DIY sump filter skimmer...HOW???

[shovelhead91701]

in your setup you are unable to flow enough water to keep up with your pump it sounds like...... You seldom need a valve on your return lines unless you are like me and use 2 overflows ran with 1 1/2" pipes lol but my sump is oversized as well so the extra flow in is not a problem. you need only to adjust the ball valve on the return line a little at a time about every 5 minutes or so until you get her dialed in where the return flow equalizes with the amount of drainage that your setup is capable of pulling out of the tank. SMALL CORRECTIONS OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME!

[shovelhead91701]

P.S. i also did put a check valve in my return line as you were mentioning but no need in the return line due to the overflow box on the drain line to sump.

[Whoyah]

If the overflow box you buy has an aqualifter on it, it will re-prime the display drain. The aqualifter draws air out of the u-tube until the syphon begins.

[TomL]

I recently just built this overflow. Once primed and working it is self repriming on it own. I did build it out of 1" as the drawing says, i know this is large but i read that many tried scaling it down and it did not work as it should. If i open both ball valves, drain and return on pump the tank will not stay level, plus the drain works to fast that it creates a large whirlpool and makes ALOt of noise. I have turned the drain down the slightest bit so it does not make that noise, plus the water level is 1" over my first baffle in my sump. Now i had my pump ball valve all the way open and it fills a tad to quick and emptys the sumps pump section to a little less then half. Since this is no good i turned that valve down a tad and now that section is about 1" below the others but only seems to fluctuate the smallest little bit if i stare at it. I let it go overnight with this unit http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-84862-BWD-HWA sitting on the top brim of my tank to alert me of a VERY bad situation. It apears that over about 9hrs that the tank rose about 1/8" to a 1/4" i cant be exact. This morning i tried messing with it again and thought i got it close so it stopped fluctuating but i still think it is going to either go up or down. Its to hard to tell from looking at the tank so i go downstairs and stare at the pump chamber for a min or 2 and see if i can see that move. Is it suppose to stay perfect or will it go up or down a tad over time. I am just worried because i do not want it to keep rising in my tank and overflow on the ground, and i dont want it to go so low that my overflow is above the water line and the syhpon breaks. Then we all know what happens if for some reason it does not restart on its own like it should. Any input on if the level fluctuates on your guys a small amount.

Thanks

[Whoyah]

As I suggested before, buy a commerical overflow with a aqualifter and save yourself the heartache and cost of a flood. Signing off.

[TomL]

Thanks for all the input guys. I think i got it figured out. I designed it so that even if it does all drain back into the sump, there is enough room in there to hold the water in the display, i did the math and 2" from display i will need 3" in sump. I also made sure not to fill the sump to much that if the return lost prime, whatever is in the pump chamber is just under what that display tank can hold. It took alot of trial and error but it seems to be good now. We will see how my pump holds up. It is not recomended for salt water, says fresh water ponds, and it is not magnetic drive.

Thanks
-Tom