Sump over flows when I lose power.

[REEF MANIA]

I recently installed another wavysea to my other return back to my tank. Now when I shutdown my return pumps my tank drains into my sump. Some how when I shut off my pumps. It causes a vacumn affect and starts pulling water from my tank into my sump it overflowed yesterday. Lucky I was home. Now I'm woried if we have a black out and I'm not home I will flood my house. I have valves on my returns but they only help me if I'm home. Do I need to remove one of the wavyseas to prevent this or is there something else I can do. Please advise ASAP. Thanks

 

[Wes]

drill a hole on the return just below the water line. When the power goes out, air will go into the hole and break the syphon.

this is what people call a "syphon break"

 

[REEF MANIA]

Ok great thanks will do right now.

 

[MO~IDOL]

drill holes like wes said or add a check valve to the return

 

[REEF MANIA]

Charging my drill right will drill holes in both return pipes once battery is charged.

 

[Wes]

sounds good. the holes are more reliable than check valves. Just keep an eye on the holes and keep them clear from blockage whenever you do maintenance.

P.S. for clarity, you are drilling the return pipes inside the display tank right below the water line. Don't drill a hole in the return pipe under your tank or anything crazy like that

 

[REEF MANIA]

Yes Wes I'm drilling the holes in the return pipes in my overflows right below the water line about 1/2" is okay. Should I drill a few in each pipe just to be safe.

 

[Wes]

1/2" sounds good. The water is going to drop to the level you drill the holes so just keep that into consideration. one hole on each is fine. just make sure you don't let coralline or anything grow over them and you will be ok.

 

[REEF MANIA]

Great Thanks again Wes.

 

[Wes]

no prob

 

[meschaefer]

I usually drill two. With my luck, if I only had one hole, it would be coverd by a snail when I lost power.

 

[noelskii]

get a bigger sump...

 

[GQ22]

.

Does this hole have to be drilled on the wavey seas elbow or in the overflow?, as mine does the same but the water flows back into the wavey seas

 

[Wes]

Does this hole have to be drilled on the wavey seas elbow or in the overflow?, as mine does the same but the water flows back into the wavey seas

wavy seas elbow

 

[REEF MANIA]

Wes drilled the hole no longer draining into sump. Thanks again.

 

[Wes]

excellent. no prob

 

[Bob 1000]

Bigger sump.. 3/4 the size of display.. And this makes for excellent filtration and room for refugium and skimmer's... cost of not having to worry about floods....Priceless...lol

 

[REEF MANIA]

My sump is 70 gallons and my tank is 120.

 

[Bob 1000]

Wow something's not right.. Glad you got the holes drilled though.... I was going to suggest that first but decided to be funny..lol

 

[House of Laughter]

Glad you were able to get this fixed - in hindsight, siphon breaks drilled into anything is a poorly designed system. You should not have this issue, ever, if designed properly.

House