I want a sump but...

[BullyBee]

I wanna do a sump but I’m afraid I’m afraid it’s gonna overflow. I can’t afford to come home from work and manage a flood

 

[GaryE]

That is a possibility.

 

[Jamo7]

My buddy had a cool setup on his sump that had an overflow above his waterline that drained outside of his house. Just in case.

 

[BullyBee]

Atleast your honest

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Set it up so that if the DT return gets blocked the return chamber in the sump doesn’t hold more water than can fit in the DT. It’ll cause the pump to run dry and possibly burn up, but you won’t flood. Same for the sump: set your max water level in the sump with everything off. This will ensure that if your pump dies that the sump won’t overflow.

 

[Crustaceon]

It all depends on how you set it up. A properly set up sump will never overflow when you shut the return pump off. I would
be more concerned with a drain clogging and having the tank overflow from the top... which is also impossible if your sump it set up so that it empties the return pump chamber before that happens.

 

[malacoda]

It's only a possibility if it's sized wrong.

As long as the sump has more free space while the return pump is running than amount of volume that drains out of your DT when the return pump is off, it can't overflow.

Likewise, if the return chamber in your sump is sized to hold less water in it than the available free space at the top of your DT while the return pump is on, your DT will never overflow if the drainpipe becomes blocked because the return chamber will empty out first.

 

[xaflatoonx]

Check valves. That’s is all.

 

[BullyBee]

So on a 40g breeder with a 20g sump, all I would need is a check valve?

I guess I have some math to catch up on.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

It all depends on how you set it up. A properly set up sump will never overflow when you shut the return pump off. I would
be more concerned with a drain clogging and having the tank overflow from the top... which is also impossible if your sump it set up so that it empties the return pump chamber before that happens.

One way around that if you don’t have enough headroom in the DT to accommodate the contents of the sump return chamber would be to make a “snorkel” for the pump with pvc so it pulls in water from higher in the return chamber at a level that won’t overflow the DT.

 

[ReefLab]

So on a 40g breeder with a 20g sump, all I would need is a check valve?

I guess I have some math to catch up on.

Red Sea sumps are set up great - I couldn't see mine possibly leaking.
There is one pipe outlet (which I installed a check valve on) and two drain pipes. One drain pipe is about an inch higher than the other so if for some reason the main drain pipe was clogged the "emergency" drain pipe would allow water to drain into the sump. When the return pump shuts off, The sump can easily hold the water that drains from the tank. I don't think a properly designed sump/overflow has any real chance at failing..

 

[Crustaceon]

One way around that if you don’t have enough headroom in the DT to accommodate the contents of the sump return chamber would be to make a “snorkel” for the pump with pvc so it pulls in water from higher in the return chamber at a level that won’t overflow the DT.

That’s a pretty slick little method there. It would actually provide some adjustment too.

 

[NS Mike D]

I have a float switch from HD on my return pump. If the water gets too low is shuts off to prevent burn out. Once the sump starts refilling it turns back on. (when it cycles like that I know my ATO needs attention)

I used pvc on the return and drill a hole where it enters the water so that the siphon will break before the sump fill up

The overflow works the same way, the water level drops below the openings before the sumo fill up

So the water from the DT cannot over flow the sump.

You can do the math to calculate who much water will flow into the sump.

And when you have it all set up, stand there and cut the power and turn in back on about 100 times to make sure you did it right.

 

[BullyBee]

Thanks guys

 

[xaflatoonx]

Yup. Exactly. Put a check valve on your return line placing it vertically. And you are good. The water won’t back siphon. Overflow will empty out in the sump. And that alone won’t overflow your sump.

So on a 40g breeder with a 20g sump, all I would need is a check valve?

I guess I have some math to catch up on.

 

[BullyBee]

I was looking at building my own so I learn. It seems so much cheaper than buying one.

 

[BullyBee]

Yup. Exactly. Put a check valve on your return line placing it vertically. And you are good. The water won’t back siphon. Overflow will empty out in the sump. And that alone won’t overflow your sump.

And it won’t flood because once the water line is below the overflow It will stop siphoning. The light bulb just went on.

 

[BullyBee]

But wait, then what stops the return pump from pumping too much water back faster than it can drain? I guess that’s all accounted for in pump selection?

 

[lilgrounchuck]

And it won’t flood because once the water line is below the overflow It will stop siphoning. The light bulb just went on.

in addition you the check you should drill a siphon break in the return in DT just below the water line. It’ll keep a back siphon from happening in the event your check valve gets stuck open.

 

[GaryE]

I was looking at building my own so I learn. It seems so much cheaper than buying one.

I was thinking the same thing, until I priced acrylic.

I built my own a long time ago, very labor intensive.

This time I bought a Trigger Systems 26" Sapphire.

Just need that check valve for my return and I'm good to go..