8 Foot 280 Gallon -> Basement Sump Room

[DKoKoMan]

That is a crazy behind the scene setup!

[element291]

Originally Posted by brotherd

Could you set up one of the overflows for a full syphon with a gate valve at the sump and the other as a back up? Sort of like split Herbie? That way air is not being sucked into the drains?

Right now it sort of runs like a herbie at least even though it has an air hole at the top of the right drain that one is opened up probably 3 turns whereas the left drain is only opened 1 turn or so and I can hear a slight trickle at the left side drain.

I have my drain hose going into my filter bucket which is actually above the sumps waterline a few inches, would this be causing my problem because I read you want your pipe an inch under the water line but not further as the air will have a hard time getting out. Also once the water is high enough for the right side drain box to fill up the left side already is as well so I am wondering how much luck I will have getting one side to be a full syphon and one be an emergency as they both run the same water line in each side drain box. I could definitely try doing a few trial runs tomorrow because this is tiring to have to keep seeing my tank shut off via water sensor when the tank gets too high (which is was right now when I wokeup on the couch after its gargling episode it randomly started after work today and slightly closed the right gate valve - knew this would happen always does!)

*EDIT* Actually you can see the waterlines in each drain box in the pics I posted and they are basically the same. BUT! After looking at this I could definitely cut a straight pipe on the left side, have its length basically long enough so its almost right to the top of the tank (my emergency drain side wide open valve) then I could on the right side, since even though my tank is bang on dead level with my level the right drain box fills up first so I could pull my durso pipe out since its just pressure fitted not PVC glued. Cut a pipe 2 inches or so, throw a grate over it just to be safe and keep fish/snails that somehow pass my initial light diffuser panel screens and tune that as my full siphon. The only problem is I will have to mod the sump setup to get the drain pipe out of my filter bucket and 1" under the sumps water line. I used to use socks which would make this easy but hated washing them all the time and it got expensive VS just simply changing out some filter floss. I am excited to try this tomorrow now! This will truely show me if my Reeflo Hammerhead is actually changing its speed throughout the day at random which I believe really is what is happening currently cause how does it run fine for 3 days even sometimes then other times like today its like the pump chokes back ever so slightly, my display water level drops, sump level rises, and I get the annoying gargling in display tank. Thanks for this advice got me inspired to try some stuff!

Originally Posted by swimfan

Don't buy a second hammerhead, bail on the reeflo set up. I've had the exact same issue as yourself. Bought a brand new gold a while back. It runs roughly 14 feet vertical through a combination of flexible and rigid 1 1/2" pvc. Literally 3 days after installing it, it started leaking, took it off line and limped along with a Laguna 2900. Not nearly enough flow, but it did the job until I could get replacement seals and bearings. Also bought a used hammerhead ( not a gold) realizing I needed to have a back up. Had a millwright replace the bearings on both pumps as well as new seals. Within weeks, of the reinstall, the gold has developed a pinhole leak somewhere around the seal. Salt creep seems to have plugged it. It too seems inconsistent with flow rates. Took it off line and the second hammerhead leaked not even a week into running. I've got on order, seals made of a different material. If that doesn't fix these pumps. I will let them rot outside on my future pond build. Could not be more disappointed with them. Look into an Abyzz A400. I've never used one, but if money isn't an issue, they sound like an awesome pump. There is a place in Canada who sells them cheaper than the states. Sorry for the long rant, just want to warn you of my frustrations with reeflo hammerhead pumps.

Appreciate the experiences, surely not a long rant when you consider the size of my novel lol! I read a few other stories of leaking seals, scares me quite frankly. I looked up the Abyzz A400 and holy mother of expensive pumps! I would love to go back to a submersible again but it doesnt look like anyone makes any huge puppies that sit in the water for a fair price.

Originally Posted by DKoKoMan

That is a crazy behind the scene setup!

Thanks! Its always given me something to do since buying this house at the end of October. This is my house at 26, wonder how fishy it will be when im 50 LOL!

[brotherd]

What if you try closing one drain completely and open the the other wide open, then throttle it with the valve in the basement? For sure need 2 sets of eyes for this. The idea is not to have any air at all in the full syphon drain.

[element291]

If I close one completely and just use one drain I still have to close off that drain 50% or more due to how fast the drain is vs the pump.
I had the gate valves glued in downstairs initially, this made it a 2 man job to tune anything and it made for a lot more air noise upstairs, once I moved the valves right below the overflow boxes the air sound was cut in half when it wasnt operating right or the pump had just turned back on.

I think step #1 is to cut off that joiner I put at the sump linking both drain lines into one. That is bad I believe from a lot of reading. Its strange right now if I walk over to the tank and hold my finger over the hole I have in the top of my right side drain pipe it has no effect... You'd think it would, it changed the siphon on all my previous tanks if that hole got clogged or covered...
I can plug the hole for even a minute and notice zero change in operation. Still stays 100% silent upstairs.

[brotherd]

Okay, next idea. Reduce both drains to 1" pipe with a reducer on each drain at the overflows on the display. Separate the drains and have both terminate below the water line in the sump. If that doesn't work.. call in the big guns.

[brotherd]

Sorry I just re read this. For a basement sump you pretty much need to have the drain valves downstairs. What happens is the water drains into the sump and causes water from the sump to be sucked back up into the pipe until that column of water becomes too heavy and dumps back into the sump. this explains the surging you're experiencing. I would try separating the drains, gate valve one of them at the sump so that one is a full syphon with no air intake at all, terminating below the sump water line. That's all I can think of.

[element291]

Originally Posted by brotherd

Sorry I just re read this. For a basement sump you pretty much need to have the drain valves downstairs. What happens is the water drains into the sump and causes water from the sump to be sucked back up into the pipe until that column of water becomes too heavy and dumps back into the sump. this explains the surging you're experiencing. I would try separating the drains, gate valve one of them at the sump so that one is a full syphon with no air intake at all, terminating below the sump water line. That's all I can think of.

So I have done this and it has been running pretty good for over 24 hours now!