2mm silicone tubing strength pump pressure?

BRS

wickette

Active Member
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
View Badges
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
134
Reaction score
49
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm re-tubing my 5gallon diy canister filter . I ordered some 3/4" silicone tubing. What arrived have 2mm wall. Is this going to be a problem for pressure from 1000gph pump?
Im running about 36" inches of tubing (18" on either side) before it connects to hard 3/4" PVC pipe.
 
BRS

TheBear78

Active Member
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2022
Messages
427
Reaction score
333
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
Location
United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Typically the quoted flow rate is a maximum possible with no resistance.
Resistance creates pressure so with no resistance there is no pressure.

If the far end of the pipe is open (return nozzle) then resistance and therefore pressure is only created by restrictions such as reducers, elbows, valves and gravity (head) etc. Calculating the pressure created by these is difficult but is unlikely to be particularly high.

Most aquarium pumps are the centrifugal type which don't create an awful lot of pressure. Just see how quickly the flow drops once we add a little head height on the manufacturers graphs.

So, to answer your question, a 2mm walled silicone pipe is ample to contain the pressure from a 1000 gph pump with no restriction...
What other restrictions do you have in the system with the canister and what pump is it?
Does the silicone supplier quote any specifications?
 
OP
OP
wickette

wickette

Active Member
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
View Badges
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
134
Reaction score
49
Review score
+0 /0 /-0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Typically the quoted flow rate is a maximum possible with no resistance.
Resistance creates pressure so with no resistance there is no pressure.

If the far end of the pipe is open (return nozzle) then resistance and therefore pressure is only created by restrictions such as reducers, elbows, valves and gravity (head) etc. Calculating the pressure created by these is difficult but is unlikely to be particularly high.

Most aquarium pumps are the centrifugal type which don't create an awful lot of pressure. Just see how quickly the flow drops once we add a little head height on the manufacturers graphs.

So, to answer your question, a 2mm walled silicone pipe is ample to contain the pressure from a 1000 gph pump with no restriction...
What other restrictions do you have in the system with the canister and what pump is it?
Does the silicone supplier quote any specifications?
No specs, hence the paranoia, just that it's food grade. The measured flow rate was 600-700 gph. The clear tubing I was using was twice as thick and hardened within 2 years, cracked the pump fitting when I tried to move it... hence silicone (first time working with the stuff). Running it with a 400gph (<150gph irl) pump while the new pump areived

Its all 3/4" PVC 4' 2 elbows drop 4' elbow to canister same for the return back up. Just biomedi inside and Outputs to a 4 way connector (so the fish don't get blasted) no major obstruction for flow other than forcing the water back up 4'


 
Last edited:
BRS

KStatefan

2500 Club Member
Review score
+1 /0 /-0
View Badges
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
3,395
Reaction score
3,276
Review score
+1 /0 /-0
Location
MHK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No specs, hence the paranoia, just that it's food grade. The measured flow rate was 600-700 gph. The clear tubing I was using was twice as thick and hardened within 2 years, cracked the pump fitting when I tried to move it... hence silicone (first time working with the stuff). Running it with a 400gph (<150gph irl) pump while the new pump areived

Its all 3/4" PVC 4' 2 elbows drop 4' elbow to canister same for the return back up. Just biomedi inside and Outputs to a 4 way connector (so the fish don't get blasted) no major obstruction for flow other than forcing the water back up 4'



If your pump has a flow curve available you can convert the head to psi. The silicon tubing that BRS sells is 1/16" wall which is less then 2 mm.
 
BRS

Polyp polynomial: How many heads do you start with when buying zoas?

  • One head is enough to get started.

    Votes: 27 10.6%
  • 2 to 4 heads.

    Votes: 145 57.1%
  • 5 heads or more.

    Votes: 65 25.6%
  • Full colony.

    Votes: 10 3.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 7 2.8%
Corals.com
Back
Top