I turned my pump off for a couple of minutes and noticed the water started to flow backwards into my sump from the return pipes, I freak'd and quickly turned the power back on.
how do you prevent this?
Drill a small hole in the return line just below the water level....as the water level drops air will enter the hole and stop the back flow. Breaks the syphon ... just be sure to keep the holes clear and whenever the pumps are down they'll work like a charm.
IMHO, A check valve may fail in time and usually at the wrong time. An antisiphon hole is the way to go. 2" is a bit low. As NM stated just below the water line maybe 1/8" - 1/4" will work and keep it clear.
HTH
Tim