What is this valve for?

[riche]

I saw this pump and I was wondering what the y shaped valve is used for?

 

[flabydab123]

check valve. it only allows water flow in one direction, ensuring that if the return pump ever turns off there is no siphon from display into sump.

 

[Gtinnel]

Yep a wye check valve. They have to be kept clean otherwise they can fail and allow your tank water to siphon down through the return pump. I personally wouldn't use one when usually it's very easy to include a anti siphon hole in the return line.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Check valve, but I'm puzzled by the configuration and the point of it.

 

[Gtinnel]

Check valve, but I'm puzzled by the configuration and the point of it.

There is a plunger that the pressure from the pump shoves up into the wye letting water pass through, and when the pump turns off the plunger falls back down to block the pipe and prevent back siphoning. It keeps you from flooding your sump from water siphoning out of your display.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Yeah I get that part but it's not covering the other branch.

 

[Shirak]

Yeah I get that part but it's not covering the other branch.

Other branch? You mean the vertical portion? Wye check valve is designed differently from a flapper style which is inline with the pipe. water from the pump pushes a piston up the short Y allowing water up the main line. when the pump is off the piston drops down out of the short Yand stops reverse flow down the main line.

 

[Reef Tripp]

The piece in y is a check valve, the other piece is a ball valve that is placed to maintain the valve and the pump itself.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Yeah I get that part but it's not covering the other branch.

Hmm?

Above is installed correctly.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Other branch? You mean the vertical portion? Wye check valve is designed differently from a flapper style which is inline with the pipe. water from the pump pushes a piston up the short Y allowing water up the main line. when the pump is off the piston drops down out of the short Yand stops reverse flow down the main line.

Yeah I don't know what I was thinking lol. It's clear now thanks!