Working on my first sump and pvc overflow

[Oughtsix]

Knowing your design helps a lot and makes it easier to talk about. So the distance from the water level in your tank to the "T" fitting "F" is 16 inches? That should be plenty! And you are using 1 1/2" pipe? That should also be plenty!

Nope, The vent pipe C should not be capped. You can temporarily press fit a cap on the vent pipe C and it should help speed up the flow a bit. Do not run it in this configuration however because it will mess up the auto restart.

 

[jalepeno]

Yes, from the top of the pipe "B" to the center of the t "F" is 16". I noticed that some designs have the two loops the same height and others have one higher than the other. Does this matter? Mine are both the same height, bottoms are even with each other.

 

[Oughtsix]

With a better understanding of your pipe (Same design as mine... not a double pipe) I agree that you should go back to your original idea of shortening pipe B a bit. I did not glue the two in tank elbows together on my pipe so I can easily lower the level of pipe B by tilting it to and angle to lower the top of the pipe.

 

[jalepeno]

I probably shouldn't have glued the in tank pipe. Hindsight is 20/20 lol.

 

[Oughtsix]

Yes, from the top of the pipe "B" to the center of the t "F" is 16". I noticed that some designs have the two loops the same height and others have one higher than the other. Does this matter? Mine are both the same height, bottoms are even with each other.

No, the loops can be at the same level or different level... as long as the distance from the top of the inside E elbows are a few inches below the fitting "F"

 

[Oughtsix]

I probably shouldn't have glued the in tank pipe. Hindsight is 20/20 lol.

Not a big deal. On my pipe I have a 1" x 1/2" x 1" T on the top of pipe B. The 1/2" inlet is horizontal and stays full of water... this quieted down the pipe a bit. Don't worry about that now... but my point being is you can always raise the level of pipe B by putting a straight fitting on it if you cut it too low.

For my pipe I purchased check valve G but never installed it. To prime my pipe I cover the output of T fitting "F" (I actually have a valve on it) and give a really good suck on pipe C. Yes I always end up drinking a bit of tank water... haven't died yet. Without a really good suck I will get a small flow instead of the full flow and have to prime it again. How far does check valve G penetrate into elbow E on your pipe? If it goes into the pipe a half inch you could have a half inch of air in the top of the elbows??????

 

[jalepeno]

It should only be an eighth of an inch into the top at most. Any ideas on how to cut pvc pipe while an overflow is still on the back of a tank without getting shavings in the water?

 

[Oughtsix]

A tubing cutter will work. The kind with hardened wheels that you continually tighten as you circle the cutter around the pipe. Raise your pipe out of the water a couple inches for access to the intake pipe. You might have a clearance issue trying to rotate the tubing cutter around the pipe though. It won't make any pvc shavings.

 

[seove]

I was wondering what time of pump that was. I was thinking it must be made for a pond. 1.25" is a lot of pipe.

That's strange. 1.25" pipe should be capable of handling around 925GPH. The FX-5 is capable of pumping 900GPH, but in the configuration you have, it should be pumping less than that (unless your tank is on the ground). Long story short, a properly-built 1.25" should be fine.

Is the overflow draining any water from the tank? When you say "no air comes out of the check valve", were you trying to suck it out with a syringe or aqualifter? The overflow isn't self-bleeding.