Plumbing valves horizontally?

[Muffin87]

There's two valves I'd like to plumb horizontally.

1. Can I achieve full syphon with a gate valve on a Herbie main drain, if the gate valve is plumbed horizontally?
2. Will a Y-style check valve (pictured) still work properly, if plumbed horizontally?
   I believe this is also called a Wye Check Valve.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Timfish]

Well, personally I wouldn't use a valve on a drain line nor would I use a check valve. Both for the same reason, biology will grow inside the plumbing and potentially could cause failures

 

[mfinn]

Those types of valves need to be vertical to work properly.
I would not put a wye check valve on the herbie drain. It would defeat the purpose of a drain.
Use a gate valve.

 

[Muffin87]

I would not put a wye check valve on the herbie drain. It would defeat the purpose of a drain.

the wye checkvalve is for the return line. The gate valve is for the herbie drain.

 

[mfinn]

the wye checkvalve is for the return line. The gate valve is for the herbie drain.

I know that

 

[GatorGreg]

I installed a gate valve in the horizontal on my herbie main drain. Left the emergency drain straight pipe no valves. On the herbie you have to have a valve to tune the drain or it’s very uncontrolled and noisy.

mine is working just fine. Gets a little noisy when my vortech ramps up to max on reef crest mode. But I think it’s because it forces more water into the overflow causing the level to rise in the overflow box and some starts going into the emergency pipe. The moment the MP10 ramps down from full power though it goes back down and is silent again.

 

[Muffin87]

personally I wouldn't use a valve on a drain line

how would a Herbie drain even work without a gate valve or at least a ball valve...?!

 

[Muffin87]

I installed a gate valve in the horizontal on my herbie main drain

Could u take a picture? Just curious if it mirrors what I want to do.
I'd make my plumbing so much easier not to have to have a vertical gate valve on the Herbie main drain.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

1. Assuming your water level will be above the bulkhead, yes. I have gates that are horizontal to control main drains.
2. I wouldn’t trust a check valve even installed perfectly.

 

[GatorGreg]

I didn’t use a check valve in my return piping. The only reason to do that is to prevent back flow when the system shuts down. I have enough room in my sump for my level to rise and not have a overflow in sump in the event of a power outage

 

[Muffin87]

2. I wouldn’t trust a check valve even installed perfectly.

In my setup it's kinda needed unfortunately.

 

[GatorGreg]

Here’s a clearer photo

 

[GatorGreg]

mines a little ghetto. Sorry lol

 

[ca1ore]

You can certainly install both a gate valve and a Y check valve horizontally and they will function properly. Most experienced reefers dispensed with check valves a long time ago for the reasons stated above. You need to be careful with horizontal drain runs to make sure you don't airlock them. Just make sure there is a slight downward pitch.

 

[Muffin87]

You can certainly install both a gate valve and a Y check valve horizontally and they will function properly. Most experienced reefers dispensed with check valves a long time ago for the reasons stated above. You need to be careful with horizontal drain runs to make sure you don't airlock them. Just make sure there is a slight downward pitch.

Very precious advice thank you!

 

[Timfish]

how would a Herbie drain even work without a gate valve or at least a ball valve...?!

I wouldn't use a Herbie overflow and wouldn't advise using one.

 

[RocketEngineer]

In my setup it's kinda needed unfortunately.

If a check valve is “required” in the return of your system then I caution you to seriously reconsider the system configuration. Our tanks are biologically active which results in every available surface having something growing on it. Unfortunately this includes check valve closing surfaces. There’s no good way to prevent something from crawling or growing on the seal just as you would need it to close. “The only way to win is not to play.”