Closedloop intake question

[SnowManSnow]

Problem: If I have 2 outputs in my overflowbox, 1 going to closed loop and 1 to sump, and the SUMP pump goes out for some reason, wont my closed loop pump then flood my sump?

Should I plan on having my closed loop intake somewhere besides the overflow?

Seems like a disaster waiting to happen to me.

B.

 

[Anonymous]

If both the intake to the sump and the intake to the closed loop are in the overflow box then the following will happen as the sump pump goes out.

The water will fall in the main tank until the point where no more water goes over the overflow teeth.

Then the closed loop pump will remove the rest of the water in the overflow box and pump it into the main tank.

Which will cause it to overflow again into the overflow box.

It will go back and forth for a while until your closed loop pump runs dry.

Why would only one pump go out though?

 

[SnowManSnow]

weirder things have happened

If the closed loop pump pumps into the overflow box and 1 goes to the sump some if it has to drain into the other drain which will flood the sump.. see what I'm saying .. because water is still entering the overflow box, but nothing is being pumped OUT of the sump.

Seems like the closed loop pump wouldnt go dry untill the entire display tank has been drained, since the intake to the pump is in the bottom of the tank.

Sorry for being an idot, but if im wrong try expaining it another way.

 

[starr]

I plumbed my closed loop into the back of my overflow close to the bottom and the drain to the sump right though the bottom of the tank. I then installed a durso pipe so when the sumps shut off the closed loop runs as a sump in the over flow. I have run it like this for days at a time all that happens is your overflow acts as the sump and you have to add top of water to it. the water in the main tank always stays the same.

It works great the only thing I didn't think of was if a snail or something got in there I do not have room to install the strainer in the bulk head.

starr

 

[grav]

if the stand pipe headed to the sump is taller than the intake to the closed loop (which it must be to avoic bubbles in the loop) there shouldnt be a problem.... right?

 

[Anonymous]

I think many people choose to have their CL intake seperate from the overflow.

I had two bulkheads drilled at very bottom of tank to feed the CL. This way, the CL always has water, plus it's taking water from bottom and shooting it back in at the top, resulting in more flow overall.

Also, it's best to divert all of the overflow water into the sump for skimming/refugiuming, as that water is dirtiest. JMO.

 

[Anonymous]

weirder things have happened

If the closed loop pump pumps into the overflow box and 1 goes to the sump some if it has to drain into the other drain which will flood the sump.. see what I'm saying .. because water is still entering the overflow box, but nothing is being pumped OUT of the sump.

Seems like the closed loop pump wouldnt go dry untill the entire display tank has been drained, since the intake to the pump is in the bottom of the tank.

Sorry for being an idot, but if im wrong try expaining it another way.

You don't want the outlet of the closed loop squirting into your overflow box, you want it squirting into the main tank area because that is the whole purpose of a closed loop. Its a way to give more flow to the main tank without powerheads or having all that extra flow run through the sump.

If the intake to the closed loop is at the bottom of the tank and the outlet to the closed loop is squirting into the main tank area you will not have any problems....

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, and if you are trying to set something up post pictures of what you are doing and we will give you some pointers...

hope that helps

 

[SnowManSnow]

I wasn't planning on shooting it into the sump It goes into the main tank.

I'm a VERY visually oriented person.. can someone throw in a diagram of how this works please?????

thanks

 

[SnowManSnow]

does a pvc pipe work as the standpipe? It just dictates how much water your overflow holds, right?

 

[Anonymous]

does a pvc pipe work as the standpipe? It just dictates how much water your overflow holds, right?

Any pipe can be used as standpipe if it is vertical. But you need to get a large diameter one if you want it to work well.

 

[SnowManSnow]

the diameter is dictated by the bulkhead size right? You just want it the same size as the OD of the Bulkhead.

SOOOO .. if im going to use stand pipes, I need a bulkhead with a slick exterior so that I can glue a stand pipe on the outside right?

B

 

[starr]

The pipe will fit inside the bulk head of what ever size you get. Example I chose 1" threaded inside bulk head (forgot the name but are the good heavy walled ones) so then I glued a MPT to slip PVC fitting to the bottom of my 1" PVC Durso pipe. So that way if I ever need to change or do something diffrant I don't have to remove the bulk head and replace it with a new one. Anotjer thing I wish I would have done is not listen the lfs guy. I wanted a 1.5" bulk head to my sump and he didn't have any at the time so he sold me down to a 1". Works ok but 1.5 or 2.0 would work better.

starr

 

[SnowManSnow]

can you throw a pic of the front of your aquarium in for me?>?????

thanks1

b

 

[starr]

pics for (snowmansnow)

 

[PeeJ]

I hate to bring back an older thread. I would never put a bulkhead that low in the tank. I'm sure many people will argue that bulkheads are mostly reliable and not prone to any sort of failure. However, in the even of fault on the lower bulkhead, you will lose almost the entire volume of your tank.