Plumbing

[Haddonisreef]

Getting ready to gather plumbing parts for new build should I go with flex pvc for return and drain or hard plumb w unions? Is there a advantage to one or the other?

 

[SynDen]

Spaflex is sch 40 pvc, just flexible and more expensive. I used it to plumb my closed loops, as this helps minimize head loss on the closed loops. But I did everything else hard plumbed

 

[Balz3352]

I also did a mixture... Mostly hard plumbed because its easier to work with but have some flex pieces

 

[flagg37]

The biggest thing to be careful of with flex is not making bends too tight. If it kinks up on you the best case scenario is that you lose some flow. Worst case is that you pop a connection from the increased pressure. I’ve always hard plumbed the whole thing except for the section going from my return pump. I use about 8” of silicone tubing to quiet down vibration and to allow me to move the pump around. The silicone just goes straight up though since it is more prone to kinking.

 

[Legonch]

my vote is for hard plumbing and unions (lots) Spa flex is hard to get to bend, and I dont think it looks very good.

 

[TheRealChrisBrown]

Like mentioned above, I used small sections of spa flex near my return pump in an effort to minimize pump vibration and noise. I'd say I have 3ft section going from sump to return pump, then a 5 foot section going from pump toward the display. Where the spa flex ends on the return line it joins rigid pvc and goes to the tank from there.

I found it worked really well at quieting the return and reducing vibrations. I'm a fan. But I don't know that I'd necessarily do the entire thing in spa flex, would be costly and I don't know that the benefit outweighs the effort.