How to prevent overflow in sump and tank

[Fishboy15]

Made a DIY over flow and sump, my return line into the tank will be slightly under the water surface, so if it back siphons it will only suck water until the water line is under the return, catching air and stoping the back siphon. Is this the correct way to prevent flooding my sump? What are other ways my sump can overflow besides back siphoning from the return line into the sump? Also, on the other side of the overflow with the water coming back into the tank, how do I prevent overflowing my display tank?

Is my back siphoning idea correct that it will shut off when too much water is sucked back into the sump, the return will not have any more water and will break the siphon.

What are other ways my sump can overflow?

How to prevent my display tank from overflowing ?
Thanks

 

[Flippers4pups]

There are only two ways a DT can overflow a sump.

1) when the power to the return pump is shut off, the return lines syphon water back to the sump.

A) the exit of the returns are too low in the DT and syphons too much water than the sump can handle.

B) the exit of the returns are just below the surface of the DT water line, but the sump water level was too high before the syphon started.

2) the overflow in the DT has a leak at the seams and allows water to drain through the leak to that level in the DT. This is especially bad with overflows that run vertical/ height of the tank and have drains on the bottom of the tank. Herbie and durso's don't have this problem.


Overflowing the DT is controlled by the correct flow coming into the DT matches the overflows ability to exit water to the sump. Too much flow in for the overflows to handle and you will overflow the DT.

Some of us have emergency drains that set just above the water line in the overflow box. If the main drain would clog, then the water would then go down the emergency drain. Tanks like my 125 have two holes in the bottom of the overflow. One was for the return line and the other is for the drain. Just plumbed the return line into a emergency drain to the sump and make the return lines come over the back of the DT.


Hope this helps.

 

[Capsle]

How to prevent overflow in sump and tank

I installed a check valve on my return line to the tank for my sump. This way water can't flow back into the sump if the power goes off.

I also marked off my maximum water level in my sump while the system is running. This give you 2 things
1- what you operation level should be so you can see evaporation and maintain proper salinity.

2- this is my max level mark so even if my check valve fails I know there is enough room available in my sump to hand the back siphon from the return line in the tank incase of a power failure.

I haven't figured out yet how to minimize the DT tank overflow issue for my setup yet but I'm working on it.

Hope this works.


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[CStrickland]

Can you explain your overflow a little more? Diff designs have unique pressure points for failure.

I wouldn't rely on a check valve for flood prevention, they have a terrible reputation for failing when needed the most.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Made a DIY over flow and sump, my return line into the tank will be slightly under the water surface, so if it back siphons it will only suck water until the water line is under the return, catching air and stoping the back siphon. Is this the correct way to prevent flooding my sump? What are other ways my sump can overflow besides back siphoning from the return line into the sump? Also, on the other side of the overflow with the water coming back into the tank, how do I prevent overflowing my display tank?

Is my back siphoning idea correct that it will shut off when too much water is sucked back into the sump, the return will not have any more water and will break the siphon.

What are other ways my sump can overflow?

How to prevent my display tank from overflowing ?
Thanks

It sounds like you have it set up OK. A picture would help some. I drilled a hole in my return line and threaded in a John Guest elbow so the elbow could swivel and therefore be set just at the surface of the water. It adds movement at the water surface which helps with gas exchange between the water and the air. It also breaks the siphon almost instantly if the pump should quit. I had a 180g DT and it only siphoned a couple of gallons to the sump before the siphon broke.

I installed a check valve on my return line to the tank for my sump. This way water can't flow back into the sump if the power goes off.

Check valves are notoriously unreliable in saltwater systems. If it's the flapper valve type, 'stuff' will build up on the flapper and the area where it is supposed to seat when a backflow starts. The calcium deposits or a tiny tube worm or a tiny sponge or most anything, even just a good algae slime can defeat the check valve over time. They work well when new, but unless you test it regularly or clean it regularly, it 's a serious point of potential failure. Don't trust it!

 

[Capsle]

It sounds like you have it set up OK. A picture would help some. I drilled a hole in my return line and threaded in a John Guest elbow so the elbow could swivel and therefore be set just at the surface of the water. It adds movement at the water surface which helps with gas exchange between the water and the air. It also breaks the siphon almost instantly if the pump should quit. I had a 180g DT and it only siphoned a couple of gallons to the sump before the siphon broke.



Check valves are notoriously unreliable in saltwater systems. If it's the flapper valve type, 'stuff' will build up on the flapper and the area where it is supposed to seat when a backflow starts. The calcium deposits or a tiny tube worm or a tiny sponge or most anything, even just a good algae slime can defeat the check valve over time. They work well when new, but unless you test it regularly or clean it regularly, it 's a serious point of potential failure. Don't trust it!

Thanks for the info. It's a spring valve. I read a few posts that suggested them which is why I used it. However just to make sure I have room for an extra 16 gallons of water in my sump incase it fails. My back siphons is only about 9g.


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