Will it drain?

scottwhitson · 02/23/2010, 05:56 PM

I am going to be setting up a 300 gallon tank in our basement and want to run the piping to another room for the sump. The tank will be backed up against a wall that has a small under the stairs closet behind it, the plan is to run the piping at an angle for about 7-8' and then saw a large trough in the concrete of the basement and make a 90 degree turn and go about 7-8' more under the concrete then another 90 up out of the floor and into a sump. The tank has a single middle overflow with a 1.5" and a 1" bulkhead. The bottom of the tank sits at about 31" right now and the sump that I want to connect it to is about 27" tall. I am wondering if the tank will drain properly with the water having to climb about 27" back up to go into the sump. I can lower that if I have to but there are already holes at that level that I would like to use. I am also thinking of combining the 1.5" and the 1" and running a single 2" drain with a 1.5" return and then running the returns over the top of the tank. Will this plan work?

lwolfe44 · 02/23/2010, 07:00 PM

the physics of it says that a body of water at a higher level will flow into a basin lower than it even if it consists of coming back up through the floor.

the only problem might arise is that anything that gets into the overflow will have to travel the whole distance of the pipe without collecting anywhere.....and the main problem will be where the pipe goes into the floor and back up. that is where any debris will settle and could cause problems..along with a massive pump to get all that water back to the tank. interested to see if it works well. good luck

scottwhitson · 02/24/2010, 12:10 AM

It isn't very far of a pump back to the tank so I am not really concerned with that. Only about 15' max with hardly vertical push. I will put a union on both pipes where I could flush out the pipes if anything did become trapped but I don't see what would really get stuck in there. My main problem now if figuring out the pipe sizes as I will only be able to do this once. We are replacing the flooring in the basement and it will be the perfect time to saw up the concrete so I have to make sure it is done right the first time.

polywise · 02/24/2010, 05:54 AM

if the floor will be open, why not put larger pipes that will be burried under the floor. you can always reduce them where they come out if needed? or better yet - double up the piping in the floor with a spare return pipe just incase the one you are planning for does not keep up. Make sense?

lwolfe44 · 02/24/2010, 07:57 AM

yea i agree if you go with a 3" pipe in the floor that would be overkill for flow and then reduce to 2" on either end. i would suggest trying to do the pipe in the floor all in one piece to prevent any problems with joints leaking over time

scottwhitson · 02/25/2010, 12:16 AM

I was going to run a single piece (no joints) for the run under the floor. There will have to be a 90 on each end that will be under the floor though. I think the 3" would be a little overkill. Wouldn't it? I would think 2" would be ok and an 1.5" for return. Anyone else. I am only using a single overflow and one drain is 1.5" and one is 1" does anyone think a 2" drain will handle this?

scottwhitson · 02/26/2010, 01:27 AM

Will a 2" drain be enough? Anyone??

CWP · 02/26/2010, 02:18 AM

I would go large as stated earlier and also use 45's instead of 90's. Not only will it help with flow, but it should help keep the pipe from clogging.

mm949 · 02/26/2010, 08:40 AM

depends on the flow rate, less restriction is better since the drop is less than 12", (2)x2" would be better.....

02/23/2010, 05:56 PM	#1
scottwhitson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lewiston, Idaho Posts: 1,395	Will it drain? I am going to be setting up a 300 gallon tank in our basement and want to run the piping to another room for the sump. The tank will be backed up against a wall that has a small under the stairs closet behind it, the plan is to run the piping at an angle for about 7-8' and then saw a large trough in the concrete of the basement and make a 90 degree turn and go about 7-8' more under the concrete then another 90 up out of the floor and into a sump. The tank has a single middle overflow with a 1.5" and a 1" bulkhead. The bottom of the tank sits at about 31" right now and the sump that I want to connect it to is about 27" tall. I am wondering if the tank will drain properly with the water having to climb about 27" back up to go into the sump. I can lower that if I have to but there are already holes at that level that I would like to use. I am also thinking of combining the 1.5" and the 1" and running a single 2" drain with a 1.5" return and then running the returns over the top of the tank. Will this plan work?

02/24/2010, 05:54 AM	#4
polywise OLD SCHOOL-ish Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Somers, NY Posts: 889	if the floor will be open, why not put larger pipes that will be burried under the floor. you can always reduce them where they come out if needed? or better yet - double up the piping in the floor with a spare return pipe just incase the one you are planning for does not keep up. Make sense? __________________ Jim C.

02/23/2010, 07:00 PM	#2
lwolfe44 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: palmyra pa Posts: 104	the physics of it says that a body of water at a higher level will flow into a basin lower than it even if it consists of coming back up through the floor. the only problem might arise is that anything that gets into the overflow will have to travel the whole distance of the pipe without collecting anywhere.....and the main problem will be where the pipe goes into the floor and back up. that is where any debris will settle and could cause problems..along with a massive pump to get all that water back to the tank. interested to see if it works well. good luck

02/24/2010, 12:10 AM	#3
scottwhitson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lewiston, Idaho Posts: 1,395	It isn't very far of a pump back to the tank so I am not really concerned with that. Only about 15' max with hardly vertical push. I will put a union on both pipes where I could flush out the pipes if anything did become trapped but I don't see what would really get stuck in there. My main problem now if figuring out the pipe sizes as I will only be able to do this once. We are replacing the flooring in the basement and it will be the perfect time to saw up the concrete so I have to make sure it is done right the first time.

02/24/2010, 07:57 AM	#5
lwolfe44 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: palmyra pa Posts: 104	yea i agree if you go with a 3" pipe in the floor that would be overkill for flow and then reduce to 2" on either end. i would suggest trying to do the pipe in the floor all in one piece to prevent any problems with joints leaking over time

02/25/2010, 12:16 AM	#6
scottwhitson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lewiston, Idaho Posts: 1,395	I was going to run a single piece (no joints) for the run under the floor. There will have to be a 90 on each end that will be under the floor though. I think the 3" would be a little overkill. Wouldn't it? I would think 2" would be ok and an 1.5" for return. Anyone else. I am only using a single overflow and one drain is 1.5" and one is 1" does anyone think a 2" drain will handle this?

02/26/2010, 01:27 AM	#7
scottwhitson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lewiston, Idaho Posts: 1,395	Will a 2" drain be enough? Anyone??

02/26/2010, 02:18 AM	#8
CWP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 123	I would go large as stated earlier and also use 45's instead of 90's. Not only will it help with flow, but it should help keep the pipe from clogging.

02/26/2010, 08:40 AM	#9
mm949 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 1,843	depends on the flow rate, less restriction is better since the drop is less than 12", (2)x2" would be better.....