Partial Plumbing Blockage

[DC504]

So I was messing around in my sump yesterday and I noticed that the egg crate I siliconed in to stop any large things / critters from entering return chamber was kind of flapping with the water flow. I gave it a gentle tug to check and it popped right off. As I stopped to contemplate the best way reattach without draining my sump, a large wad of chaeto broke free and promptly made it's way down the baffle and into the return chamber. I frantically tried to intercept but wasn't quick enough and yep, got sucked up by the return pump. Seeing the obvious reduced flow and hearing the difference in pitch from the pump, I know it's lodged somewhere. I tried stopping and starting the pump several times hoping the back siphon would break it free. And no. Today, I disconnected the pump and unions under the tank but it wasn't there. The last and most likely place it can be is in reducing Tee that breaks off into 2 3/4" pipes behind the tank. It's going to be nearly impossible for me to get back there without draining the majority of the tank ~140 G total volume.

I thought maybe if I let it sit for a week or so, the chaeto would eventually rot and away possibly clear itself. On the other-hand, it might get worse if the clog ends trapping more crud.

Thoughts? Tips?

 

[Auto-pilot]

I've had a similar issue before and I got my shop vac put it from suck to blow and duck taped a small hose to the outlet using a towel to seal the extra gap between the small hose and the 3/4 rubber tubing and blew the blockage backward. In my opinion it will eventually disappear if it's not getting any light.

 

[ca1ore]

That’s odd. Maybe I’m misunderstanding your explanation, but if the chaeto wad went through the pump it’d get all chopped up and be hard pressed to hang up in the plumbing. You sure there’s not something impinging the impeller?

Always a good idea to put a screen on the suction side of the return pump.

 

[DC504]

I've had a similar issue before and I got my shop vac put it from suck to blow and duck taped a small hose to the outlet using a towel to seal the extra gap between the small hose and the 3/4 rubber tubing and blew the blockage backward. In my opinion it will eventually disappear if it's not getting any light.

I like it! I will definitely give this a try if fails to clear on it's own.

That’s odd. Maybe I’m misunderstanding your explanation, but if the chaeto wad went through the pump it’d get all chopped up and be hard pressed to hang up in the plumbing. You sure there’s not something impinging the impeller?

Always a good idea to put a screen on the suction side of the return pump.

I actually took the pump apart to check and it was all clear. Unless the pump was somehow damaged (it's a COR-20 and appears normal in Fusion), there is definitely a blockage somewhere. Lesson learned about not putting a screen on the intake side. I was trying to eliminate extra maintenance tasks when I set the system up and chose not to. Bad move on my part...

 

[BestMomEver]

Try the shop vac. I dropped a diamond necklace down the drain once. It got stuck in the U turn of the plumbing. My hubby got a long attachment for the shop vac and sucked it right out. Thank goodness!

 

[BeejReef]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/general-wi...MImJramtLS4gIVQYezCh1HDgZ3EAQYAiABEgKItfD_BwE

They make smaller ones, great to have around the house anyhow for when wife's hair clogs shower. Sounds like you've got the same thing going on.

 

[rioreef]

Carefully with a tool like that, it may have light machine oil on the metal parts and putting in down tank pipes may transfer some of it.

 

[rioreef]

double post

 

[BeejReef]

Carefully with a tool like that, it may have light machine oil on the metal parts and putting in down tank pipes may transfer some of it.

That's a good point. I've never "felt" oil on a new one, but it certainly could be there. Wouldn't have to be a steel one. It sounds like the OP is talking about a 4-5' run of pvc or flex hose. Some straightened coat hangar maybe, or blow pressurized water down from the top of the return

 

[ca1ore]

LOL, we've all done it! Clean off the overflow grate and then watch with dismay as that large clump of unmentionable gets vacuumed up by the return pump. &*$%^#!!! In my case, the sump is in the basement, so there's very little that doesn't get pushed back out when I let the return back siphon.

 

[BeejReef]

LOL, we've all done it! Clean off the overflow grate and then watch with dismay as that large clump of unmentionable gets vacuumed up by the return pump. &*$%^#!!! In my case, the sump is in the basement, so there's very little that doesn't get pushed back out when I let the return back siphon.

basement sump... I want that bad. next tank

 

[ca1ore]

basement sump... I want that bad. next tank

Oh yeah!! Makes the return pump selection a little trickier, but better in ALL other regards.

 

[DC504]

So, I just got home and was getting ready to break out the shop-vac / tape, but decided to try killing the return a few more times first.

This came flying out on the very try:



As I've seen many people post again and again, patience is a good thing in this hobby ;Joyful

Thanks for the input all!

 

[BestMomEver]

LOL, we've all done it! Clean off the overflow grate and then watch with dismay as that large clump of unmentionable gets vacuumed up by the return pump. &*$%^#!!! In my case, the sump is in the basement, so there's very little that doesn't get pushed back out when I let the return back siphon.

We don’t have basements in the Deep South... water/rain is a big issue. If you build a basement down here, you can sit and watch the walls cry. Still, sometimes I wish I had one.

 

[DC504]

We don’t have basements in the Deep South... water/rain is a big issue. If you build a basement down here, you can sit and watch the walls cry. Still, sometimes I wish I had one.

Yeah, what's a basement? You can literally dig down 2 feet in my yard and watch it fill it with water.

 

[BestMomEver]

Yeah, what's a basement? You can literally dig down 2 feet in my yard and watch it fill it with water.

Same. If you live in the swamp, you are either in south Louisiana or south Florida. At the moment we live in the country at a little higher elevation. But we lived just south of Baton Rouge for a time. My pasture was always squishy.

 

[ryeguyy84]

LOL, we've all done it! Clean off the overflow grate and then watch with dismay as that large clump of unmentionable gets vacuumed up by the return pump. &*$%^#!!! In my case, the sump is in the basement, so there's very little that doesn't get pushed back out when I let the return back siphon.

How did you run your plumbing? Through the floor? I can't get my wife to agree to drilling large holes in our hardwood but if there's a way through the wall that I can at least patch down the road