Sump Question

[Salt_in_MyBlood]

may sound basic but i am looking to set up a sump. i have done my research and know what i am going to do. the only thing i don't understand is about the return pump... does it run continueously or is there a float or system to shut it off. everything i have read seems to lean towards tank fills, return pump goes off, tank drains through overflow into sump, flows into return chamber the pump kicks on and pumps it back to the tank. any help would be appreciated

 

[caribngg]

imo the return pump should run constantl, In my sump the pump rund all the time and flow is supplemented by power heads or a closed loop system

 

[Toddrtrex]

It runs all the time, it is a continuous process, with water going into the tank, and then back down to the sump. (( Excluding evap )), the water level will remain the same in the tank and the sump while the pump is on. You match up the rate that the pump pumps with the rate that the overflow can overflow.

 

[vikubz]

And you'll want some sort of automatic top off system to keep up with evaporation.

 

[Rouselb]

Agree with the above post, you need the overflow to handle the pumps capacity. But there are a few other things you need to do.
1. Calculate the amount of head loss for your plumbing size and distance (dont forget friction in the pipe, this is huge)
2. Calculate the amount of water the overflow drains can handle
3. Determine the skimmer you are going to use, and its throughput.

Then you should have enough info to design the sump the correct way. And you should have at least 2 baffles in the sump IMO. They will help with the bubbles.

 

[jhoff]

I agree with Larry
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes