Floodproofing a sump?
- Thread starter lilmojo79
- Start date
broomer5
Active Member
Not sure is you totally 100% flood proof anything, let alone a sump, but you CAN take several precautions to reduce the risk.
1) You drill a small hole in the return line to the tank, not the overflow. Just below the surface of the water when at it's normal running level, where your spraybar or return shoots water out into the tank. On power lose-pump failure as the water begins to siphon back to the sump, as soon as this hole is exposed to air - the siphon will suck air and break siphon.
2) Insure that your overflow is rated to handle the flow of your pump at the given head pressure.
3) Clean any prefilter sponges that you may have on your overflow-bulkhead fitting. Excess waste and debris can build up reducing flow, and your overflow/tank can overflow.
4) Maintain proper level of water in sump. Do not exceed the amount of water that will drain back to the sump upon loss of power or pump failure.
5) Dramatically over size your sump - this is about the best way to insure no problems.
If your tank drains down 5 gallons of water on power loss, don't have a 10 gallon sump.
You'd be asking for troubles if you do.
6) Occassionally cut the power to your sump pump and see what happens.
7) Mark you sump with some sort of markings like colored tape - to indicate to others where your normal water level for top off should be. If you are gone, and someone is watching your tank - this is a big help.
Or get an auto top off system.
8) Can't think of anything else right now.
HTH
Broomer
1) You drill a small hole in the return line to the tank, not the overflow. Just below the surface of the water when at it's normal running level, where your spraybar or return shoots water out into the tank. On power lose-pump failure as the water begins to siphon back to the sump, as soon as this hole is exposed to air - the siphon will suck air and break siphon.
2) Insure that your overflow is rated to handle the flow of your pump at the given head pressure.
3) Clean any prefilter sponges that you may have on your overflow-bulkhead fitting. Excess waste and debris can build up reducing flow, and your overflow/tank can overflow.
4) Maintain proper level of water in sump. Do not exceed the amount of water that will drain back to the sump upon loss of power or pump failure.
5) Dramatically over size your sump - this is about the best way to insure no problems.
If your tank drains down 5 gallons of water on power loss, don't have a 10 gallon sump.
You'd be asking for troubles if you do.
6) Occassionally cut the power to your sump pump and see what happens.
7) Mark you sump with some sort of markings like colored tape - to indicate to others where your normal water level for top off should be. If you are gone, and someone is watching your tank - this is a big help.
Or get an auto top off system.
8) Can't think of anything else right now.
HTH
Broomer
trigahappynigerog
Member
1)two overflows in case one gets clogged
2)turn off system and see how much it can hold without overflowing. and determine your fill line.
3)check and maintain pumps, hoses, filters.
jsut take precautions and you shouldnt have any problems...
2)turn off system and see how much it can hold without overflowing. and determine your fill line.
3)check and maintain pumps, hoses, filters.
jsut take precautions and you shouldnt have any problems...
q
Member
Using this formula LxWxH /231 (displacement of water in gallons from inches)I make sure that my tank can not flow in too much water and that my sump pump can not over fill the tank. I attached some pcv pipe to the return pump to that it would be at the correct heigth.
That and everything else listed. I don't think an alarm is necissary if you do everything else IMO.
That and everything else listed. I don't think an alarm is necissary if you do everything else IMO.
