Over flow help

[Socalx45]

So I am having trouble keeping a constant level in my DT and sump. Today I came home from work and my return pump was sucking air. Here is a pick of my over flow. I have a single pipe. I made a stockman stand pipe and it is really quiet. I just don't think the over flow is keeping up with my return. I have adjusted the speed of the return many times. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas for an emergency overflow would be great as well.

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[jml1149]

Is that an upside down stockman? Probably not getting enough flow down into sump

 

[Socalx45]

I followed this guy's instructions https://youtu.be/NqROZsSBAAU

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[CStrickland]

Reduce the pump flow. I'd have a taller pipe too. It will be quieter if the water doesn't have to fall so far. The top of the standpipe isn't supposed to be under water. I don't think you can add an e-drain without drilling the tank.

 

[Land_shark067]

looks like you already have the cap shown in that youtube video. maybe add more holes to the drain pipe to keep up with the flow.

 

[Socalx45]

Yeah I'm gonna try raising it and making a bigger opening. Would bigger pipe work then taper it down to 1 in for the bulkhead??

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[Bl4ckDr4g0n]

The bulkhead is the limiting factor, and you probably need a lower GPH return pump. Flow for a 1" pipe not running a full siphon is maxed out around 330 GPH. Using a wider diameter pipe above and below the bulkhead will not change the flow of water through the bulkhead itself.

 

[Fish Keeper82]

I made mine a year ago off that same video. Like you the flow was not quite right.
I ended up drilling 2 small holes that my intent was to insert 2 more tubes with cheap plastic lees valves to fine tune it but in the end the valves were not needed.
I have been using it this way for over a year with quiet operation and no issues. Only diference is i have overflow box which is more of a hazard if it fails but like I said no issues.

 

[Sk8r]

Easiest fix is to insert a gate valve into the return line and choke back the pump until it sends up only what the standpipe can deliver down. Reining in the pump does not hurt the pump. HOwever your tank will benefit from strong flow, so the BETTER solution is to increase the downflow stream as much as possible.

 

[Socalx45]

Easiest fix is to insert a gate valve into the return line and choke back the pump until it sends up only what the standpipe can deliver down. Reining in the pump does not hurt the pump. HOwever your tank will benefit from strong flow, so the BETTER solution is to increase the downflow stream as much as possible.

I don't have any valve on the return line so I will add that. I have noticed an increase in flow though since I have turned my pump up and the overflow has increased to where the entire standpipe is underwater. Thanks for the feedback. I have a little project to do today!

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[jml1149]

If you don't want to choke the return line directly, you can add a T and add the valve to the T offshoot. This keeps the pump operating without restriction. You can adjust the flow back to the tank by opening/closing the t offshoot and controlling how much is recirculated through the sump. That being said you can also run your carbon / GFO off this line to save on a pump

 

[CStrickland]

I have noticed an increase in flow though since I have turned my pump up and the overflow has increased to where the entire standpipe is underwater

I would just turn the pump back down. The flow should be a little less that the max the standpipe can handle before the level in the overflow starts to rise. If you can get there without a valve by adjusting the pump it's the same thing.

 

[Socalx45]

So I took the stand pipe out and drilled a few more holes in it. I have my pump turned all the way up and it is handling it fine. The flow is great.

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[Socalx45]

SIGH.....woke up this morning to my return pump sucking air. The level was fine for the last 2 days. Now all of the sudden it seems my return can't keep up again with my pump so I turned it down. It's the same problem over and over again. It runs great for 2 days then all of the sudden the level is down in my sump.

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[Bl@ckbird]

I'd swap it to a durso setup to run it full siphon and either add a return gate/ball valve or run a smaller pump. I run herbies so my main line is full siphon like a durso and have never had problems. I've run that with mag5 and 7 for return pumps wide open.


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[CStrickland]

Durso is not a full siphon drain. It's just a diff silencer like the stockman op has.
Op shouldn't have a full siphon drain because there's no place for an emergency drain. They are limited by the flow capacity of a non-siphon drain, assuming the silencer (stockman or durso) is properly setup to allow as much water as the pipe can handle through. That could be tested by running without the stockman for a few days, just to see if it's limiting you. There will be a risk that some critter could get down there