question about running chiller off of seperate pump...

[rocknut]

I am really bad a planning out plumbing setups (logically challenged...) I have always run my chiller in line from my sump return pump. I was wondering if it would be possible to run the chiller off of a seperate pump sitting in the sump? If I ran water from the sump into the chiller, and out into the main tank, the water levels in the sump and tank would still equalize right? (I would have two seperate pumps returning water into the tank.) If I did this I would only have 2 feet of head pressure going from the sump return pump instead of 12 (sump to chiller beside tank, then back to return...) This seems to make sense to me, but I don't want to end up with a flood either. Thanks! Rocky

 

[vair]

Sounds like a good plan as long as your tank overflows can take the extra water volume.
It is good because if one pump fails you have a back up. Also your chiller should have a min.-max. flow through it, make sure you buy your pump so that you have the right flow going through the chiller.

Hope it helps.
Dave

 

[rocknut]

Sounds good, Dave. BTW, I read your tag-line, I'm setting up to go bare bottom as well. Thats one of the reasons it would be nice to get some extra flow from my return pump! Thanks

 

[Fatal Morgana]

Ditto what vair said. There is another option is the pump water thru the chiller, and dump it back to the sump without going to the display. There are advantages and disadvantages of doing it this way, but you will not have to worry about rather your overflow can handle the extra flow.

Just to mention another often overlooked option, that's all.

 

[da colts1]

my chiller runs on a separate pump and it works quite well.