New to setting up a sump

[randy4083]

I have a tank with a sump and it's my first sump and I have all the plumbing ran and I have no leaks and I have 2 set's of pipe going to the sump and everything is running except water isn't keeping the pump section filled up so what do I have wrong here's a picture of what I set up!! Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks!!

 

[XNavyDiver]

Add more water.

 

[Lonely reefer's]

+1 ^ or slow down the flow rate from return pump if you installed gate valve

 

[randy4083]

I didn't install a valve but I turned down the pump but that's it and the tank stays filled but it sucks the return pump section dry so I don't know what to do

 

[keddre]

Did you fill the sump up before running the pump? If your display isn't overflowing, then it sounds like your sump isn't filled up. Remember you need enough water to fill the display, sump and the pipes inbetween

 

[randy4083]

And I've turned the adjustment knob on the pump both ways and everything flows good except for this

 

[XNavyDiver]

I didn't install a valve but I turned down the pump but that's it and the tank stays filled but it sucks the return pump section dry so I don't know what to do

Did you add more water?

 

[randy4083]

Not yet I'm about to try it out

 

[keddre]

Not yet I'm about to try it out

Try adding more water. It may just be filling up the pipes and using the water in your return to do it

 

[randy4083]

That's what it was it needed 4 big size cups of water because I have a tunze ato but I have to hook it up

 

[Fin]

Once you get it set so it is working properly, you might want to mark the normal operating water level in your sump and keep it at that mark by adding more fresh water to top off from what evaporates from your system each day. It will be more than you think. You might also want to look into an auto top off system to add water automatically as it evaporates. The salt will stay in the system, so you only need to replace what evaporates with fresh (hopefully RO/DI water).

 

[randy4083]

I have an auto top off unit I just gotta hook it up I bought the tunze 3155 on black Friday for it but I have the eshopps Eclipse overflow box small and it has a red safety tube that goes into the box and it stops the water from going down into the skimmer department and why does it do that??

 

[Fin]

I have an auto top off unit I just gotta hook it up I bought the tunze 3155 on black Friday for it but I have the eshopps Eclipse overflow box small and it has a red safety tube that goes into the box and it stops the water from going down into the skimmer department and why does it do that??

If I am understanding you correctly, nothing should go down that red tube, unless the other one or two drains become stopped up or overwhelmed. You shouldn't be using it to supply water to your sump on a regular basis.

 

[randy4083]

No I'm saying that there are to drain wholes that leave the box and both have piping that run to the sump and I'm asking why do you even have the 2 drains when one doesn't do nothing

 

[randy4083]

One of the drains have the red safety tube and water doesn't even leave the tank down to the sump out of that why just the one drain water goes to the sump

 

[XNavyDiver]

The drain tube you're referring to is for emergency draining. If the main one gets clogged, and the return pump continues to pump water back into the display tank, it could overflow the main tank. The second drain pipe your referring to would then continue to drain the display tank into the sump, thus not overflowing onto your floor.

 

[Fin]

That is the way it is designed. The safety drain should remain dry, unless the primary drain becomes clogged, or cannot handle the flow volume provided by the return pump. Most sumps have the safety drain positioned away from the primary, so if water does go down that pipe, it will make more noise splashing into your sump. That different sound should alert you that something is wrong.

Water does not ordinarily go down the emergency pipe, because it is slightly taller than the main drain.

 

[randy4083]

Oh ok thanks everyone for all your help

 

[randy4083]

I've got another question I didn't put a gate valve or any of that type of stuff on the overflow box and it's really loud because I didn't is there anything that I can do to make it quiter because it sounds like a river in my living room and I really don't want to mess with the plumbing again if I don't have to so can someone help me out with this and I have used sponges on a hob skimmer to stop the girgiling would that work with this or is there anything else that I can do ?? Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[keddre]

would that work with this or is there anything else that I can do ?? Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

Yes, you just have to make sure it's constantly clean. Plus you want to limit the amount of air getting in; to do this, I would advise you to look at raising your pipes in the overflow and looking at bean animal overflows or stockman pipes. That said, a valve install would be most efficient. Can we get a picture of the inside of your overflow?