We're so screwed part 1 (return plumbing)

[jreef1]

Upped my return pump to an Iwaki WMD40RLXT from a smaller pump. Sump (Amiracle) was drilled with 3/4" bulkhead feeding the pump (6" straight to the pump) and the return tees off to a 1" through the chiller and a 3/4" through an oceanclear carbon filter. Now experiencing cavitation/microbubbles unless I ball valve off some of the return flow.

Couple of questions:

1. How hard would it be to drill/enlarge the 2/3" bulkhead?

2. Short of that, is restricting the outlow/return to match the intake damaging to the pump?

3. Any other options besides the "cheating" plumbing (besides going postal in the LFS who originally sold me the stuff as a newbee)?

 

[Robin Goodfellow]

hi.
It is not hard to enlarge a drilled hole for a larger bulkhead. Basically, you clamp a piece of scap wood/plastic over the opening, and drill a larger hole using a hole saw.

 

[highrpm]

Robin is correct, I would just add that you shopuld clamp scrap pieces of wood on both side, that way you don't have any chip out of the plexi. Besides that you shoudln't have any problems

HTH

 

[DontYouJustWish]

uhhhh is the tank full of livestock?

 

[jreef1]

Yes, the tank is full of livestock. Thanks for your responses. Sounds like I will have to breakdown the sump and redrill the hole. Its amazing that after all this time, new things still pop up that makes me detest the LFS that set up the system even more.