return lines and pipes? How often? Do you replace them instead? How often?
Do you clean your...
- Thread starter MrDJeep123
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You generally don't have to clean return lines if you have a nozzle on the end of your line that you can remove maybe once every six months look at it for coralline algae growth blocking the exit of the line.
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On clear tubing, if used, the tubing will form a coating on the inside walls. This can be extreme if the tubing is near to a light source and might clog, as all systems are different it depend on your type of setup and if the return line/s are exposed to light or other forms of sediment that might have been sucked into the return pump and obviously, the return lines. You can mitigated this by using dark tubing and blocking the light source that would start this issue to begin with. In the case of rigid tubing like gray PVC (or colored) this is suppressed from the beginning but you will still get some scaling on the inside of the pipe. That type of tubing is normally cemented into place and is not easily removed for cleaning but, because of its ability to block light out tends to stay open and allows flow to be maintain at initial values for longer periods of time.
good example:
good example:
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I have clear vinyl tubing next to a light source that I have to clean roughly every 6-month or so, I can noticeably see the flow decrease the longer I let it run.
Fluval sells a set of long spring type flexible brushes that you can tie a string to and dish them back and forth through the tubing or piping to scour the interiors and works quite well.
