Help with a bigger skimmer overflow

[jbailey52]

Hey everyone. Just had a huge issue last night. I will start here... I installed my MRC-1 skimmer last night. I have used this in my previous in sump setup (which I was told was not good since the discharge was under water and causes back flow issues) so when I moved my tank I installed it behind the tank (this is an In wall setup) so I plenty of room and a huge table/workbench area behind the tank. Anyway the skimmer is about 30-36" above my sump on the table top. I had to hard plum the 1 1/4" discharge to the sump. There are approx 2-3 90 elbows (cant remember exactly) and one or 2 - 45 elbows. I know 2 - 45 elbows is better than 1-90. I also started using my leftover mag 24 pump (much bigger than what is recommended but I figured with head loss, I had it and didn't have to buy a new one, and with a valve it would be ok) anyway I think the discharge plumbing is causing severe backflow issues. I cannot get the water to stabilize to a level in the sump. For example I set the skimmer and all was fine for a coupe hours. This morning I heard my ro-do unit running which is in a auto shut off, that feeds my ATO water supply unit. So I went in the garage and boom! Water everywhere... The skimmer was running VERY wet and had been dumping water over top of the gallon waste jug, triggering the ATO to dump freshwater in the sump. (My SG went from 1.026 to 1.021 and I have no salt! I always have an extra bucket for an emergency and now I don't and nothing opens for another hour and a half) anyway I am not quite sure what to do here... I don't have room under the table to put the skimmer so the discharge will be over the water line of the sump. I also was thinking should I put an emergency drain at the top of my waste cup, so if it does over flow it goes back into the sump? This has to be better than flooding the area correct? Does anyone have any good designs for an emergency overflow of a waste container, other than just putting a hole and a tube at the top?
Thanks in advance

 

[acrylic51]

Sorry about your incident.....I'd never set it up and in the evening and forget about it....These skimmers can be super finicky....An adjustment might appear fine for a bit and then go nutso all of a sudden, and there are things that will make these act up.....Air quality and such is 1 thing that will do it....I use to run mine in the garage and I smoke and needless to say 2nd hand smoke would affect how the skimmer operated......
It is correct having the discharge line underwater or submerged does put back pressure on the skimmer and it won't perform correctly.......Makes adjusting a nightmare as well......When you did the initial fire and tuning did you set the water level correctly in the skimmer body, and then proceed to bring air into the equation......
As far as a ASOV on your collection container might not be a bad idea.....There are several....PrecisionMarine makes one and Avast Marine makes a nice unit.....As well if you had a controller you could run a float/sensor from your collection container to your controller and once it senses the collect jug is full it would shut the skimmer down....Also a good reason I tell people not to tie their RO/DI directly to anything that feeds the tank......Even though it's running to your ATO, your ATO will continually be fed RO water till the situation is remedied.......