Plumbing check valve

[Wankell]

So im setting up a new system and I am using flex hose for the drain and vinyl for the return, and people say to use check valves for siphoning. But the siphon only goes down to where the return line is plumbed right? And if your sump has enough space for that amount of water your good.

I don't really want to use one but maybe I can just put 2 barbed fittings on each end and put it in the middle of the vinyl line. What are your guys thoughts?

 

[TD2K]

I didn't use one. My sump will hold more than the amount that might siphon back thru the loc line returns.

 

[kschweer]

If you have enough room in your sump for the water that siphons back you don't need one. I don't run one on any of my systems. I just make sure when I plan the build I leave myself enough room.

 

[Railcar79]

I have room for all the runoff from my system but I still use one.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Check valves have no place in a saltwater aquarium period. They are a false sense of security and will fail regardless of how much maintenance you do on them. A properly designed return and sufficient room in your sump will never flood due to an air gap, the best, most foolproof form of backflow prevention known to man. No maintenance and it cannot be defeated since we all know water cannot jump uphill. When exposed to atmosphere the siphon breaks, it does not get any simpler, cheaper of foolproof.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I agree with the Rat! It's not IF they are going to fail....its WHEN. They will scale up or something stuck in them, and now they are useless.

 

[Railcar79]

It all depends on user preference. I like having one just for added redundancy, but unlike most I use true union ball check valve. Haven't had a problem with it, and I don't see any possible condition that could cause one, but that is just me.

 

[AZDesertRat]

All it takes is a grain of sand, a flake of food, algae, a snail or about anything to defeat a check valve. It does not have to be a catastrophic failure, even a trickle will flood in time. As long as your system is properly designed there is absolutely no reason on earth for a check valve and you can sleep soundly at night knowing you are proctected.
Not only can they fail partially open but they can fail partially closed too creating additional head on your return pump and reduced flow and circulation/oxygenation of the water. They are a bad deal and should never be used.
Having been in the water and wastewater industry for 38 years and the saltwater aquarium hobby for almost 35 years I can tell you many horror stories about check valves. it neve rturns out good!

 

[Railcar79]

I could see that with a flapper or hammer style, I do have adequate room in my sump, 5 inches of space, but I do prefer to have a check valve, and I do recomend the true union ball check valves , along with foam on the pump. Haven't had a problem with that setup since 83.

 

[AZDesertRat]

It does not matter the style, all the true union refers to is that it is removable for cleaning, nothing to do with valve and seat which on the style you have are hard plastic which still can get a grain of sand on the tapered seat. They ALL fail.

Actually the ball style true union check valves gave us the most problems on the finished water station at the WWTP I maintained since they were using them to hold water in a vertical riser which fed the pumps. Even after going through tertiary filters and UV in covered channels they still failed regularly. They have no place in this hobby since we are basically keeping miniature wastewater treatment plants in a glass box, bacteria, organics and all.

 

[Railcar79]

That is the nice part of the hobby, everyone does things a bit differently. In my application the valves work flawlessly, and have since 1983. Being that mine has a rubber seat, and only has to hold up to 24 inches of water I do love them. I do agree plan for failure of every system, I would not advise against any redundancy in any system.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Redundancy is an air gap and sufficient room in the sump plus a fudge factor. No maintanance and no possibility of failure and no expense.

 

[Railcar79]

To each their own, I guess.

 

[Wankell]

Awesome information, thanks guys!

 

[Reefing Madness]

To each their own, I guess.