non return valve

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superluke

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2008
854
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oxford uk
i am having a 40 gallon sump on my 260 gallon tank and the height of the top of my inlet bulkheads are the same as my overflow so if i ever had a power cut around an inch and a half of water will flow back down to my sump overflowing ti i need to put a non return valve on my inlet i am flexi piping mt inlet so am try to find a non return valve easily fitted onto flexi pipe the only one i can find says only suitable for low pressure what does this mean i will put a link to the one i have found.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-NON-R...tEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item3378a5fe04
 
I dont know what that thing in the ebay log is, but I think what you're looking for is a 'check valve'. you can get ball/flapper type check valves (not the spring type) and install those in your under-tank plumbing so that water doesn't siphon back through the pump in a power outage. Another easier, cheaper, but slightly messier fix is to drill 1-3 small holes (i used 3/32" drill bit) in the elbow at the highest point of the return plumbing. This 'siphon-break' allows air to be pulled into the plumbing before water does in a power outage, preventing the siphoning of water. I would drill the holes in the sides of the plumbing rather than vertically as water will continuously squirt out, in my case squirting back into the overflow.

Here in the bottom right you can see what I'm talking about, where the water is squirting out of the 90degree pvc elbow.
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100_1885.JPG
 
my holes are drilled in the top of the tank not the bottom so i do not have a pipe running up like you it is just straight into the tank.
 
If room allows add an emergency sump on to your current sump.

I don't think a 40g sump is enough for your sized setup. I would have at least a 75g sump on that tank.
 
Simplest way in your situation is a check valve. Just install it so water can only flow from the pump up into the tank.

I just googled 'pvc swing check valve' and it took me to this link at some online pet store. I can't find this type of check valve at any of the local Home Depot/Lowes/Ace/etc. but most of the local fish specialty shops do carry these type of valves.

http://www.thepetstop.com/showprofile.cgi?index=993456&cat=bulkheadsfittings
 
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