nightmare scenario.....flood!

dallast · #1 10/25/2004, 06:21 PM

well, i have read lots of horror stories regarding flooding and knew the risks, but thought i would beat the odds. no such luck! so last night, after turning off the pumps to do some feeding (and anthony's words came flowing back into my mind about not turning off the pumps....), the sump slowly began filling up, as it always does when you get some back flow from the returns. the check valve then steps in and does its job. well, this is where it goes horribly wrong! check valve failed (due to encrustation, i think) and sure enough, before i could do much about it, the sump overflowed onto the carpet....i reckon about 4-5 gallons.

bummer!

so i have learned a valuable lesson about check valves and other water shutoff devices.....make sure they work and if they don't, make sure you have a backup device. i also think level of returns should be high enough in tank to allow all backflow into sump (even with failed check valve) and then it breaks the vacuum once the water level lowers enough.

will i really learn from this....you bet! and i hope others will take some of this lesson to heart as well.

jimmyray · #2 10/25/2004, 06:35 PM

In past tanks, I have drilled a very small hole (1/16" or so) right below the waterline on the return. When the pump is off, the vacuum will break once the hole sucks up enough air. But like you said, the best option is to make sure that your return is high enough that a siphon won't overflow the sump.

Daniel62 · #3 10/25/2004, 11:26 PM

Sorry to hear about your flood, but it seems to happen to everyone at least once, and some of us more than that, Opps!! gotta love tile

Daniel

opihi · #4 10/26/2004, 12:42 AM

Bummer Dallas!
drilling siphon breaks in plumbing is a really good idea, as is sizing your sump to be able to hold the water in your plumbing plus some extra room.

i personally do not rely on check valves, because i've heard enough people talk about them failing. another way of preventing floods is to use a ball valve in place of the check valve. that way, you can cut all drainage completely.

all that said, i've still managed to overflow a sump a couple of times myself.

TippyToeX · #5 10/26/2004, 02:05 AM

Owch Dallas! Sorry that happened. Indeed a very good lesson to all. I try to make sure my check valves are clean once a month but will never depend on them. I too drill anti siphon holes.

I've had my share of floods too. It's like a reef aquarist christening.

LVfishguy · #6 10/26/2004, 10:16 AM

Ball valves only work when your home though Jeff....

opihi · #7 10/26/2004, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LVfishguy
Ball valves only work when your home though Jeff....

that's true, thanks for calling me on that. i meant that ball valves are handy for when you're doing maintenance ONLY, and can't be relied on as a means of other flood prevention.

VegasMike · #8 10/26/2004, 01:15 PM

Yes, multiple siphon holes, large sump, tank on tile floor, fish room recessed from rest of house, drain in fishroom, etc.

I don't risk anything. My motto is flexibility and back-ups, much cheaper than repair and replacement.

I recently bought my first check valve fro a reactor that I am going to cycle on and off and I don't want it to drain back to the sump when it's off. My worst case there is a dry reactor for a few hours, no flood risk.

dallast · #9 10/26/2004, 04:54 PM

thanks for all the feedback and consolation! yeah, it was a real bummer, all right! i like the idea of the tiny holes in the returns just below the water line. sadly, due to space limitation, my sump is very tiny (10 gal.) and so i really can't depend on that for excess backflow.

maybe i will submit my space problems and diagrams for all to ponder new ways to make it better....and i know there must be many!

cheers.