few questions

[chemicall]

I'm gonna be building a sump, getting a mag drive 9.5, has to go 3 1/2 feet up, so i will get 800-850gph hr approx from it before 90's etc, I plan for 2 1 1/4" pvc overflows, is that fine? they should each be able to flow the volume of the pump incase one plugs up.

Also the mag drive has 3/4" output, use 3/4" pipe from it back to my tank or 1 1/4" or what ?

oh and where my overflows take water from the tank, do I need 90's or can I just have the pipe straight up and set to my water level? this probably causes too much air to get in? PVC overflows I will be building.

thanks

 

[mdb_talon]

2 1/4 is more than enough. I have not built any that big myself but from what I have read anything over 2" and some people have had trouble with the overflows. I believe 1 1/4 would be pleanty for your overflows though. Chompers made a post detailing it I think it is a sticky now.

Personally I dont use the 90's on the 1" ones I build and have no issues. I also have no noise at all if I put a cap on it and drill a lot of holes in the cap for the water flow. I worry about it clogging though so usually I cut slits in the pipe near the top and then leave the top open (and have the top just below the top of the tank). I cut enough slits that the water flow is enough that it never goes over the top. If the slits clog though water would get high enough to go in the top of the tube without overflowing the tank. this way makes it loud though so would not recommend for like a living room or something.

 

[chemicall]

2 1/4 is more than enough. I have not built any that big myself but from what I have read anything over 2" and some people have had trouble with the overflows. I believe 1 1/4 would be pleanty for your overflows though. Chompers made a post detailing it I think it is a sticky now.

Personally I dont use the 90's on the 1" ones I build and have no issues. I also have no noise at all if I put a cap on it and drill a lot of holes in the cap for the water flow. I worry about it clogging though so usually I cut slits in the pipe near the top and then leave the top open (and have the top just below the top of the tank). I cut enough slits that the water flow is enough that it never goes over the top. If the slits clog though water would get high enough to go in the top of the tube without overflowing the tank. this way makes it loud though so would not recommend for like a living room or something.

Yes you read my post wrong, I am planning to use 1 1/4"

thanks.

Also, Can i run a 2 foot long piece of pvc right off the overflows main output? I just want it to run over beside my other overflows output to sump. Just to keep it neat.

Oh and do I need 2 aqualifter pumps for 2 pvc overflows? to siphon the air out

 

[chemicall]

I read on the forums to run the 2 overflows to a T. so both to a T in center of the 2, then one down pipe to sump all 1 1/4" pipe? this will cost less also. This will work with the T if one gets clogged?

And what can be done to ensure if my pump runs dry in the sump it will shut off?

 

[mdb_talon]

Yes you read my post wrong, I am planning to use 1 1/4"

thanks.

Also, Can i run a 2 foot long piece of pvc right off the overflows main output? I just want it to run over beside my other overflows output to sump. Just to keep it neat.

Oh and do I need 2 aqualifter pumps for 2 pvc overflows? to siphon the air out

Sorry you are right I did read it wrong....

On one that I just did I have 4 overflows hooked up to one pipe (using Ts) that go to my sump. Seems to work without issue.

Not sure what you mean about the aqualifter pumps. You doing the self priming overflows? If so you should not have an issue with getting air out. I put check valves at the top of mine for the initial prime and in case I ever have an issue, but so far only used them for initial priming.

As far as having your pumps shut off if sump runs dry I dont have any ideas. You would probably have bigger issues though if that happened cause water would have had to go somewhere..... Evaporation will lose some of course, but hopefully there is pleanty of water in there to not go dry between water changes.

 

[chemicall]

Yeah thanks, I check over/work on my tanks everyday, I was just over-worrying about my new pump I just bought, since it's my first sump, ya know?

Just makin sure I get it all right the first time, my girlfriend does not approve of water on the floor lol, but the cat does.