DIY gravity fed drain for water changes

[West1]

Like many, I’m tired of hauling 5gl buckets to and from my tank. I had a thought, “What if I add a drain to my sump!”

The Idea-
Push mixed water through my crawl space (raised foundation) into my tank from my garage through 1/2” pvc and the extra water will auto drain into the newly added 1.5” abs drain w/P-trap.
Ill have an overflow in my return chamber w/a gate valve so I have control of easy W/C’s and when I need to pause pumps w/out loosing water to the added overflow.

The plan-
I’ll cut a hole through my wall above my baseboard and connect the drain to my first floor sink drain (having a plumber come verify that I can use the same vented drain). The sump overflow will be over the 1.5” abs drain but will not be directly connected in case of a sewer backup. The overflow will sit roughly .5” above the 1.5” drain.

The Vision-
Yellow = 1.5” abs drain
Red = 1-1.5” pvc sump overflow
Blue = 1/2” pvc rodi topoff from my garage on a Tunze 3155 smart socket so I can avoid filling up my 12gl reservoir weekly.



I plan on starting w/the RODI topoff tomorrow. This is a for sure thing! The gravity overflow is in the air and I’d like to get some feedback on the idea.
I do recognize the 20gl W/C brute reservoir will not be a full 20gl W/C as the system will be running when doing a W/C.

THANK YOU for all tips, suggestions & concerns!

 

[KrisReef]

First axiom of plumbing: If it can, it will flood.
Good luck!

 

[West1]

I have another idea that seems safer, feedback pls.

the overflow of the display sump would be the same, where it will differ is the return water going to a container within my crawl space (30-40glns). That container will have a small pump that would have a 1/4” drinking line that would feed the overflow tube of the toilet on the first floor, roughly 7-10’ to the toilet. The container should drain the water up to 90% and the remaining 10% would sit year around. I’d control that on a smart switch using a timer.

This sounds like the safest route for no manual water changes.

Any plumbers on to verify the overflow tube can be a workhorse for 20gl weekly water changes through a 1/4” RODI line?

 

[am3gross]

When I had my tank in the bedroom, I had a line ran to the outside. it was fed by the return pump.

When I set it up I had a manifold I built, all out of PVC. I had 4 Valves on it. 2 of them went to the return side of the tank, 1 was for a later added accessory and the last was to feed the "drain" to the outside. When it was time for the water change I would shut the return off, let the sump fill up, then shut the 2 returns off, the accessory off, and then OPEN the drain valve and turn the return back on. It would drain the sump as far as I wanted it to go... then I would shut the return off, CLOSE the drain valve. Refill the sump with fresh saltwater and open the returns. restart the pump, and bam.. water change complete.

 

[West1]

Wouldn’t the salt kill the grass outside?

I’m trying to setup a auto change on a timer. Fill and drain with separate pumps and eliminating the need to shut down tank. Having the option to shut down display pump for routine maintenance, yes.

 

[am3gross]

Wouldn’t the salt kill the grass outside?

I had it going into the outside drain, never touched grass

 

[Dburr1014]

Wouldn’t the salt kill the grass outside?

I’m trying to setup a auto change on a timer. Fill and drain with separate pumps and eliminating the need to shut down tank. Having the option to shut down display pump for routine maintenance, yes.

When I used to do manual water changes I always dumped the old water on the grass.
It never died.
Now my Apex does my awc with DOS

 

[West1]

Hmmm. I may try and start dumping water on the side of my house to test it out. If it doesn’t, that would be awesome!!

 

[KrisReef]

Hmmm. I may try and start dumping water on the side of my house to test it out. If it doesn’t, that would be awesome!!

Salt will build up in the area where the water is dumped and eventually nothing will grow there (unless some other process of flushing salt exists to prevent build up?) There are marine dredge spoil piles in San Diego on the edge of man made salt marshes that will not grow anything because the salt content from the marine mud prevents the growth of any plants, weeks, landscaping additions that were supposed to grow in high salt soils. Drain saltwater into the sewer so the salt is diluted and flushed away by the sewage treatment process if you want to avoid destroying soils in your neighborhood. Invading armys in ancient times would put salt upon the enemies agicultural fields to kill the soil and the civilizations that were farming it. If your neighbors have a tree or plants that you don't like put the effluent around the base of those and the trees and plants will slowly die from salt poisoning. GL.

 

[Dburr1014]

Salt will build up in the area where the water is dumped and eventually nothing will grow there (unless some other process of flushing salt exists to prevent build up?) There are marine dredge spoil piles in San Diego on the edge of man made salt marshes that will not grow anything because the salt content from the marine mud prevents the growth of any plants, weeks, landscaping additions that were supposed to grow in high salt soils. Drain saltwater into the sewer so the salt is diluted and flushed away by the sewage treatment process if you want to avoid destroying soils in your neighborhood. Invading armys in ancient times would put salt upon the enemies agicultural fields to kill the soil and the civilizations that were farming it. If your neighbors have a tree or plants that you don't like put the effluent around the base of those and the trees and plants will slowly die from salt poisoning. GL.

Where I live, it rains.

 

[West1]

Glad I read this before tonight’s water change, I was about to start dumping 20gls of salt per week to test it out Lol.

I’m considering building a 2x4 40-60gl reservoir and epoxy a pool liner in it. Gravity feed water change to reservoir and pump waste water to my toilet.

 

[KrisReef]

Where I live, it rains.

That can be enough
Root zones

 

[am3gross]

For what it is worth, I had mine draining into a cement drain that led to the city sewer... It did not kill the weeds that would grow in there, which I was hoping it would have...