Pump Guru's Needed

[Daimyo68]

OK pump guru’s, here’s one for ya.

System was installed several years ago during the home construction with the previous owner. He moved onto another maintenance guy, who installed another tank after the first one “popped”, and when they installed the new tank, they removed the chiller from the system. (Don’t ask why, I don’t know the answer).

The system runs 80-81 on an almost constant basis, deal with several issue caused by the temps, so I want to put a chiller back on the system. (I have already checked all sources for heat generation, etc etc).

Anyways, the original installer had the bright idea to run 1” pipes the way you see them in the diagram, outside to the chiller. Chiller outside, great idea, pipes ran the way they are…, in the walls… crack cocaine? Shrooms? It was during construction, they could have easily been run low in the walls…

The system has 2, Current DC return pumps, but will not push the head pressure that is present with the plumbing the original installer installed. Being I have several pumps laying around, I have tried Mag drives up to a 24, other AC and DC pumps and the latest attempt was with a Jebao DCP-18000 (I have this for moving SW from my mixing Tank).

I can get water to, and through the chiller, but it cannot make the push back up. There are no blockages as I can push water through each pipe without issue

FWIW: I believe there are a total of 10, 90’ elbows (just assuming since I cannot access any of the plumbing except the ends of the pipes where they terminate), 2 ball valves at the chiller (Just installed them where the pipes were capped outside the home).

My thought is that I am going to have to go with a Reeflo pump with the capability of overcoming an incredibly high head pressure.

Open to suggestions, I just don’t want to drop hundreds on a solution hoping it works.

 

[schuby]

How about putting a second pump outside, after the chiller, to push the water back to the tank/ sump?

 

[CEReefer]

I think an Abyzz would be better!

 

[Mike konesky]

If anyone had a link to a head pressure calculator it would be cool

 

[JoshH]

If anyone had a link to a head pressure calculator it would be cool

Use this calculator to calculate frictional head loss and then add the vertical height of the return line.

On-Line Friction Piping Loss

 

[Daimyo68]

I attacked it again today, because it obviously worked at one point, I just needed to find a way to overcome the last bit of the plumbing and get it filled with water instead of air.

What I first did was to hook up pumps to both lines, pushing. I then, using on/off switches, pushed water back and forth alternating between the 2 pumps. Got some air out.

I then, reversed one pump (on the return side from the chiller into the sump, pulling from the line) I know, not intended to work that way) and got a few more bubbles, then nothing but micro bubbles here and there. I knew I got more air purged but it still wasn't moving volume through the plumbing thanks to the air pocket being at the top of the loop.

Well I decided to take a walk away for a bit.. came back 30 minutes later the sump was filled with micro bubbles, pushing intermittent instances of water. I sat and waited maybe 10 more minutes and it cleared right up, the last of the air had purged out, and I was getting full solid flow from the supply pump and the "suction" pump.

Turned off the "suction" pump and all is running fine now.

So in the end, I believe it was more patience taking authority over knowledge. I knew it had to work, I just needed to let physics takes its course.

I'm using a submersible DC pump, dialed down to roughly 60% power. The siphoning action of the plumbing when it drops down to the chiller as well as to the sump kept the flow pretty high, so no need to run it at 100%. If I was to estimate, I would say I am moving 500-600gph (chiller is rated at 480-1500gph)

Aquarium cooled down within a couple hours.