Sump Input Chambers???

ChuzUThisDay · Dec 21, 2017

I'm seeing a lot of sumps designed with a chamber for the overflows from the main tank then goes to a shelf that holds filter socks, then to the skimmer, etc.

What is gained by having this input chamber instead of the main tank overflows emptying straight into the filter socks?

Greybeard · Dec 21, 2017

Nothing, really, but it can help reduce other problems.

If you design a sump so that the inlet pipes drop below water level, it can be a bit less noisy, depending on how the overflow is plumbed. If your pipe extends into the sock, below water level, it can make changing out the sock more difficult, depending on the design of your sock holder.

Crabs McJones · Dec 21, 2017

ChuzUThisDay said:
I'm seeing a lot of sumps designed with a chamber for the overflows from the main tank then goes to a shelf that holds filter socks, then to the skimmer, etc.

What is gained by having this input chamber instead of the main tank overflows emptying straight into the filter socks?

Not sure with other sumps, but with mine, mine goes down into a tube, that flows back up and then flows over the filter socks, its a bubble trap and it makes it quiet. If you had water falling directly into the sock you'd have the water falling sound, and it would bubble up quite a bit. However there are quite a few sumps that do have the input tube go directly into the sock.
You can kind of see it in this picture. So the main drain comes down into a shaft that goes about 3/4 the way down the sump, and then flows back up over the filter socks.