What does a T in your plumbing do?

[rolikesfish]

Why do some people "T" off their plumbing. Like I have seen some people "T" off their drain to their sump, I don't get it. Someone explain.

[Greatwyte]

The only reason to install a tee is to have a line run more than one place.

Some people put a tee in the drain to the sump. One line will run to the refugium, one line to the skimmer chamber of the sump. This is done because they want slower flow though the refugium section.

[thegrun]

Depends upon the location. Often they are used to provide a removable cap for cleaning the lines. Other times they may be added to use the return pump as a way to remove water for water changes.

[Palting]

It is to spread the water from one source to multiple destinations. One drain split by the T to the refugium and skimmer chamber. One return pump split to deliver to the DT and reactors. Or, you can go crazy and build a manifold. That's a set of "t's" altogether. I have one pump pick up from the sump, then deliver to a refugium, a UV sterilizer and a phosphate reactor.

[jeff@zina.com]

You may be talking about a tee with one end open, above the display tank water line. That's to provide a siphon break. Otherwise the other posts pretty well explain the other reasons.

Jeff

[bluebill]

what is a siphon break?

[jeff@zina.com]

Originally Posted by bluebill

what is a siphon break?

An opening to the air that breaks a siphon. If you're siphoning water from a hose in your tank, the siphon stops when the water level gets down to the mouth of the hose and air enters. Poke a hole in that hose an inch below the water level and air enters the siphon after the water goes down an inch, breaking the siphon and only an inch of your tank gets siphoned out.

Jeff