Drain to sump question

[reefsquared]

can i have multiple drains go into one pipe and then into my sump or should each drain go into the sump separately

 

[Mandelstam]

You will lose capacity if you reduce it to one pipe, and you lose the ability to run one of the pipes as a full siphon (like a herbie style for instance) as it will draw air from the other one. You also lose redundancy as it's possible that it might get clogged at the bottom where both drains connect and then both drain lines are out of commission. So yes, run them all the way individually.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

+1 to @Mandelstam

Run them individually, this allows you to utilize a full siphon [silent], and a backup/trickle/emergency drain

 

[AlexG]

I run 6 1.5" drains into a single 3" drain line which goes into my sump. I am running around 4000-5000gph through the drain system. Noise can be an issue with this type of drain system but it will work as long as the main drain line can handle the total expected gph drain capacity.

 

[Mandelstam]

I run 6 1.5" drains into a single 3" drain line which goes into my sump. I am running around 4000-5000gph through the drain system. Noise can be an issue with this type of drain system but it will work as long as the main drain line can handle the total expected gph drain capacity.

Good point, I just assumed the op was going to join them into a pipe with the same size, but that doesn't have to be the case, so my bad. But for drains from a single tank I still would run them separately for sake of redundancy if not for noise.

 

[PNWReefer17]

What about the other way around? My 75 gal that I am working on has two overflows 16" apart. One in the center under the brace and the other one off to the side. Both of them have 5" overflows on them.

I was looking at doing a ghost overflow in the center and using the side one as a return inlet. My question, since I am wanting to use a 16" or larger overflow so I can set up a Herbie or BA....is it feasible to use such a setup and only utilize one of the bulkhead fittings while sealing off the other one? I know that I will lose an inlet and flow, but will it still work?

 

[Engloid]

You will lose capacity if you reduce it to one pipe, and you lose the ability to run one of the pipes as a full siphon (like a herbie style for instance) as it will draw air from the other one. You also lose redundancy as it's possible that it might get clogged at the bottom where both drains connect and then both drain lines are out of commission. So yes, run them all the way individually.

All three, run into one header. It's dead silent. This is my own design that I came up with to accomplish a few goals I had.

 

[Travis Stewart]

All three, run into one header. It's dead silent. This is my own design that I came up with to accomplish a few goals I had.

Isn’t the whole point of having three drains is if one gets clogged up the others will still operate? If they are all plumbed to one, it defeats the purpose?

 

[Engloid]

Isn’t the whole point of having three drains is if one gets clogged up the others will still operate? If they are all plumbed to one, it defeats the purpose?

I have three pipes, for redundancy. If one clogs, flow will go to the others. One 1/5" pipe has more cross sectional area than three 1" pipes do, so I actually have less chance of clogging it than I would three smaller pipes. If more smaller pipes were better, we'd all just run a bundle of twenty 1/4" poly lines. I would imagine that you'd have a better chance of clogging up twenty 1/4" lines than one 1.5", so redundancy without logic isn't the answer either. Also consider that your main sewer line leaving your house is just one pipe. They don't put in three for redundancy.

 

[Engloid]

BTW, it won't let me edit. I meant one 1-1/2" pipe.

 

[Mandelstam]

I have three pipes, for redundancy. If one clogs, flow will go to the others.

That depends on where the drain gets clogged. It can, by Murphy's law, happen right after the last drain is joined to the main line and then clog up all three lines. To me, all those sharp turns and tee's are all points where something can get lodged in and potentially get stuck.

One 1/5" pipe has more cross sectional area than three 1" pipes do, so I actually have less chance of clogging it than I would three smaller pipes.

One 1.5" pipe has as cross sectional area of 1.76 sq in. Three 1" pipes have a total cross sectional area of 2.34 sq in.

 

[Mandelstam]

If more smaller pipes were better, we'd all just run a bundle of twenty 1/4" poly lines. I would imagine that you'd have a better chance of clogging up twenty 1/4" lines than one 1.5"

The idea behind multiple drains is I think for most people a question about redundancy. Every drain should be able to handle all of the flow through the system. With a Beananimal or Herbie you restrict one to just below that capacity but you still have either one or two pipes that can take all of it if the main line clogs. A 1/4" line can run about 55 gph in full siphon...

 

[Engloid]

The idea behind multiple drains is I think for most people a question about redundancy. Every drain should be able to handle all of the flow through the system. With a Beananimal or Herbie you restrict one to just below that capacity but you still have either one or two pipes that can take all of it if the main line clogs. A 1/4" line can run about 55 gph in full siphon...

I have plenty of redundancy. I have float switches, and an apex system that will take care of abut anything that can go wrong. I don't even have any ato tank. I plumb from the house water pipes, to the RO unit, with a solenoid. All three of my lines can handle the full flow of the tank. ...especially when my emergency flow is a full 1.5". When something 1.5" clogs my line, I'll let you know.

Keep in mind, as I said....nobody feels the need for redundancy when they have one sewer line out of the house, because it's large enough.

 

[Mandelstam]

Keep in mind, as I said....nobody feels the need for redundancy when they have one sewer line out of the house, because it's large enough.

Is that why I've had to had the sewer line cleaned and flushed a couple of times already in a building that's less than 10 years old? They clog and get filled up with fat and dirt pretty quickly when they are too small and all of a sudden the toilet is overflowing . From my kitchen their is only a 75mm pipe (3") out to the main sewage pipe when there should be something like a 120mm pipe. They are usually too small due to cost and with too little angle too them due to limited space in floors and walls. I rent my apartment and my theory is that for the owner it's just cheaper to get the pipes cleaned every once in a while than to properly size them from the beginning. The plumber who came cleaning the pipes wasn't complaining, he had plenty of work. But he said that it's not how he would have done it.

All I'm saying is that three separate drain pipes have more redundancy than three joined into one. How much redundancy one wants is a personal question and can be balanced with other safety measures.

 

[Engloid]

I have plenty of safety measures in place, including a float switch inside my tank. I've had an insurance claim that paid out over $160k, mainly due to my fish tank busting during a small fire (tank put out fire)....so I'm pretty careful these days. When I start flushing human turds and cooking crease down my tank's overflow, I'll be a bit more concerned about clogging it up.