Plumbing issues

Bbentler · 02/05/2007, 04:02 PM

I just got a new aquarium and found out the hard way that there was a leak in the overflow. With the pumps on in the sump it work perfectly however if the power were to go out I would have 300 gallons of water on my finished basement floor! So I was wondering if there was a type of valve that I could instal that would turn the water off when the water got too high in my sump? Would a float valve work and how would one install that? Do they have a valve that shuts off when the electicity goes out similar to how emergency lights come on?

glaspie69 · 02/05/2007, 04:31 PM

Could you install a durso? This would raise your drain pipe to whatever level you wanted it to be without much effort. I say this assuming your tank is drilled in the bottom. HTH Jason

leeweber85 · 02/05/2007, 05:07 PM

where's the leak at? couldn't you just silicon it?

Bbentler · 02/05/2007, 09:26 PM

I already have a durso intalled but it will still drain a lot of water into the sump. It makes me rather nervous. I would like to find a reverse check valve. Perhaps something that uses a float valve would work down in the sump to close off the pipe down their.

eshook · 02/05/2007, 09:41 PM

I hear you Bbentler! My external box just gave out, dumping ~1.5 gallons of water on the floor before I stopped the pumps.

Your case is obviously different, what is the source of the leak? How much water leaks when the pump stops?

glaspie69 · 02/05/2007, 09:59 PM

if the durso is properly installed and is tall enough the water shouldn't go any further than halfway down the u part of the upright. What type of a tank is it? If it's an oceanic maybe you need to put some (or more) teflon tape on the threads. Or glue the standpipe to the threaded adapter. The water shouldn't be able to get to the sump through anything execpt that standpipe. I would be worried about that, even if you get a check valve if that valve ever failed you would still have water on the floor. HTH Jason

Bbentler · 02/06/2007, 06:42 AM

The leak is from the base of my overflow. The part of acrylic that was glued to the bottom is leaking enough water to drain the 300g tank in under an hour. It leaves me feeling very uneasy at night.

02/05/2007, 04:02 PM	#1
Bbentler Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Coralville, IA Posts: 205	Plumbing issues I just got a new aquarium and found out the hard way that there was a leak in the overflow. With the pumps on in the sump it work perfectly however if the power were to go out I would have 300 gallons of water on my finished basement floor! So I was wondering if there was a type of valve that I could instal that would turn the water off when the water got too high in my sump? Would a float valve work and how would one install that? Do they have a valve that shuts off when the electicity goes out similar to how emergency lights come on?

02/05/2007, 05:07 PM	#3
leeweber85 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa Posts: 2,482	where's the leak at? couldn't you just silicon it? __________________ -Lee Current Tank Info: 120g reef, 20g reef

02/05/2007, 04:31 PM	#2
glaspie69 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Independence, Iowa Posts: 1,590	Could you install a durso? This would raise your drain pipe to whatever level you wanted it to be without much effort. I say this assuming your tank is drilled in the bottom. HTH Jason

02/05/2007, 09:26 PM	#4
Bbentler Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Coralville, IA Posts: 205	I already have a durso intalled but it will still drain a lot of water into the sump. It makes me rather nervous. I would like to find a reverse check valve. Perhaps something that uses a float valve would work down in the sump to close off the pipe down their.

02/05/2007, 09:41 PM	#5
eshook Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kent OH Posts: 823	I hear you Bbentler! My external box just gave out, dumping ~1.5 gallons of water on the floor before I stopped the pumps. Your case is obviously different, what is the source of the leak? How much water leaks when the pump stops?

02/05/2007, 09:59 PM	#6
glaspie69 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Independence, Iowa Posts: 1,590	if the durso is properly installed and is tall enough the water shouldn't go any further than halfway down the u part of the upright. What type of a tank is it? If it's an oceanic maybe you need to put some (or more) teflon tape on the threads. Or glue the standpipe to the threaded adapter. The water shouldn't be able to get to the sump through anything execpt that standpipe. I would be worried about that, even if you get a check valve if that valve ever failed you would still have water on the floor. HTH Jason

02/06/2007, 06:42 AM	#7
Bbentler Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Coralville, IA Posts: 205	The leak is from the base of my overflow. The part of acrylic that was glued to the bottom is leaking enough water to drain the 300g tank in under an hour. It leaves me feeling very uneasy at night.