Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > General Interest Forums > Reef Discussion

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:30 AM
Jamie1210 Jamie1210 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alhambra, CA
Posts: 314
PVC vs. tubing?

Hi, I'm in the midst of planning to drill a 22 gal tank for a drain and a return, but what would most people recommend for the piping--plastic tubing or PVC? What would the pros and cons be for each?

TIA!
Jamie
  #2  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:45 AM
cloak cloak is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 896
I think they are one in the same. Tubing is more flexible though.
  #3  
Old 01/08/2008, 03:06 AM
xtm xtm is offline
_________________
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 1,945
Mine is a combination of both. Flexible tubes are good for curved connections and is way easier to route wherever you want it to. It's also good if you tend to move things around since it's flexible. Its drawbacks are: They get hard and brittle over time, the clear ones can have algae growth inside, and they can be punctured. Also with flexible tubing you will have to use metal clamps and these can get corroded with salt creep.

PVC is obviously more rigid, more professional, uses almost NO metal clamps that can corrode and you have the choice of slip or threaded. the CON for PVC is that once settled, it's fixed and cannot be moved around.

Whatever you do, make sure you put UNIONS on pumps, valves, etc. for easy maintenance.
__________________
Have Frags - Will Travel
  #4  
Old 01/08/2008, 06:15 PM
impur impur is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Eugene, OR
Posts: 3,493
Really personal preference. You can get plastic clamps, so that shouldn't persuade you from the flexible tubing. IMO flexible tubing is easier and quicker. Downside for me is algae grows inside it.
__________________
Great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds.
  #5  
Old 01/08/2008, 06:18 PM
Pmolan Pmolan is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Jersey
Posts: 1,779
I find that you will always get the same gph throung pvc. Hoses can kink at bends and restrict flow. One day it will be what you want, then the next time you mess with something, the hose can kink in a different way and the gph is off.
  #6  
Old 01/08/2008, 06:19 PM
boviac boviac is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Chico, California
Posts: 833
Straight pipe generally has less flow restrictions than flexible. But for such a short distance it might not be too much of a concern. I would get flexible PVC if you're going with tubing. If you have straight shots I would go with hard pipe.
__________________
"I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob."
  #7  
Old 01/08/2008, 07:22 PM
not_sponsored not_sponsored is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 114
Right angles create a lot of head loss, use flex PVC.

For 1" Pipe a right angle creates 2.25 feet of extra head. If you have 4 right angles on your return you're adding 9 feet of head to the actual head in pump pressure.
  #8  
Old 01/09/2008, 09:29 AM
dendro982 dendro982 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,877
PVC with no 90 degrees flow changes - if you sure, that this will be permanent.

I'm using mostly transparent vinyl tubing for a temporary or experimental settings - they do not restrict flow and reusable.

Even with permanent PVC plumbing, the short piece of flexible tubing is used right after return pump - to lesser vibration.
  #9  
Old 01/09/2008, 06:24 PM
mcrist mcrist is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Posts: 517
I personally use all PVC for all my plumbing with very few exceptions. I am considering using flexible PVC but I don’t like flexible tubing. I have never had a leak with PVC and way too many with flexible tubing.

I have found the best way to connect a pump is with PVC and a fitting with Silicone on the threads. The Silicone flexes with the pump and no leaks. Plus it is removable and last so much longer than Teflon tape or the PVC to tubing method.
__________________
Mark
  #10  
Old 01/09/2008, 06:25 PM
mcrist mcrist is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Posts: 517
Quote:
Originally posted by not_sponsored
Right angles create a lot of head loss, use flex PVC.

For 1" Pipe a right angle creates 2.25 feet of extra head. If you have 4 right angles on your return you're adding 9 feet of head to the actual head in pump pressure.
I have always read that for every 90 degree angle you add 1 foot to the total head. Where did you read this?
__________________
Mark
  #11  
Old 01/09/2008, 06:59 PM
ambaratur ambaratur is offline
Eisenhosen
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Posts: 721
Yes - 90 elbow is more like 1 foot to the total like mcrist said.

If you play around with the head loss calc on the home page you can see the cost for certain.
__________________
"God is dead." - Nietzsche
"Nietzsche is dead." - God

Click my red house for my 125 gal. tank build thread.
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009