Help!!! Pump too powerful for my sump/setup

[Ras Bubbles]

Hey good people of the R2R community, I just did a test run after finishing all the necessary plumbing for my setup. Now I kind of had a feeling that this would happen, it seems my return pump is way to powerful for my setup. I initially had the gate valve on the return, but i ended up switching it over to my drain side for fear of putting too much strain on my pump, i obviously regret that move quite a bit right now. Any how I have an idea that I would like to bounce off you guys, let me know if it can work.


Here is what it looks like back there

I'm thinking of putting a Gate 2 inches or so above the return elbow, and a T 10 to 12 inches above that to branch a 2nd return to the other end of the tank.


Oh I'm a bit low on cash and would prefer utilizing what I have laying around , which is a 3/4 gate .
Is that too restrictive, or do i really need a 1 inch like what's on the the drain?

 

[hybridazn]

You don't want the valve on the drain side, it needs to go on the return side and then you can throttle back the flow to what you want. Just cut the return plumbing, glue in the other valve and your set.

 

[azbigjohn]

Absolutely move that to the return line. The only time you put a gate valve on a drain is if you have multiple drains and are trying to dial in a complete siphon or something. Gate valving a single drain is begging for an overflow.

Pumps do fine with a backpressure from a gate valve; I think most of us use them.

 

[Ras Bubbles]

You don't want the valve on the drain side, it needs to go on the return side and then you can throttle back the flow to what you want. Just cut the return plumbing, glue in the other valve and your set.

Thanks for the quick response hybridazn, I figured that but it doesn't seem like it's causing much restrictions. The drain side still fills up quick, it's just the pump side that empties fast even when I fill the sump.

Apart from that, if I do switch it out would I still be able to T off to the other side?

Thanks

 

[jsker]

Dumb thought, why not switch out the return pump for a DC return pump that one can control the flow??? no more replumbing

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

My recommendation is to install a T above your pump, going up from the T use a valve prior to the tank, coming off the T go to another valve that just goes back to your sump.

This allows you to have a release to minimize back pressure on your pump when you throttle back to flow to the tank.

 

[hybridazn]

Thanks for the quick response hybridazn, I figured that but it doesn't seem like it's causing much restrictions. The drain side still fills up quick, it's just the pump side that empties fast even when I fill the sump.

Apart from that, if I do switch it out would I still be able to T off to the other side?

Thanks

If your return side is emptying that means you don't have enough water in your sump. Make a fill line in your sump that you want to keep and fill it with water until it stabilizes there.

 

[hybridazn]

Also what size pump are you running and what is your overflow rated for?

 

[Ras Bubbles]

Dumb thought, why not switch out the return pump for a DC return pump that one can control the flow??? no more replumbing

Thanks Jsker, I will definitely keep that in mind when my pockets match my Enthusiasm ;Greedy .

 

[Ras Bubbles]

Also what size pump are you running and what is your overflow rated for?

If your return side is emptying that means you don't have enough water in your sump. Make a fill line in your sump that you want to keep and fill it with water until it stabilizes there.

The pump is has a flow rate of 710 gph and unfortunately the overflow box is an eshopps nano rated for 20g. I know it is inadequate, but it is all I have and embarrassing as it may be I am working with a poor mans budget right now.

Regardless of the fact I cut the power to do a test 3 times and it has done what it is supposed to do. With no siphon loss, and doesn't seem to be overflowing my sump, I have also marked the fill line per your instructions.

 

[jsker]

Thanks Jsker, I will definitely keep that in mind when my pockets match my Enthusiasm ;Greedy .

, complete understand, for the future here is a link to good priced pumps. link

 

[jsker]

The pump is has a flow rate of 710 gph and unfortunately the overflow box is an eshopps nano rated for 20g. I know it is inadequate, but it is all I have and embarrassing as it may be I am working with a poor mans budget right now.

Regardless of the fact I cut the power to do a test 3 times and it has done what it is supposed to do. With no siphon loss, and doesn't seem to be overflowing my sump, I have also marked the fill line per your instructions.

One way would be to increase the size of the bulk head in the over flow to 1.5 and increase the plumbing down to the sump.

 

[Frop]

Can you plumb in a manifold and just direct some of the water to be pumped directly into the sump and sum into the DT?

 

[Ras Bubbles]

One way would be to increase the size of the bulk head in the over flow to 1.5 and increase the plumbing down to the sump.

Yeah I had that in mind, but are you sure a 1.5 would fit in that tiny overflow.
How reliable are those pvc pipe overflows?

 

[Ras Bubbles]

Can you plumb in a manifold and just direct some of the water to be pumped directly into the sump and sum into the DT?

Interesting!! would that somewhat impede the function of the overflow? And there is very little space in the sump for another filter tube.

 

[jsker]

Yeah I had that in mind, but are you sure a 1.5 would fit in that tiny overflow.
How reliable are those pvc pipe overflows?

Good question, That or add another smaller bulkhead and another pipe down two the sump, this would be easier. You will need another syphon U thing.
Dumb question coming have you tried increasing the size of the syphon U thing or adding one before replumbing everything? I had a HOB filter back in the day, and I had three syphon U's in my overflow to the filter.

 

[Ras Bubbles]

No I have not, I don't have a extra U tube on hand but I will try to get one.

 

[Frop]

Interesting!! would that somewhat impede the function of the overflow? And there is very little space in the sump for another filter tube.

So you're putting more water into the DT than draining correct?

I was thinking if you had x GPH coming into the sump you'd just redirect the return and split some GPH back into the sump and something just below the drains GPH into the DT. It would drain the same (or a little under since it is being fed less water), your pump would run the same. Just more water movement within the sump.

Second idea would be to add a second overflow to increase the drainage GPH to be higher than the returns so they will become equal. (Can't drain unless you have water to drain).

 

[beaslbob]

Hopefully I'm not overlooking anything from my skimming the previous posts.

As I understand it your return pump is returning more water then your drain is allowing or capable of. And that drain is a single u tube hob dual box.

basically you need to increase your drains' capability to keep up with the pump. The most obvious method to me is to add another hob u tube.

Another option is to add another 2 box type overflow.

A third option is to make a drain from $20 worth of pvc pipe.

But you get the idea.

once you increase the drain capacity your problem will go away and the drain will drain whatever the pump returns.

my .02