how Sump placement effects flow rate

[coralman2014]

Hi everyone I'm just starting a reef tank and this is my 1st time with a sump. tank and sump are going in the basement I just made into my man cave. I am able to place the sump in a different room behind the display tank, and would like to raze it up off the floor to make it easy to work on. the overflow is at the top of the tank and sump is about half way up the display tank. my question will the overflow rate be the same if it was on the floor or is it the same.

 

[coralman2014]

let me clear up that question is the flow rate to same at any distance from the overflow or is it faster with a longer drop.

 

[Oscaror]

It is the same rate as the pump pumping water into the tank, unless you have a pump in your overflow, then it's the same as that pump.

also :welcome: to R2R

 

[coralman2014]

thanks. I didn't know If It would be slower because of the shorter distance or the force of gravity

 

[JMSKI333]

As long as the sump is lower than the tank drain you will be good to go. You might get better draining if you come off the tankwith two 45* angles instead of a 90*.

 

[evolved]

The overflow rate is controlled by the return pump rate, which is at the debt of head loss.

Assuming you have a similar amount of bends in the return pump plumbing with both setups, this new setup with the sump elevated will result in the return pump actually providing more flow as it has less head loss (gravity).

 

[AZDesertRat]

As evolved said, the headloss is less with the sump elevated. You would calculate the vertical head from the waters surface in the sump to the center of your return nozzles or bulkheads. The greater this distance is the more headloss and the less the return pump will produce. The overflow rate will match the return pump rate since the pump governs the flow and the overflow balances with that flow.

 

[coralman2014]

Thanks for the Input. now would I be better off with hard plumbing or Vinyl Braided Tubing. I'm using the herbie style return. two lines in the overflow box. one with a gate value on it. I'm thinking the vinyl will give me one steady flow with any turns.

 

[Waters]

I have a similar setup on mine (DT in the basement with the sump behind a wall in the furnance room about 10 feet away). My sump is sitting on the floor though. I used PVC because I trust its' durability more but I am sure either would work just just as well.