Quote:
Originally Posted by Kentanner11  This is one of those things were if you get lucky great! Lol! If you wanted to keep the same set up all you would have to do would be: put in a T in your return, one side to your pump, one to your tank, and one to a ball valve that directs back to you sump. |
This is the first sump system I've tried to build so please be patient...Here's what happened so far and maybe it will help someone else not to make the same mistakes:
I built my Overflow and Sump with the intention of having a slower flow(since my pump is rated at only 170gph) and used only 1/2" pipe on both sides of the system.
I ended up with the same problem as
wswensonjr and my pump, with the return line ball valve completely open, will suck the Sump Dry and overflow the tank if I let it.
It was either pumping too much water into the tank or not enough
I tried to regulate the return line ball valve down but that only decreases an already slow system even more and I had alot of trouble trying to match the flow rate
I found out a simple problem that I did not foresee...Air takes up space in the siphon line.
The Overflow works and re-primes as it's supposed to when the power goes out...but with the air that gets in the siphon line from the Vent Tube, during normal operation, the end result is it decreases the amount of water reaching the Sump. Does this happen with larger pipe sized systems????
Kentanner, Your return line bypass idea should work until I replace the entire Overflow and Input Line to the sump with a larger size pipe.
I know the system I have is slow since the pump is only going to do 170gph in the best of conditions...Of course I want to use as much of that pump as possible. As long as the system can be regulated to keep the tank from overflowing, I use as much of the Pump's capabilities as possible, and the pump does not run dry..thats all I can hope for.
Any suggestions to increase efficiency of the system will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, OGW
I tested it for a good 3 hours testing the "power outage" (turning pump off) that all worked great. So now my question is why can't the overflow keep up with the pump? This might change when i hock it all up to the tank as i plan on using a T on the output of the pump to slit it to two outputs the pump with also have a head of about 55 inchs now to sure how thats going to effect everythings.. . 
