What Is The Best Way To Set Up A Sump Filter System?

[Pinkey]

2. if pump loses power or it stops functioning a check valve would avoid back-flow in the return line and prevent sump from overflowing and/or drainage of main tank through the return line. In all the videos I've seen nobody has mentioned this so I assume this is not a problem at all.

I've carefully addressed this same issue by making sure my return line is near the top of the tank. That way, when the power goes out, as it inevitably will at some point, the tank doesn't drain beyond an amount I can predict. I'll always mark my sump with a max fill line that matches disaster scenario so when everything shuts off and fills up, I can safely predict the sump will fill just below the rim and nothing bad will happen. A large enough sump container solves this. If the container is too small you'll end up refilling your tank every day when the pump starts sucking air because the water level is too low and it's really annoying.

That being said, I like the idea of a check valve with two caveats: 1) If it doesn't make a solid seal after a year of slime build up, it can still leak past the barrier and past the critical fill line. Also, if the valve requires water pressure to be open a % of pump efficiency is spent on pushing the valve rather than actual water flow. I just thought of a third. Some of the valve mechanics restrict the actual internal flow capacity. I usually use piping bigger than the pump needs in order to maximize flow with the least resistance but that's been because my younger self couldn't afford any more pump than I absolutely needed. The habit stuck.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Have not been reading this thread. But there is a second issues which you may not have considered. What happens if the overlow clogs and stops draining from the tank but the sump pump keeps running? There are two options here. One is to put a float valve in the sump to turn off the pump in such a situation. The other is to save your money and risk the pump by raising up from close to the bottom of the sump to nearer the water line. If the water level drops below the pump's intake, it will run but not move any water.

With this method the risk is it happens when you are away or asleep and the pump burns out. This was my sump plan before I had to dedicate the sump tank to something else and also to dedicate the tank to have the sump for something else as well.

 

[Pinkey]

... raising up from close to the bottom of the sump to nearer the water line...

I love this. I didn't think to post it because it's been a while since I've had a proper sump. I have two tanks plumbed together where one filters the other (long and complicated story but there are some great reasons). The one pump in the whole system is just below the surface so when the water level gets low, it starts sucking air and is so obnoxious that I drop whatever I'm doing to top it off. The more air that's in the system, the less water flow. 100% air = 0% water. I did it this way originally to prevent catastrophic flooding. In my case, the worst case would be the pump dumping 10 gallons all over the floor which sounds terrible but not nearly as terrible as losing 200 gallons which could happen if the pump intake were near the bottom.

 

[Adler]

In my case, the worst case would be the pump dumping 10 gallons all over the floor which sounds terrible but not nearly as terrible as losing 200 gallons which could happen if the pump intake were near the bottom.

So where do you put your pump if not at the bottom?

 

[Pinkey]

So where do you put your pump if not at the bottom?

The important thing is that the intake is near the top of the water. I've done this with a few inches of clear vinyl tubing bent toward the top of the tank or wedge into an opposite corner, PVC piping (It is more accurate and fixed in place but it tends to make vibration noise harder to deal with), or limiting the location of the pump by hanging it from something so the pump is actually hanging from the intake tube which hooks over the side of the tank. I cut this tube precisely to keep the pump near the waterline of the sump.