Would it be possible to feed the reactor by relying on the suction generated by the pump? This way, you would only place the input line into the sump and the vacuum created within the tube would pull the water into the reactor.
Brian covered this in the lesson. I believe it was Chat#5. It doesn't work. You need to have a pump feeding the reactor to push water in. This is how you will set your output rate. The pressure from the input will force the recirculated water out the output.
It was suggested that you branch off your main pump. Some use a small maxijet specifically for feeding the reactor. It really depends on how much effluent your going to be using.
The circulation pump isn't what pressurizes the reactor it is the input. At least that is how I understand it from the lessons.
I went back over the last two chats and didn't see this discussed. He did mention how to feed the reactor (via T on return pump or another feed pump).
The MTC calcium reactors use a T at the input tube of the recirculating pump. The suction power of the pump draws water from the reactor and then pushes into the reactor tube. If you connect the feed line to this T in the input tube of the pump, the water rushing by it (from the bottom of our reactor) will cause a vaccum to form in the feed tube. If the feed tube is placed in the sump, water will be drawn into the tube and increase the water volume in the reactor. The increase water volume will cause the reactor to expel water from the output tube.
At least that is how I conceptualize this in my mind. Just want to know if Fergy's considered this. It would avoid having to T your return plumbing which is a PITA or have to buy another electrical device for your sump (feed pump).
It's great in theory. It doesn't really work in practice. Most MTC owners discovered they really needed to push water into their reactor. You'll never get an even water input. It will lose prime all the time. I tried it for years, and it always sucked, in the long run.
