THE PUMP is a high quality air source designed to power a number of aquariums in a variety of installation set-ups. Proper installation of the air delivery system will provide the maximum amount of air at the point of aquarium insertion.

A properly installed air delivery system uses the minimum amount of standard aquarium air line. Each line should be as short as possible. Tubing of 4.8 mm (3/16�) diameter creates high resistance to air flow, dropping the usable output from the air source. When larger pipe diameters are used to move air to its destination, minimal resistance is encountered and the output pressure is steadier. All THE PUMP models use output stems of 18 mm (3/4"). These can be fixed to standard 3/4" PVC pipes with flexible tubing and hose clamps. For the majority of set-ups a pipe diameter of 25 mm (1") is desirable. Larger diameter pipes are less prone to air leaks when pipe valves are tapped to operate standard air line devices.

Another advantage of using larger pipe diameters is the larger volume of air that acts as a reservoir for the aquariums. This translates into constant pressure and consistent air delivery to the valves. To maximize this benefit, the delivery system should be designed to have no blockages or ends. Ideally, the system should be a full loop where the air is not restricted in any way (see Figure 2A). When a system has a blocked end, the end provides a place for air to back up, often resulting in back pressure in the system and abnormal stress on the diaphragm. In addition, differential pressures are produced across the pipe which can cause valve settings to vary over time. Different pressures in different places in the system make tuning the valves more difficult.