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Overflow/return problems
- Thread starter mark429
- Start date
Can you get a picture or explain in detail what you have going on there?
There's just not enough info to figure what's wrong.You should never have an over fill.
Is the pump gph= or less than the overflow gph?
Are you regulating the flow out of the return/overflow or both?
There's just not enough info to figure what's wrong.You should never have an over fill.
Is the pump gph= or less than the overflow gph?
Are you regulating the flow out of the return/overflow or both?
OK, BIG problem. Do NOT put the valve on the drain, if you need to use a valve at all it should be on the output of the pump. If you restrict the drain you WILL have a flood. (unless this is a "herbie" or "bean" style drain with back up drain(s) )
If the overflow is adequate it will handle whatever the pump throws at it. If it cannot keep up with the pump, then you can restrict the output from the pump until it no longer overwhelms the drain. Think "pump up, gravity down". Put a valve in the way of the gravity part and you will never get it to work right.
*edit, nevermind if I misunderstood your post and you meant that the valve is on the return
If the overflow is adequate it will handle whatever the pump throws at it. If it cannot keep up with the pump, then you can restrict the output from the pump until it no longer overwhelms the drain. Think "pump up, gravity down". Put a valve in the way of the gravity part and you will never get it to work right.
*edit, nevermind if I misunderstood your post and you meant that the valve is on the return
A gate valve will give finer control, but I don't think that's the problem. It sounds like you may have a sump volume issue?
What's happening is normal, when you pump goes on the water level in the display will rise some, and the sump level will drop an equal Volume and then stay that way until the pump is shut off. The overflow only skims water when the level in the display rises that little bit. That's how it supposed to work so that tank doesn't empty when the power goes out.
If the sump level drops too much in this process then you may have a too small sump, or too strong pump (or the pump needs to be slowed with that valve).
Try this, with the pump off, fill the sump almost all the way, then turn on the pump and adjust the valve so that the level in the sump drops most of the way to the point where the pump starts sucking air. That's the most flow your sump volume cna handle, and that should work unless you need to completely choke the pump off to acheive that balance in which case a smaller pump is probably in order.
What's happening is normal, when you pump goes on the water level in the display will rise some, and the sump level will drop an equal Volume and then stay that way until the pump is shut off. The overflow only skims water when the level in the display rises that little bit. That's how it supposed to work so that tank doesn't empty when the power goes out.
If the sump level drops too much in this process then you may have a too small sump, or too strong pump (or the pump needs to be slowed with that valve).
Try this, with the pump off, fill the sump almost all the way, then turn on the pump and adjust the valve so that the level in the sump drops most of the way to the point where the pump starts sucking air. That's the most flow your sump volume cna handle, and that should work unless you need to completely choke the pump off to acheive that balance in which case a smaller pump is probably in order.
Bobbofin
Non-member
You will never get it equaled out. The overflow just has to have the ability to carry more water than you pumping through it so you won't overflow the tank. My overflow can handle over 300gph, I only pump about 250gph up to my tank. I have zero restrictions or ball valves on the tube from my overflow to pump.
