Sump Pump emergency shut off?

adirondack · 08/05/2010, 07:35 AM

I recently got a 30 gal sump running in my basement, right underneath the main tank upstairs. My main tank isn’t drilled, so I use a LifeReef overflow. Had a little scare yesterday, the overflow was making some air noise, my daughter thought she’s fix it for me, ended up lifting the siphon tube up and losing the siphon in the overflow, she called me in a panic that the tank was filling up, so I had her unplug the pump. But that got me thinking, what do you guys use for an emergency shut off if the level gets to high in your main tank, or don’t you worry about it? I know a lot of you have drilled tanks, so maybe it's not an issue?

tygger · 08/05/2010, 08:31 AM

You could use a float switch on your main display to cut off the return pump.

chuckdallas · 08/05/2010, 08:46 AM

Adirondack, when you turned the pump, did the water continue to flow into the siphon tube in the over-the-shoulder overflow box and into the sump (assuming that the siphon wasn't broken)? I've been told to put a shut off valve in the pipe running to the sump/wet-dry and I'm been told not to. Some people have said they have a siphon break (a hole in the overflow box's siphon tube about 2-4 inches below the water line or a 90 degree bend in the input to the siphon tube), but I don't know if these are good, bad or ugly.

adirondack · 08/05/2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckdallas

Adirondack, when you turned the pump, did the water continue to flow into the siphon tube in the over-the-shoulder overflow box and into the sump (assuming that the siphon wasn't broken)? I've been told to put a shut off valve in the pipe running to the sump/wet-dry and I'm been told not to. Some people have said they have a siphon break (a hole in the overflow box's siphon tube about 2-4 inches below the water line or a 90 degree bend in the input to the siphon tube), but I don't know if these are good, bad or ugly.

Do you mean when I turned the pump off? If the pump turns off for any reason, the siphoning stops once the aquarium and overflow box levels equalize. The problem occurs at the other end, where the return flow line can start a siphon back the other way, siphoning water in reverse from tank down return tube. To stop this you drill a hole 1/2" below water level in return pipe, which stops the siphon.

tchndie · 09/01/2010, 06:19 PM

you should buy a check valve. They are cheap enough. What happens is if the water starts to flow in the opposite direction the valve closes and the back siphon stops. Here is a link for one. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...eals?limit=all

they have different sizes at bulk reef supply

adirondack · 09/02/2010, 10:09 AM

Thanks

crvz · 09/02/2010, 01:01 PM

i personally wouldnt rely on the check valve for any critical operation... more of a backup to a more reliable solution. I use float switches and water sensors with my AC3 to turn off pumps when when water is somewhere it shouldnt be.

08/05/2010, 07:35 AM	#1
adirondack Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Greenfield Center, NY Posts: 93	Sump Pump emergency shut off? I recently got a 30 gal sump running in my basement, right underneath the main tank upstairs. My main tank isn’t drilled, so I use a LifeReef overflow. Had a little scare yesterday, the overflow was making some air noise, my daughter thought she’s fix it for me, ended up lifting the siphon tube up and losing the siphon in the overflow, she called me in a panic that the tank was filling up, so I had her unplug the pump. But that got me thinking, what do you guys use for an emergency shut off if the level gets to high in your main tank, or don’t you worry about it? I know a lot of you have drilled tanks, so maybe it's not an issue? __________________ I like my coffee dark and bitter, that way it fits in well with the rest of my life... Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow reef

08/05/2010, 08:31 AM	#2
tygger Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 1,631	You could use a float switch on your main display to cut off the return pump. __________________ 15g Nano 72g reef + 29g sump/fuge

09/01/2010, 06:19 PM	#5
tchndie Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Angus,ON Posts: 335	you should buy a check valve. They are cheap enough. What happens is if the water starts to flow in the opposite direction the valve closes and the back siphon stops. Here is a link for one. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...eals?limit=all they have different sizes at bulk reef supply __________________ Current Setting up 250G Mixed reef tank, 125G sump, Refugium, skimmer Bubbleking 200, I am using a aquactinics constellation 7 bulb fixture , 4 tunze 6105 power heads, barracuda pump. Everything is hooked up to my Neptune Apex. Fish are ,mated pair oynx clowns, naso tang,Sohal Tang, Lieutenant Tang,Achilles tang, Powdwer blue tang, Horseshoe Tang, Indian ocean orange striped mimic tang, Magnificant foxface, fairy wrasse, cleaner wrasse, six line wrasse, carpenter flasher wrasse,10 green chromis, pistol shrimp, 12 cleaner shrimps, 1 blood shrimp,frog spawn, branching hammer, devils hand, colt coral, leather cabbage coral, leather kenea tree, 2 open brain, green plate coral, mushrooms, GSP, orange crush acan 50 heads,and 18 different sps frags and and a couple of SPS colonies. I am probably missing some corals lol!!

09/02/2010, 10:09 AM	#6
adirondack Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Greenfield Center, NY Posts: 93	Thanks __________________ I like my coffee dark and bitter, that way it fits in well with the rest of my life... Current Tank Info: 72 gal bow reef

09/02/2010, 01:01 PM	#7
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	i personally wouldnt rely on the check valve for any critical operation... more of a backup to a more reliable solution. I use float switches and water sensors with my AC3 to turn off pumps when when water is somewhere it shouldnt be. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

08/05/2010, 08:46 AM	#3
chuckdallas Tank Tinkerer Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Posts: 937	Adirondack, when you turned the pump, did the water continue to flow into the siphon tube in the over-the-shoulder overflow box and into the sump (assuming that the siphon wasn't broken)? I've been told to put a shut off valve in the pipe running to the sump/wet-dry and I'm been told not to. Some people have said they have a siphon break (a hole in the overflow box's siphon tube about 2-4 inches below the water line or a 90 degree bend in the input to the siphon tube), but I don't know if these are good, bad or ugly.

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