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Thread: WATER ALL OVER THE FLOOR.

  1. #1

    Default WATER ALL OVER THE FLOOR.

    My submersible pump took a dump last night, it let the sump over flow a little but I have pretty much fixed the overflow problem. So I replaced my submersible pump with an external. I really don't have plumbing, just flex tubing. I think I need to make some hardened PVC stuff. Last night in the middle of the night, the new external pump built up too much pressure because of a valve I had to install because new pump is way too big... you can tell where this is going. Off goes the tubing and there goes all the water in my sump. I am guessing 15-20 gallons. I should have bought hose clamps. Anyone have a submersible pump lying around they don’t need any more. I need a pretty big one; the one I am replacing is about 6 inches long and 3 inches deep. Don’t know GPM or anything.
    275 gal, loving my new stand.
    Always looking for big fish.
    CARTER

  2. #2

    Default

    List the size of your return pipe/hose, it might help to figure the size of your return pump. exp: is it 1 - 1"

  3. #3
    Join Date
    07-21-2005
    Location
    281N of 1604, San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    5,844

    Default

    1) post some pix

    2) if your return pump fails, there should be NO REASON for anything to overflow. Show us what you have, so we can help you with your design. You never want to be in a position where, if anythign fails, you have water on the floor.

    I have a large - 2400 gph - new pump sitting in my garage. LMK if that might work.
    Bill

    215g FOWLR... and anemones, GSP, gorgonians... carp, that isn't FO!

    "I killed my first SW Fish in 1971..."

  4. #4
    Join Date
    11-23-2008
    Location
    NW San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    48

    Default

    haha my bf overflowed our sump...i don't know how he managed to do that...but he pulled me out of the shower to help him clean up and I walked into a living room filled with water lol

  5. #5
    Join Date
    08-22-2007
    Location
    NE san antonio
    Posts
    2,283

    Smile

    Welcome to the flood club. I had 2 so far, one with 4 gallons of lime water and another with new skimmer went crazy and dumped about 10 gallons in the living room.
    Reefing is just like cooking, all the ingredients have to be just right , except you don't have to bring the water to a BOIL...

  6. #6

    Default

    My return line is 1 inch I think. There are 2 1inch arches pulling water from the tank. The tank is 125 gallons and my sump is like 25 gal. I think. I fixed the over flow problem I had before. Now if I loose power there is little to none lost. But night before last my hose on my new pump blew off, because of a valve I had to install to slow the flow. I should have used hose clamps. Which I did last night and so far so good.
    275 gal, loving my new stand.
    Always looking for big fish.
    CARTER

  7. #7
    Join Date
    10-18-2002
    Location
    New Braunfels
    Posts
    4,358

    Default

    still a little conderned when you say "little to none Lost" you should never ever lose any water if you lose power.. there are two reasons for this. either the return pump is pushing too much water causing you to have to fill the sump too much to avoid it sucking air or the sump is too small.. since you said the sump is about 25 gal i think your return might be too big
    My Reef is Alive and well Despite My repeated Daily attemps to kill it!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    07-21-2005
    Location
    281N of 1604, San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    5,844

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Morena_Model View Post
    haha my bf overflowed our sump...i don't know how he managed to do that...but he pulled me out of the shower to help him clean up and I walked into a living room filled with water lol

    I've used that trick before too...
    Bill

    215g FOWLR... and anemones, GSP, gorgonians... carp, that isn't FO!

    "I killed my first SW Fish in 1971..."

  9. #9

    Default

    Also make sure your return line into the main tank has some sort of siphon prevention. Mine has a small hole drilled in the PVC above the water line so that the return line can't siphon back down into the sump when I lose power. If your return line is siphoning, you can suck far more water back into your sump than the sump was meant to handle.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    02-12-2004
    Location
    Far West SA 1604 and Culebra
    Posts
    4,157

    Default

    just about 5 years in the hobby and I have yet to have a flood of any sort. Take the correct precautions and it just does not happen. Drill a hole in the return line at the water line so that if power goes off it only allows a very little amount of water to drain back into the sump.

    It is also important to know just how much more water your sump can handle incase of a problem. For examply my sump when running hold approx 15gs of water and incase of a emergency can hold a additional 10-12gs.
    Ray Allen
    San Antonio, TX
    1604 Culebra/Shanefield
    rba0284@gmail.com
    40g Breeder Reef Aquarium

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