Realized this morning that I forgot the bypass line from unloader back to the tank. Oops. Will get that added.
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5.5 is definitely not underpowered. If anything, the 8 gpm is OVER powered. The 5.5 is probably just right.
The most glaring thing I see is the Tee on your supply line. Don’t run your supply off of the leg of the tee, run it off the straight part. You want as few turns as you can possibly get, a straight shot is ideal but not always possible.
Also you might rethink that camlock on the supply, I’ve seen people discussing air-bubbles in the line when using camlocks on suction.
Thanks Jake. I see what you mean. I’ll orient that 3 way valve so it’s straight thru to the pump and put the drain line on the other side.
I like the idea of the cam lock to make it easy to remove/replace the tank if necessary at some point. Although, if that fitting draws air it’s not really worth it. Hmm …
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I recommend the 5.5 to start. Get an 8 later and keep both on your truck. Use the 5.5 when the 8 is killing your water supply. I have an 8 and 5.5 running off a 125. With city water I can run both at the same time 60% of houses. I also setup a second float valve for a second garden hose. That works for great. Well water is a problem here for me.
If you plumb just the first 6" in pvc, you can use a union instead of the camlock. Much cheaper, too.
Mine runs pvc to Union to banjo, then all spiral flex from there to the king nipple. No cavitation so far.
You’re doing good, keep it up
Ball valve needs to go between tank and filter
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William is right again. Mine actually goes from 2" to Union, then drops to a 1.5" tee with ball valves. Flex 1.5" from filter to pump. I oversized the plumbing to compensate for the tee redirection.
Forgive the dust, it’s in storage until March
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Yes, @Innocentbystander , I will have a ball valve between the tank and the filter.
@Jake_Lambert I’ve read that PVC will break down over time due to UV. I guess you haven’t had any issues?
By the same token, I hard plumbed the filter lines for my above ground pool with PVC and we didn’t have any issues for 5+ seasons with that plumbing sitting out in the sun all summer. It must take a while for it to break down or become brittle.
No issues so far, but to be honest my pvc sees a lot less daylight than a lot of the guys on here.
If you add in unions to separate every major component, replacement is quick and easy. At every step, think of the ease of replacing an item. Unloader, injector, whip lines, etc. QCs and full-port valves cost a bit but will make your day at some point
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I see that your ball valves are clamped to the floor, and your bulkhead is a couple inches off the ground is their just enough flex in the pvc to be able to get the T to the floor or is that union adding some more flex somehow? Ohh wait is that a 45* after the union?
45 after the union to bring it to floor level. It’s built with the TINIEST amount of upward pressure, about like picking it up with your pinkie.
Edit:. It’s a 22.5, not a 45
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Nice! On my last build I didnt even think of adding that I just kept it straight and added support to the end, will definitely be adding that this time around thanks man!
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First big order of fittings, hose, etc came in Friday. I started dry fitting the plumbing runs last night (and made a list of things I forgot to order.)
I’ve seen blue Loctite recommended for assembling fittings. You guys use this on both metal & plastic? And thread tape is a no-no, right?
I put thread tape or pipe dope on all fittings. Im not sure why people advise against it.
I use thread tape then dope on top. Never had a leak. Ever
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I’ve had a couple different plumber friends say the same for household plumbing - 3 wraps of tape + dope.
But I swear I’ve seen guys on here say to steer clear of tape. Not sure why.
I used to work with union pipefitters at oil refineries and they always say to stay away from tape. They said that if a small bit of the tape got into the system it could screw up small needle valves and instrumentation. But for our sake of our trailers tape would be fine, it just doesn’t hold up to bleach.
Use thread dope for anything upstream of your pump and tape for anything downstream. Anything with NPT threads should be taped or doped. Anything with a tapered collar does not require tape or dope. I’ve never put loctite on any fitting.
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@DisplacedTexan is right.
If it has a gasket of any kind, or a compression nut, never use tape or dope.
If it’s plastic, tape only (pipe dope degrades the plastic over time)
If it’s metal and NPT, give it 3-5 wraps of tape with pipe dope on top. The dope acts as a lubricant more than a sealer.
Never tighten a male metal piece into a female plastic piece unless you really love hairline cracks
