Pump to restart siphon in overflow

lines_michael

Premium Member
I heard that you can put a small pump with airline running up into your overflow flow tubes to suck out air and restart your sump siphon in case of a power outage.

I would like to get one but an not sure what exactly I am looking for. Could someone point me in the right direction?
 
I think what you are looking for is the aqualifter pump. You can get one <a href="http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3642&Ntt=aqualifter&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1">here.</a>

I got one (it's only about $12), and it works pretty good. You should also get the filter they have with it so your pump doesn't get clogged. Good luck!
 
What kind of overflow do you have?? I have an U tube overflow on my 75 and have never had restart the siphon. If you have a properly designed one, you shouldn't have to restart it.
 
i agree with todd. but, the other thing you can do, since it appears that you have lost suction, is to simply stick a thin piece of air tube in there and just suck out the air.
 
aqualifters work, butyou can use a maxijet as well if ya got an extra laying around or even one being used on your system. They come with an adapter you can plug airline tubing onto, it allows for air bubbles from the powerhead but will also suck the air out of the syphon overflow same as a aqualifter pump does.
 
how can you keep an overflow from losing siphon during a power outage without having a pump on it?

I have two U-tube's on my overflow. I'm not sure of the brand but it is a pretty standard overflow. 1200gph
 
U tubes are designed to not loose the suction during power outages. Physics and all, I don't know how exactly the science works, but it does. If you have a continuous syphon overflow, than nothing to stop the suction from loosing during power outages. If yours has U-tubes, than it shouldn't. Mine never has. Only looses the syphon when I pull the u-tube out of the water.
 
I've only had mine set up in the testing phase (in the garage with FW). The u-tube siphons just fine but after a day or so there's a bubble in the top of the U about this size of my thumb. I can only assume that it'll get big enough to break siphon when no one is home. So the lifter pump is sort of my failsafe. When power is interrupted the siphon goes away instantly but the lifter pump gets it going really fast when power is restored.
 
If you are getting an air bubble in your U-tube the flow is not great enough. I can say (and sure others will back me up) that if a U-tube is set up correctly there is no way it will need a lifter pump. I have mine (lifereef) for about 4 years now, and it has never lost siphon -- excluding me removing the tube itself.
 
My return pump is a quietone 1200. It is low flow, but I like having the low flow through the sump. I honestly don't mind having the aqualifter there. It's under the tank in the cabinet, it's quiet, it's cheap, and it's worth it for the peace of mind.
 
I have bubbles that get into the U-tube from water flowing into the box. Over a month of time and after the water level drops below the initial U part of the tube, it still doesn't break siphon. After a month or two, I usually break siphon manually to get the bubble out. I used to worry about it too but realized that I kill the pumps every time I feed and never lose siphon, a power outage works pretty much the same.
 
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