Check valve recommendations

J062682l · Oct 27, 2014

Thinking about putting in some check valves anybody have a reccomendation

chriskid · Oct 27, 2014

I recommend that you don't use them. Reason being they work wonderful until you need them. Too many tube worms and calcium buildup overtime that they rarely work when needed. However this is just my opinion

scason · Oct 27, 2014

Check valves are literary ticking time bombs.

J062682l · Oct 27, 2014

I'll take your opinion thanks guys

Vaiodude · Oct 27, 2014

Agree with the others check valves are no good and can slow your flow rate down.

vlangel · Oct 27, 2014

If its the flapper type can you run a bottle brush through it once a year to keep it in working order?

SteelerMike · Oct 28, 2014

I guess the question is what do you need it for? I have one on my calcium reactor so water doesn't back up into my carbon doser and ruin it. I really wouldn't want to run without that as the carbon doser is quite expensive. I bought a medical grade check valve from aquarium plants.com that sells the doser to protect my investment and it seems to work well.

vlangel · Oct 28, 2014

SteelerMike said:
I guess the question is what do you need it for? I have one on my calcium reactor so water doesn't back up into my carbon doser and ruin it. I really wouldn't want to run without that as the carbon doser is quite expensive. I bought a medical grade check valve from aquarium plants.com that sells the doser to protect my investment and it seems to work well.

I use it to stop the DTs from back syphoning water into the sump. My sump is only a 10 gallon so I installed it just above the return pump. I do have a pilot hole in the higher tank's return so I guess as a precaution I should drill one in the other tank's return as well. I don't completely trust pilot holes either as algae or snails can block them.

SloppyJ · Oct 28, 2014

Your sump needs to be able to handle the drain back from the DT. If you can't make that work, then you will end up with a wet floor eventually.

vlangel · Oct 28, 2014

The sump does handle the display tanks drained water from the overflows, its the back syphon from the returns pointed down for flow that the check valve stops. Like I said if I drilled a 'break' syphon hole in both returns I'd be OK even if the check valve failed.

SloppyJ · Oct 28, 2014

And that's that I meant by handling the drain back from the display. The returns should be included in that calc. I wouldn't sleep right at night knowing that I had a siphon break or check valve determining whether or not my floor was wet in the morning. Just trying to help you out man.

SaltySammy · Oct 28, 2014

Check these guys out, much of their piping/vales are made specifically for marine applications. I have some the the piping and its really nice stuff, cost more than Sked 40 but FAR superior! I talked to a rep recently and their check valves can be installed with a cleanout so maint would be super EASY. I am building my DT with this stuff! Going with the black and clear (w/led back lights)...

GF Piping

vlangel · Oct 28, 2014

SloppyJ said:
And that's that I meant by handling the drain back from the display. The returns should be included in that calc. I wouldn't sleep right at night knowing that I had a siphon break or check valve determining whether or not my floor was wet in the morning. Just trying to help you out man.

Thanks, I don't want to wake up to a wet floor either, Ha ha! With only a 10g sump I had to choose between trusting my syphon break and check valve or risking not enough breathing room for evaporation and burning up my return pump. I've had an ATO but the switches went bad and it wasn't reliable. So far so good with the tank going into its 3rd year. The good thing is it would probably only be about 2 gallons of water on a laminate floor if it did happen.