Sump Advice please

[NewbiePta]

Hi everyone,

I just started to set everything up and hot my pump into my sump. When everything is hooked up the pump drains the compartment in the sump in a few seconds befor the overflow starts working. To the poing that it sucks air.

How can I increase the flow to the sump? Bigger hole? Other thing is can I limit the pump witha ball valve for slower flow? Or is my only option to get a bigger sump?

 

[aapstert180]

you say " before the overflow starts working". maybe add more water to the system. when the return is off, is the display tank water level with the overflow?

 

[NewbiePta]

No I added a durso standpipe that siply slots into the bulkhead. So when i take it out the flow is fast but loud.

 

[viper357]

Bigger hole?

What is this hole? The one to the overflow box? Have you got a pic of it?

To me it sounds like you just need to add some more water to the system; while the pump is running.

 

[NewbiePta]

I dont have a pic but the whole I am referring to is the one wherre the bulkhead goes through the bottom pane of glass. I think my problem is that I do not have a standpipe that creates a seal with the bulkhead and thats tall enough so the top 2 cm of the tank does not drain all the way to the level below the overflowcomb.

I will add a longer standpipe and also try and seal it

 

[Kamalhanuman]

Possibly the overflow pipes get air locked on start up. Ive got 32mm joke through the glass of my tank and its piped direct to the sump.

When i start up the pump, the overflow flow rate is much slower than the return flowrate so the level of DT continues to increase until the level of water in the return chamber drops below the suction of the pump .

The air eventually gets forced out the overflow pipes and overflow flowrate increases dramatically. The whole system finds balance after that. DT and return chamber levels return to normal.

Be careful to have just enough water to reach the maximum level of your DT before the return chamber levels drops below the suction of the pump or your gonna have some cleaning to do

 

[Kamalhanuman]

32mm pipe (I hate auto correct)

 

[RiaanP]

how deep does the downpipe go into the sump, below water level?

The deeper, the harder it would be for the water flow to push out the trapped air in the downpipe.

My downpipe ends just below water level.

 

[Kamalhanuman]

I've had it both ways, above and below the water level.

My downpipe has about 1 metre drop. The weight of the water in the pipe is sufficient to force it the air from the pipes. It will take a Little while to for this to happen

 

[Kamalhanuman]

Yep, The deeper it is, the harder and longer it will take to get this air out

 

[NewbiePta]

Thanks @RiaanP, I didnt know that.

Ok let me try and explain better. the overflow comb is about 25mm below the surface if the pump would be on in full flow. The estimated volume of the overflow box is 10L. The problem I have is the 40mm bulkhead I got from @dallasg does have a 40mm thread on the out side but the part that is inside the tank does not take a 40MM pipe.

So I made a 40mm standpipe to silence the overflow with a reducer to 32mm that goes in the hole losely. This keeps the standpipe upright and makes the water level rise to flow through the pipe. But the problem is that its not a water tight seal, so when the power goes out it seeps that extra 10L into the sump and overflows onto the floor.

So far I have come up with two solutions. Or theories.

1. I need to seal the standpipe into the bulkhead. No Idea how though.
2. I need to lower the second baffle in my sump that sets the waterlevel. But then a gain, I still need to find out what depth of water is required for my TS3 skimmer. Anyone have an idea?
3. I need to get a bigger sump.

Err hope that helps. I tried to take pictures but you cant see squat. @dallasg Do you perhaps have any ideas? Was this bulkhead not intended to take a standpipe?

 

[459b]

40mm thread on the out side but the part that is inside the tank does not take a 40MM pipe

Why not change the bulkhead? Get whats called a tank connector, its basically a threaded pipe so you can screw on 40mm pipes on either side.

 

[459b]

 

[NewbiePta]

Why not change the bulkhead? Get whats called a tank connector, its basically a threaded pipe so you can screw on 40mm pipes on either side.

I could not find anything that will work no where in PTA so thats why I got the one from Dallasg. I phoned a bunch of places and not even JB iragation has something like that

 

[459b]

Have you tired Agrimmark or similar? Theres an Astore in Pretoria, they will definitely have. Else bug one of the sponsors

 

[NewbiePta]

Have you tired Agrimmark or similar? Theres an Astore in Pretoria, they will definitely have. Else bug one of the sponsors

Thanks I cam right with Astore.

I have another question though. I currently have the tank filled with freshly made saltwater. I will need to drain it to lift the tank and remove the other bulkhead.

The big question is can i store the water in my bathtub? If so how can I prepare it to make sure that no soaps or anything contaminates the water. Or how can I treat the water afterwards?

 

[RiaanP]

nope, not the bathtub.

where in Pretoria are you.
I got a 220L drum you can use for a short while.

 

[NewbiePta]

I am in Pretoria east, La montagne.

Not sure if that drum would fir in a normal car?

 

[NewbiePta]

I have to mention that there is no livestock in the tank at all and the water would not be in the tub for longer than 2 hours.

 

[RiaanP]

Or get yourself a big plastic container, from Plasticland or even Pick a Pay.

You will one day reuse the container. Just never use it for anything else.

I would not use the bathtub. too many soaps and other chemicals.