Sump Level Went Way Up - Please Advise...

[Madding]

Hey all, still pretty much a noob when it comes to sumps. So I came home today and the sump on my 500 gallon was holding a lot more water than yesterday. I'm not sure why or how to remedy the situation. I tried a couple of unplug/replugs and it would fill and then go back down to this level. Tank seems more cloudy and the bioballs are now floating instead of being trickled on.

If you look at the picture, the water used to be/should be right around the white egg crate below the bioballs.

Any advice would be appreciated. :/

 

[frnchjeep]

What are you using for an overflow?

 

[Madding]

What are you using for an overflow?

Two corner overflows drilled for intake and return at the bottom of each.

 

[frnchjeep]

My first step would be to shut off the system and look for an unregulated leak between the tank and overflows. When you shut the pump off all flow to the sump should stop. If there is still a trickle out of a pipe, then you have a leak.

 

[TaylorD]

I don't own a wet/dry yet, so take with a grain of salt...


Wouldn't have anything to do with the pump would it? Not bin able to rid it fast enough....

 

[frnchjeep]

I don't own a wet/dry yet, so take with a grain of salt...


Wouldn't have anything to do with the pump would it? Not bin able to rid it fast enough....

The flow from the tank can't ever be more than the pump is pumping on a properly functioning system. The tank "overflows" whatever amount of water is added from the sump by the pump.

 

['vspec']

Sumps are linked in relation to the spillway level of the holding vessile & the backflow volume in the pipes effected by gravity.

2 levels exist.

• Critical shut off level
• Working height

If that is working level, its high, & you need to reduce the level.

Once the inital volume is processed through the pump, what goes up, must come down in relation to your weir. So unless the head pressure is so great that your getting backpressure, aka, backflow through the impellor housing, then it means you have a breach into the weir.

 

['vspec']

got to love posting close to the same time! yup, what he said

 

[Madding]

Wouldn't have anything to do with the pump would it? Not bin able to rid it fast enough....

It's been running for about a week, so I'm not sure if it's the pump. It's a 2400 GPH pump and the return nozzles are pushing out water pretty good.

My first step would be to shut off the system and look for an unregulated leak between the tank and overflows. When you shut the pump off all flow to the sump should stop. If there is still a trickle out of a pipe, then you have a leak.

I don't mean to sound noobish, but turning off the system to me equals unplugging the pump, which equals the overflows emptying water into the sump and eventually overflowing it because the pump is not running. If I am understanding you wrong, please clarify. Sorry & thanks!

 

[Madding]

[QUOTE='vspec';439619;9]Sumps are linked in relation to the spillway level of the holding vessile & the backflow volume in the pipes effected by gravity.


2 levels exist.

• Critical shut off level
• Working height

If that is working level, its high, & you need to reduce the level.

Once the inital volume is processed through the pump, what goes up, must come down in relation to your weir. So unless the head pressure is so great that your getting backpressure, aka, backflow through the impellor housing, then it means you have a breach into the weir.[/QUOTE]

I feel sort of stupid for hooking up a system that I don't fully understand, because what you just posted sounds very helpful but it is going right over my head. I'm not sure how to attack the system to try and fix what you are describing.