Which option would you choose

Not sure if I'm being nit picky with my plumbing, but which option is better for plumbing my sump. Thanks! This site has been incredibly helpful in designing my sump!

Forgive the crude design--wanted something easy to follow and quick to do!

 

I would pick the first one.

 

I really think it will not matter that much, but I would pick the second one just in case, because I think the first might be a little harder to control. In the first you have a straight shot to your skimmer with no flow control, so I don't see why the water would divert to your fuge very much. It might even flow past it and suck in air form that part. With the second set up you know your going to divert water because your restricting it with your valve. You probably know this already, but your going to want a gate valve not a ball valve.

 

Thanks--that makes sense and option 2 was my original design. I'm pretty sure I've heard of gate valves, but what is the difference?

 

The second one. all of the water will exit in to the skimmer section if the ball valve is after the T.

A gate or ball valve will work just fine.

 

Sorry, I didn't notice that the fuge wouldn't get ant water there.

I would still pick the first one though, with some modifications.

Make the Overflow a straight shot down with a tee going from that pipe horizontally to the fuge and put a ball/gate valve on both the pipe going to the fuge (where you had it) and one under the tee going into the skimmer section.

You get controlled flow to both chambers and it makes adjustments easier. Also, consider getting some Unions to be able to separate the plumbing if ever necessary.

Sorry about the confusion, Hope this helps

 

i would do the second, but switch the skimmer and the fuge

 

I see what you mean--the dynamics of the overflow and sump don't make that possible, but I like your idea of more flow control. I will hit the drawing board some more. And yes, I do have a main union in case I need to do some switching. Thanks!

 

I don't think you will get any extra control out of a second valve because you can only restrict the flow to divert it, if you slow both of them down (unless you out is way bigger than your in flow) you will over flow your display. The big difference in a gate valve and a ball valve is how much control you will have. With a ball valve the ball spins 90 and is not even in how much it slows things down, meaning that you will have slowed things down so much when you turn it 15 degrees,but when you go to 30 degrees you will have slowed it down more than 2x what 15 degrees was making it very hard to get your settings right. A gate valve uses a full spinning knob that drops a gate in a consistent manor. The only reason I would spend the extra 10$ on a second gate valve (they are more expensive) is if I wanted to try to make my return quiet, but then you need to think of a second return line for safety or you most likely will end up with water on your floor.

 

From my experience in drawing one you will not get any water to the fuge unless the outlet to the skimmer is much smaller than the line to it. So I choose 2.