Tips to avoid leaks or flood in FOWLR tank

[golf nut]

It really isn't difficult, you just have to understand it.


Water enters the tank from the sump at a known gph, it needs to be drained, if you select the correct size return pump and the correct size drain the will never be any noise and never be a flood, you will not need a Durso nor will you need siphon holes if the return pipes go just under the surface.

If you decide to use a smaller drain hole than is required then you will get noise, caused by the drain turning into a siphon then losing siphon due to the flow increase, and repeating it's elf, then you read about Dursos and spend money buying something to fix the problem that you created in the first place by not using a bulkhead big enough to handle the flow.

Feeds from the sump need to go just slightly under the water, the depth they penetrate is a simple math formulea to tell you how much reserve space you need in the sump.

Fill the tank add water to the sump, turn on the pump once the tank and oveflow box are full then turn off all the power, the tank will drain to the sump as will excess in the overflow box and any back siphon from the return lines from the sump.


Now fill the sump to a level that you feel comfortable having it at, ie 2" below the surface, turn on the return pump and wait until the water is now moving through the system , you will see the sump level fall to its operating level, draw a line at that point and never add water to any more than that level when the system is running.

I will put money on it that almost any tank if installed with a 2" drain with a 1" return from the sump with almost any pump up to 1800gph will be silent, safe and have a zero chance of flooding.

[new but handy]

having 2- 2" drains, = peace of mind
having 1" return = safty
having a pump at less than 1800gph = easy

forgeting to turn off your ro. = The only thing anyone can gauruntee
come on everyone has done it

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by new but handy

forgeting to turn off your ro. = The only thing anyone can gauruntee
come on everyone has done it

Considering you typically waste 2/3 of the water you use to make ro/di you may as well run the overflow from the storage unit to the same drain, that way there is no flood just a high water bill.

[xl2000]

Those are all great tips to consider, thanks guys.

I am not too worried about the RO water as I have a full bathroom in the basement with a bathtub where I will be making the RO water in and if the water overflows from the bucket, it won't be a big deal as the container will be sitting in the tub.

As I can see, if the design is planned well, the flood occurrence cant be very well be under control. I have read numerous thread where floods could of been avoided.