tank overflow prevention?

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by cwickham

hey

i use ball-valves to limit the return from my main tank to the sump. I adjust the level of the tank so that the return is completely under water to reduce micro bubbles and noise.

The problem is that if the power goes out and the tank level drops, air gets into those pipes and when the power comes back on, the air gets trapped at the ball-valve and limits the flow even more cause my tank to overflow if im not there to release the air.

is there any way around this, is there somthing that will shut my return pump off when the water gets to a certain level(just for emergency if im not home)

i have tryed to find a normally open float switch to make somthing, but can only find normally closed ones.

thanks for your help
craig

Craig its really easy to sort out here keep your plumbing the same way open your ball valve full open.
what you need to do is drill a small hole in your return pipe just above the water line in your tank. This is going to allow you to back siphon the water once it reaches the water line so make the hole just below the water line then the pump goes off the water will drain only to the pipe with the hole. SUPER EASY

[mark]

Sounding like a Herbie without the emergency back up (probably not the best idea).

Guess I can't understand why the air would be trapped, but could it be how the valve is orientated, could the valve be relocated.

[Parker]

I'd take the ball valve off the drain side and put it on the return side ( after the pump ) if you want to limit the flow.

[cwickham]

that would work, but id like to keep the same amount of flow, just reduce how fast it flows from the main tank to the sump

[Parker]

You would be keeping the same amount of flow. Your tank will only drain as fast as your pumping water into it ( to the flow limits of your drains ). I'm assuming you are running your return pump wide open? If you are your present drain is able to keep up with it even though it's restricted. The amount of water your return pump moves won't change.

[untamed]

Originally Posted by cwickham

that would work, but id like to keep the same amount of flow, just reduce how fast it flows from the main tank to the sump

That's impossible. Water always flows to the sump at the same rate it is pumped out of the sump. If something prevents this from happening, you have overflow.

[cwickham]

Originally Posted by untamed

That's impossible. Water always flows to the sump at the same rate it is pumped out of the sump. If something prevents this from happening, you have overflow.

water doesnt have to flow back into the tank as fast as its pumped up, you can restrict it to find a good balance between over flow and the perfect level.



I agree with all of you that restricting the overflow is a dangerous game, and eventaully will get clogged. I think im just going to build an electronic shut off. water gets to high for any reason, pump turns off, water drains out pump turns back on. Probably be the easyiest solution.

thanks for all your comments

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by cwickham

water doesnt have to flow back into the tank as fast as its pumped up, you can restrict it to find a good balance between over flow and the perfect level.

For all intents and purposes it does (have to flow from the display tank at the same rate it is pumped to it by the return pump). If it didn't you'd either slowly (or quickly depending upon the disparity) overfill the display tank --> too much water in the display tank --> wet floor.

The most efficient and economical solution is to add another emergency drain line a la the Herbie method.

[mark]

Originally Posted by cwickham

water doesnt have to flow back into the tank as fast as its pumped up, you can restrict it to find a good balance between over flow and the perfect level.



I agree with all of you that restricting the overflow is a dangerous game, and eventaully will get clogged. I think im just going to build an electronic shut off. water gets to high for any reason, pump turns off, water drains out pump turns back on. Probably be the easyiest solution.

thanks for all your comments

Seems a lot easier just to make a two standpipe Herbie, sort out a Durso or other, or even just reducing the flow into to tank. As for electronic control, switches etc fail and still might come back to a flood or if you loose flow long enough to a dead tank.

[superduperwesman]

Originally Posted by cwickham

water doesnt have to flow back into the tank as fast as its pumped up, you can restrict it to find a good balance between over flow and the perfect level.

Yeah it does.... if it doesn't, like mentioned, you will slowly overflow your tank.

Yeah you can have a float switch that shuts off your pump... but once the drain gets a little backed up your pump going on and off ever few minutes. Not sure why you would want that

The only reason why you put a valve on you drain is to reduce air in the line... ideally the water flow should stay the same... unfortunately it is almost imposable to achieve this which is why you need a back up drain.