Sump floods when I turn off return pump

[dputt88]

I went and looked at your build thread ...... really nice tank by the way (CTC?)! I see that the weir is a piece of acrylic attached flat to the back of the tank. What is behind it - I assume a few holes in the glass right behind the slots? How far down from the water surface are the bottoms of those holes? That will determine the drain down level of the display and give you a sense of how much water you're talking about. You can raise the height of the primary and secondary I'd think, but you need to make sure there is no leaking where they friction fit into the bulkheads. Also, if you haven't already done so, drill a small hole in the top of the U bends which allows the siphon to start more easily with less head above the U. BTW, I would also strongly advise supporting the pipes that hang down from the scupper box. I'd also take close look at the return check valve; they are notorious for not sealing properly and that could be the source of the trickle. I do agree that whomever built the sump designed it poorly. The two 'over' baffles in the bubble trap are way too tall.

the tank is made by Miracles.
the weir has about 1 inch tall slots cut behind it, these slots are maybe 16" long ( there are two of them). ill take a video later today when im next to the tank and post it. id say the water stays about 3/4 inch above the bottom of the slots.

the secondary has a hole drilled in the top. I'm worried that if i do the same to the primary it will become noisy

 

[cracker]

OK went back & read your 1st post. Try drilling a small hole in the returns just below the water line (wouldn't have to be much bigger than a tooth pick ) . second the pump goes off the water in display will start to back siphon exposing the holes that will draw air & break the siphon. A simple try that won't make a bunch of noise. Any way to see a pic? I'm curious about this sump You have. Thanks

 

[Bayareareefer18]

OK went back & read your 1st post. Try drilling a small hole in the returns just below the water line (wouldn't have to be much bigger than a tooth pick ) . second the pump goes off the water in display will start to back siphon exposing the holes that will draw air & break the siphon. A simple try that won't make a bunch of noise. Any way to see a pic? I'm curious about this sump You have. Thanks

+1

 

[Fin]

It is a very nice build. Definitely like the floor drain.

 

[cracker]

How did you guys find This build thread? I found it.

 

[ca1ore]

OK, if when off the tank drains down to the bottom of the weir teeth then you're talking slightly less than 7 gallons. If the sump as configured cannot handle that then I see little recourse to sump surgery. In addition to that 7 gallons, it may also be that the scupper box is draining, or you're getting some check valve leaking. You could try reconfiguring the bean drains to see if you can reduce drain down, but the pipes inside the box must be watertight where they fit into the bulkheads. Mouth of emergency 1" below top edge of scupper box, top of secondary U slightly below to top of emergency, and top of primary U slightly below bottom of secondary U. Drilling a small hole in the top of the primary U shouldn't affect noise.

 

[cracker]

Good one calore. Dp does the sump overflow by the time the water gets below the grates? If not it's coming from the returns. Maybe backflow gate flaps . I hear you have to keep a close eye on these. Maybe you already mentioned this. Or run a lot less water in the sump. But the baffles are too tall right? replacing the baffles for shorter ones means the sump off line for at least 3 days. don't trust the 24 hour cure time stated. I did & pised everybody off . Cape the return holes & go over the back. This won't look as good though. This is a good one !
Nice tank by the way.

 

[Erica-Renee]

Not really. A wider tank will drain down more than a narrower one.

VERY True