reverse' check valve. I still wouldn't do it, though it was quite ingenious.