Speedwave 1320 DC Pump

d2mini · 07/06/2014, 04:27 PM

I had one of these laying around so I hooked it up to my chiller.
Pump is in my sump. It sends the water out to the chiller and then back to my refugium. All total, it has about 5-6ft of head height. But it has about a 15' horizontal run to the chiller and a 15' run back. Does the horizontal run contribute to the degradation in GPH? I ask because I'm only getting about 480gph into my refugium. The plumbing is 3/4".

The blue line in this chart is my pump.
According to it, at 5-6ft head height I should have a lot more than 480gph.

km1das · 07/06/2014, 04:52 PM

Well, if the loop is all closed and air isn't getting in and it's going up 6 feet and then back down then it has the affect of 0 feet of head pressure because the 2 vertical runs cancel each other out, and the horizontal run would affect it a little bit due to friction loss. How big is the pipe you are using?

d2mini · 07/06/2014, 06:48 PM

It's 3/4 inch pvc pipe, but i have about 6 feet of 1" I.D. braided tubing at the beginning of the run at the pump, and I can see that there is air in there.

My refugium is above my sump.
The pump pumps up about a foot to get over the top of the sump, then it falls down about a foot, does the horizontal runs, then back up about 5' to the refugium.

naterealbig · 07/06/2014, 07:00 PM

Head loss is not just due to height changes in plumbing. Friction can cause substantial head loss. The smaller the pipe diameter, the greater the loss.

km1das · 07/07/2014, 01:24 PM

My guess is that you're getting an airlock in there that is reducing the flow. Also, I would try to run it all in 1 1/2 inch pvc to reduce the friction loss, but that's just me.

Tweaked · 07/07/2014, 02:54 PM

That and the DC pumps are very overrated IMO. I run the Waveline 4000 and 6000, and a Mag 9.5 is comparable to my 6000 which it should be more like the 4000.

d2mini · 07/07/2014, 03:54 PM

How would I get the air out of it?
I would think if it was powerful enough, it would fill up the 1" hose and push the air out the other end.
I too am thinking it's highly overrated.

km1das · 07/07/2014, 04:23 PM

No doubt in my mind that it's over rated. Getting the air out is tough and unless there's a lot of pressure behind it, it's probably not something reasonable to fix. A fish store in my area has a whole system that airlocks whenever they shut it down, their solution is to not shut it down anymore, I'd say get a stronger pump which will force some more air out and just get you more flow anyway. What flow rate are you looking for?

km1das · 07/07/2014, 04:25 PM

Oh, also, if you do want to get the air out, one solution is to put a John guest fitting with a valve at the high points (the elbows) where the air collects so you can bleed the air out when you start it up.

d2mini · 07/07/2014, 06:29 PM

Right now I'm getting 480gph which is the minimum for my chiller. 2400gph is the max. I need to figure out which is the most efficient gph.

07/06/2014, 04:27 PM	#1
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Speedwave 1320 DC Pump I had one of these laying around so I hooked it up to my chiller. Pump is in my sump. It sends the water out to the chiller and then back to my refugium. All total, it has about 5-6ft of head height. But it has about a 15' horizontal run to the chiller and a 15' run back. Does the horizontal run contribute to the degradation in GPH? I ask because I'm only getting about 480gph into my refugium. The plumbing is 3/4". The blue line in this chart is my pump. According to it, at 5-6ft head height I should have a lot more than 480gph. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

07/06/2014, 06:48 PM	#3
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	It's 3/4 inch pvc pipe, but i have about 6 feet of 1" I.D. braided tubing at the beginning of the run at the pump, and I can see that there is air in there. My refugium is above my sump. The pump pumps up about a foot to get over the top of the sump, then it falls down about a foot, does the horizontal runs, then back up about 5' to the refugium. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

07/06/2014, 07:00 PM	#4
naterealbig Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,252	Head loss is not just due to height changes in plumbing. Friction can cause substantial head loss. The smaller the pipe diameter, the greater the loss. __________________ My skimmate has notes of saffron, and a hint of lilac.

07/07/2014, 02:54 PM	#6
Tweaked FUP&A Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Madison, CT Posts: 7,722	That and the DC pumps are very overrated IMO. I run the Waveline 4000 and 6000, and a Mag 9.5 is comparable to my 6000 which it should be more like the 4000. __________________ DSA 105 Pro, Cebu Sun-Radiums-M80 Ballasts, 4 T5's, XHO LEDs. Through Wall 55g Sump, 10g Frag and 29g Display attached, Vertex V6, 3 mp40's, Gyre, 2 mp10's, GFO, Carbon, Pellets - 10g Bar Tank

07/07/2014, 03:54 PM	#7
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	How would I get the air out of it? I would think if it was powerful enough, it would fill up the 1" hose and push the air out the other end. I too am thinking it's highly overrated. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

07/06/2014, 04:52 PM	#2
km1das Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 54	Well, if the loop is all closed and air isn't getting in and it's going up 6 feet and then back down then it has the affect of 0 feet of head pressure because the 2 vertical runs cancel each other out, and the horizontal run would affect it a little bit due to friction loss. How big is the pipe you are using?

07/07/2014, 01:24 PM	#5
km1das Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 54	My guess is that you're getting an airlock in there that is reducing the flow. Also, I would try to run it all in 1 1/2 inch pvc to reduce the friction loss, but that's just me.

07/07/2014, 04:23 PM	#8
km1das Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 54	No doubt in my mind that it's over rated. Getting the air out is tough and unless there's a lot of pressure behind it, it's probably not something reasonable to fix. A fish store in my area has a whole system that airlocks whenever they shut it down, their solution is to not shut it down anymore, I'd say get a stronger pump which will force some more air out and just get you more flow anyway. What flow rate are you looking for?

07/07/2014, 04:25 PM	#9
km1das Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 54	Oh, also, if you do want to get the air out, one solution is to put a John guest fitting with a valve at the high points (the elbows) where the air collects so you can bleed the air out when you start it up.

07/07/2014, 06:29 PM	#10
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Right now I'm getting 480gph which is the minimum for my chiller. 2400gph is the max. I need to figure out which is the most efficient gph. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.