600 gal display/900+ gal build thread in the Chicago 'burbs.

[TandN]

use soap and water on all your plumbing return joints and check for a bubbles in the soap and water could be a tiny pinhole

 

[Mr. Brooks]

You know, I had bubbles almost as bad as yours. They seriously just went away on their own. I think if you give your plumbing some more time to slime over you should be good.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14166427#post14166427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thechad21
I would try to get your drain and skimmer output as far way from the pump intake as possible. Is there any way to add baffles before the intake? You can have as many bubbles as you want as long as they have a long enough run to float to the surface. Or baffles to force them up.

Baffles are going to be hard. The sump walls aren't straight (its a huge tank) and the baffles would need to be on the order of 2 feet wide and 4 feet high. Its doable, but it would be hard. I'd build beanies system first I think if I had to and dump to a remote sump connected with a large bulkhead to the main sump.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14166535#post14166535 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thechad21
You know, I had bubbles almost as bad as yours. They seriously just went away on their own. I think if you give your plumbing some more time to slime over you should be good.

I think that's the wisest plan of action at the moment

 

[46bfinGA]

I have over/under baffles before my intake, and I still have the bubbles. FWIW, My sump is 240 gallons. Like I said the filter floss helped a little, but I think the air is just trapped in the top of the return pipes and slowly seaping out over time. So if my theory is correct then they bubbles should hopefully go away. My tank has only been running three weeks now and I have shut the return pump on/off quite a few times over that period making changes. So I am sure air has been introduced over and over to the plumbing.

 

[46bfinGA]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14166547#post14166547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
I think that's the wisest plan of action at the moment

I agree. If they don't go away after a month or so, then I would then take another coarse of action.

 

[new2sw776784]

I have an idea. Why don't you take that 5 gallon bucket and place some live rock rubble in it mabye a quarter to half way of the way up? I would think that the pipe being at the bottom of the bucket the rock would grab ahold of the bubbles. Just thought that it might be worth a try.

Everything looks great by the way.

 

[EnglishRebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14164922#post14164922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
I would run a second pipe. Either seriously oversize your single pipe so you could drive a truck through it (like I did) or run a second for the emergencies.

All pipes are 1-1/2" (1-1/2" overflows through 1-1/2" bulkheads into 1-1/2" drain to sump where it splits to two 1" pipes right before they go into the sump. Is that large enough or should I run a second 1-1/2" for the emergencies?

Wmilas
I have foam pads in my sump which the water has to pass through before getting to the pump intake to cut down on bubbles (and filter). You could try putting a large piece of foam in the bucket for the water to dump through. Just a thought.

 

[Goodwin9]

wmilas...Do you have siphon breaks on your return nozzels?

 

[wmilas]

Goodwin9: No. I have one nozzle about 1/2" below the surface so it siphons half an inch then the nozzle breaks it.

 

[wmilas]

Alan: I could try the foam idea. I know alot of people advise against it because it becomes a nitrate factory and needs to be cleaned/replaced regularly. All the dirty water pounds into it causing bacteria to flourish, ect.

 

[gab24m3]

SLIME! SLIME! SLIME!

 

[klviper]

I have the same thing with my 375 draining down from the first floor into my basement. My 360 sump was basicly a giant skimmer after a few hours of running. What I did last week is similar to you but I raised the top of the bucket about 4" above the water line and caped the 5gal bucket. Then I added a few 1/2 holes for air and drilled holes in the bottom to allow the water out the bottom. The water enters into the bucket from the 1-1/2 drain it is then able to slow down in the bucket enough to allow the bubbles to rise while the water then exits out the bottom. The only problem is I am getting a skimmer like foam out the top holes. Next I plan on finding an old skimmer collection cup and put all of the bubbles to work as a crappy but additional skimmer by mounting it to the top of the bucket.

 

[Bax]

I have to agree with giving it a little more time to slime up. It may very well resolve from here.

But, if you think your still sucking air at the overflow, sounds like you're not, now that you know the 2" can handle the out flow of the 3" pipe, maybe trying 1 1/2 " will work.

On the other hand, if you're no longer pulling air at the overflow, and sliming and time don't clear it up, as others have said you're still pulling air somewhere along the drain line, and have to look for those leaks.

 

[chrisqueenz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14166535#post14166535 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thechad21
You know, I had bubbles almost as bad as yours. They seriously just went away on their own. I think if you give your plumbing some more time to slime over you should be good.

x2 here. I had a crazy annoying amount of bubbles coming from my Dart an just left it for some time to cure on it's own

 

[Bax]

One more thing you can do.

Place a piece of 4-6" pipe in the bucket so the 2" drops into it. It should be taller than the bucket. As water spills over it into the bucket, it acts as a second wier or baffle. Anything you can do to make the bubble redirect toward the surface should help. When "catching" bubble this way, sometimes it helps to drill some 1/2-3/4" holes low on the columns (bucket or pipe) to let calmed water out low in the water the bubble aren't reaching.

 

[wmilas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14168507#post14168507 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
I have to agree with giving it a little more time to slime up. It may very well resolve from here.

But, if you think your still sucking air at the overflow, sounds like you're not, now that you know the 2" can handle the out flow of the 3" pipe, maybe trying 1 1/2 " will work.

On the other hand, if you're no longer pulling air at the overflow, and sliming and time don't clear it up, as others have said you're still pulling air somewhere along the drain line, and have to look for those leaks.

Question about this. Since I have the emergency overflows plumbed into the same 3" line, and since they are always "open" to the air, that is water never goes down them and they are always full of air, that 3" pipe has constant interaction with air. Think this might be the problem?

 

[Mr. Brooks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14168757#post14168757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wmilas
Question about this. Since I have the emergency overflows plumbed into the same 3" line, and since they are always "open" to the air, that is water never goes down them and they are always full of air, that 3" pipe has constant interaction with air. Think this might be the problem?

It can't be helping.

 

[law086]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14168487#post14168487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by klviper
I have the same thing with my 375 draining down from the first floor into my basement. My 360 sump was basicly a giant skimmer after a few hours of running. What I did last week is similar to you but I raised the top of the bucket about 4" above the water line and caped the 5gal bucket. Then I added a few 1/2 holes for air and drilled holes in the bottom to allow the water out the bottom. The water enters into the bucket from the 1-1/2 drain it is then able to slow down in the bucket enough to allow the bubbles to rise while the water then exits out the bottom. The only problem is I am getting a skimmer like foam out the top holes. Next I plan on finding an old skimmer collection cup and put all of the bubbles to work as a crappy but additional skimmer by mounting it to the top of the bucket.

I would recommend you try something like this also. I have a basement sump, so I have lots of room, but I use a 32g brute can that I use as a bubble trap with holes in the bottom. I think the goal would be the bubbles leaving the bottom of the bucket.

Good luck with it

 

[jma1978]

When I mentioned earlier that my dart did the same and nothing helped except dialing down the flow, I forgot to fully explain. The problem was not bubbles in the sump entering the pump. The problem was cavitation of the pump, and it sounds like you have the same problem. As you mentioned, the dart puts out a LOT of water. Some people sound confident that it will go away after a while, but I think you only have two solutions:

1) Increase the height of water over the suction of the pump to give it greater suction head. I tried increasing mine to about 12 inches and couldn't go any higher (it wasn't enough)

2) Dial down the flow with a ball valve on the output. You really only need enough water flowing through the sump to give your skimmer new water to skim. Anything more is just overkill that will give you microbubble headaches!