240 custom sump overflow issues

[Grinch]

Okay so just to be clear turn both pumps on add water to the tank and see if the water level rises to an acceptable level in the sump?

Correct.

 

[Swoll929]

Ok

 

[Swoll929]

Nope pretty sure it's the overflows the results of more water in the tank was just more water in the tank no rise and level in the sump

 

[Grinch]

In that case you are not getting enough volume through your lines to meet the demands of the pumps. You can 1) live with a lower water turn-over rate or 2) try to tweak the plumbing.

I'm assuming bigger drains isn't an option, so here are a couple of suggestions for increasing the flow-rate through your existing pipe diameter:
- Get a bigger sump so that you have shorter horizontal runs
- Use flexible PVC or Hose to take a more direct path from the overflow to the sump (this is probably the easiest solution)
- Remove the 90 elbows and replace with 45 elbows
- Increase the slope of the pipe such that horizontal runs are actually downhill runs

 

[Swoll929]

That's kind of what I figured, although I didn't think of the flexible PVC that seems like the most direct route. Technically I could cut out almost all of the horizontal by creating long diagonals.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the one inch overflow itself does not seem to be the bottleneck but intern the long lines. I should be able to decrease friction by increasing the PVC size past the Overflow itself and increase flow correct?

Again thank you for your help

 

[Grinch]

You will likely achieve a higher flow-through rate with long diagonals then the squared off setup you have now.

In a perfect world you'd be using bigger drains/bulkheads.

No problem

 

[Swoll929]

10-4 sounds like I found my fourth of July project thank you

 

[Swoll929]

If the diagonal doesnt increase enough, is there a way to "pressurize" or create suction?

 

[Swoll929]

Could I drill larger bulkheads in the location of my current bulkheads? Or would that likely crack the tank?

Or would more 1" bulkheads be safer?

 

[Grinch]

I would try the more direct plumbing route first and see where that puts you. If the flow rate is still unacceptable, I'd convert one or both of the bulkhead returns to a drain(s) and bring the returns up over the tank lip as you are currently doing with your canister filter. This is what I did on my most recent build... I'm using both of the holes in this RR tank as drains and bringing the return up and over the side: