Any thoughts or advice on my Plumbing?

[smallfin]

Hi Guys

After a long time thinking about this (a long long time!) I think I have come up with a drainage solution that will work for my situation. If you could have a read and look at the photos and let me know if you think this should do the trick or if I have got something wrong or could do it better, that would be wonderful.
Basically I have my 4ft tank set up next to the laundry which is under the stairs. I am running an external cannister filter and for water changes and cleaning I am planning on having a pvc pipe run from the back right near the bottom (with a bit of fish net over the end to stop sucking up fish) up and over the back and turn into the cupboard area where it will have a bal valve before the connection point of a standard hose connection.
Under the Laundry tub I will have a hose connection to the waste pipe just like dishwashers are connected. I will open both cupboards, pull the hose out from the laundry, connect it to the pvc under the fishtank and turn the ball valve on. (I am assuming hear that once I have sucked it though the first time the valve will keep it charged) Then once water is at the desired level I turn the ball valve and disconnect the hose (a little concered about the dribbles at that stage)
Then I got to the point of realisation that I will also need to syphon out the rubbish from the bottom of the tank too and don't want to introduce the bucket at this stage. Sooo... I came up with a Y connector to have the syphone hose connected to at the same time with it's own on off valve for when not in use it wont allow the air in to ruin the syphon effect.

I'm assuming that the main syphon will be able to pull the water through this one at the same time without needing to suck? could this be done a better way?

Note I'm just renting so not about to go making holesin walls etc.

For my new water I am working on a double outlet from the washing machine hose point (which should be straight forward but my plumming tape skills are letting me down. Will try again though.) this will then either go to a drum that would sit in the laundry tub which easily deals with overflow problems although I'm finding it hard to find a drum the right size to fit and hold enough water. So I'm contemplating Eddie's water change style, straight from the tap (but it will be cold water only???) so might not work and will need to go with the drum.

Anyway, I'm just wanting to see others thoughts and opinions if there are problems with this before I cut and glue it all together.

Note: the size of the pvc is not cut to length yet and the hoses have not been shown (other than my scribbles)

Thanks in advance.

[Jhhnn]

I think your idea wrt the water drain setup is sound. Maybe over complicating it wrt siphoning detritus from the tank bottom. I use these in my BB tanks-

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5/R-100372238/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

The rigid tubing can be extended for deeper tanks, and either 1/2 or 5/8 vinyl slips tightly over the hose... a fellow forum member pointed them out when I made inquiries... just siphon into the laundry sink.

Maybe your python diverter valve can be installed on the sink faucet so you can adjust the temp before directing flow into the tank- the temp really needs to be within a few degrees of tank temp.

Several of us use float valves or float switches and solenoid valves to fill heated/insulated aging barrels. I use blue plastic 55 gal food grade drums from craigslist, cut holes in the top so I can put submersible pumps down at the bottom. They're tough, built to be kicked around, so I don't worry about springing a leak. Large trash barrels are also used.

Check out my water changing system thread in this section, with links to pics. Yours doesn't have to be as elaborate, but it might give you some ideas.

[grantbudd74]

didn't read too much but I have a hose from the outlet side with a tap on it and a tap inline with the out let hose from my canister filetr. I shut off flow from outlet and open hose and the filetr pumps it out into the garden. that how I get the water out

Further down the same side I have another hose coming off with a valve which goes to my WC tank. THis is connected directly to a power head. The pressure from the power head drains my WC tank and pumps fresh, well aged and heated water straight into my main tank. I dont touch my filter for this part.

i then have one length of hose with a garden hose adaptor on one end and a section of eheim spray bar with no holes at the other. this doubles a a vac with a long hose. Yes I have to suck on this one :-( its over 5 meters long so no mouth fulls of water. I can also put the spraybar end into my wC tank and the other end connects to the garden hose so I can re-fill my W/c tank.

THats it for me. No bells or whistles so i have come close to overfilling!

Good luck and be carefull with your joints and glue you use.

good luck it can be fun!:)