overflow failure?

cellodaisy

cellodaisy

AC Members
Jan 11, 2009
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Cincinnati OH 45219
meganstrickland.com
I'm building my first DIY wet/dry/sump and I know what precautions to take in case of power outage or pump failure, but what if the overflow fails? My main tank would just fill up and dump water everywhere.

Do I need:
1) a float switch?
2) a second overflow?
3) a chill pill?

If I do need a float switch, where can I get one? And are there good instructions somewhere for installing it? Wiring is not my area, but I can follow directions.

Advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
 
If your overflow is properly set up (assuming you are talking about a HOB type) then it should not break siphon in the event of a power loss, and should continue working properly.

If you can post a pic of your setup we can probably give you more details as to what you need to accomplish this.
 
I'm using a Mag-Drive pump and an Eshopps overflow (modified with a Durso-style standpipe, and a replacement DIY 1" PVC U-tube because the original has a crack). I don't have them in front of me, but I believe the overflow is rated for 800gph and the pump for 350gph.

I know how to set it up so that the syphon doesn't break. My concern is other kinds of failure, like something clogging the tubes and slowing the water flow so that it can no longer keep up with the pump.

I've made a screen of plastic hardware cloth to put across the inner overflow box, and I'll have the water pass through some kind of foam before it goes down the standpipe (haven't quite decided how to do that), so I'm probably worried over nothing... I just want to hear it from more experienced aquarium-keepers.

Thank you so much for your help. I really do appreciate it.
 
I've had more problems trying to filter at the overflow than leaving it wide open. Especially when using a sponge, unless you're cleaning it every day or two, the sponge itself is much more likely to get stopped up than just the wide open overflow box and siphon tube. The only thing I see as being a potential problem is if you had a big snail climb into the tank-side box and up the siphon tube. In the three or so years I've had my various overflows running, I've never seen that happen.
 
What you want to do is put the pump ina contained area or high enough in the water so that if the overflow stops the pump runs out of water before the tank overflows.

I used a butter tray lid in my small W/D for the 3 gl. turned upside down with the pump inside. If the overflow stops for some reason when the water lvl in the W/D reaches the top of the butter tray lid it can't flow over the top without returning water from the overflow and the pump can only access what is left in the butter tray lid and runs out of water. Just set water lvl in sump box so the pump is isolated and runs out of water befor the tank runs over.

Kind of hard to see but the pump is in the corner of the butter tray lid and can only access the water that can overflow into the lid.

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This can also be done by placing the pump high enough in the water that if the over flow stops the water drops to a non-pumpable lvl before the tank over flows either way will work as long as the pump runs out of water before the tank runs over on the floor.

A float switch to turn the pump off would be a good idea also but I wold only use it to turn off pump to keep from running it dry and damaging the pump. The possibility of switch failure would worry me to mush to trust it not to flood my tank over.
 
Sploke said:
I've had more problems trying to filter at the overflow than leaving it wide open.
Click to expand...

Good to know! I'll leave it open, then. Thanks for the tip!

Sploke said:
The only thing I see as being a potential problem is if you had a big snail climb into the tank-side box and up the siphon tube. In the three or so years I've had my various overflows running, I've never seen that happen.
Click to expand...

excuzzzeme said:
I have never had a problem with a drain tube getting clogged. Even with snails it would be a first to hear of it.
Click to expand...

Thank you both. I feel so much better. Snails will not be a problem because the inhabitant of this tank is an eastern painted turtle who LOVES to eat snails. I know there are some pond snails in there, but I can hardly ever find one. (I'm actually going to set up a refugium for them so the turtle can have a steady supply!)

Cluunox said:
What you want to do is put the pump ina contained area or high enough in the water so that if the overflow stops the pump runs out of water before the tank overflows.
Click to expand...

Do you not worry about the pump running dry? I thought that was bad, which is why I was looking into float switches instead, but this would certainly be a lot easier and less expensive to set up.
 
Yeh burning a pump up would not be good. Thats why I suggested using them together but I trust the isolation more than the switch. So I would isolate the pump for water volume then use the switch to turn pump off so it will not get damaged.
 
i put a nipple on all my over flow tubes and hook them up to a aqua lifter pump so no air will build up in the tube and break the syphon. i been doing this for several years and never had a flood or lost syphon.
 
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