Would this work for a tank with bottom RETURNS??

[jcardona1]

so ive been thinking of some ideas on how to run my tank with bottom returns and not have to worry about the tank draining itself when the power goes out. i will be installing check valves, but i also want a backup just in case the check valve fails.

so, what do you guys think of this? Big thanks to VLDesign for helping me out with this. it seems like it would work as a safety measure to stop the tank from draining itself, but ive never done a setup like this. do you guys think it would work??

Below is a picture since this is a bit complicated. It will add a few feet of head pressure to your return pump but it should work flawlessly. (Feel free to post it too for other opinions)

The RED oval is a check valve that blocks flow from going to the top section (spill over) This will ensure that the water always flows to the bottom return. When the water pressue is removed (Power off on the pump) then the water will flow backwards thus opening the check valve and breaking the siphon when the spill over
is no longer under water. No if the check valve fails that's ok cause the spill over will simply direct the water into the top of the tank without issue.

It's a lot of work, but it's possible. It might just be easier to make the bottom holes drains and come over the top for returns.

Hope that helps.

 

[houie925]

you could turn the T by the check valve flat side up so it is above water level and place check valve to left of the T. place the end of the spillover just above water level. This will prevent almost all back siphoning or draining

 

[jcardona1]

here's what i dont understand...does the spill over pipe HAVE to be under water? what if it is not placed under water?

 

[jcardona1]

bump

 

[houie925]

if it's underwater it creates a siphon until the water level drops far enough when power goes out. if it is out of water it prevents a siphon

 

[jcardona1]

if it's underwater it creates a siphon until the water level drops far enough when power goes out. if it is out of water it prevents a siphon

thats what i was thinking. so if the spillover pipe is ABOVE the water, then when the power goes out, there will be no water draining at all right?

 

[jcardona1]

you could turn the T by the check valve flat side up so it is above water level and place check valve to left of the T. place the end of the spillover just above water level. This will prevent almost all back siphoning or draining

ok, so if i do it this way, and the spillover pipe is above water, how will it break the siphon? wont a check valve create an air tight seal that will allow the water to siphon out anyways?

 

[akskirmish]

No need to do anything man-
My tank is setup the same way with return lines being on bottom-Use your check valves and setup like normal from there-

You do have normal overflow right?

Sorry I didn't mean check valve-But forgot the name-The ones that let water flow one way and not the other way.....Damnit I hate forgetting the correct names of things....

 

[jcardona1]

No need to do anything man-
My tank is setup the same way with return lines being on bottom-Use your check valves and setup like normal from there-

You do have normal overflow right?

yeah it has a regular overflow. so youre not worried about a check valve failure or something like that?? man id be so nervous lol. what brand of check valves you running?

thx!

 

[akskirmish]

yeah it has a regular overflow. so youre not worried about a check valve failure or something like that?? man id be so nervous lol. what brand of check valves you running?

thx!

Well with the other part(I just edited in my previous post)-The ones that let water flow one way and not the other-No I am not worried about anything-My Sump is plenty big enough to hold the excess water.

I am getting a bit confused here though-this seems way more complicated than it has to be....
I'm not sure on brand of check valves....Dad works for major plumbing company up here-so I get the best of almost anything in that dept for next to nothing....I just tell him what I need and he brings it...


Anyhow my tank goes as follows-

water goes over overflow then drains into standpipes-Runs down to my sump and then back up through the bottom returns...with the (whatever the name inserted here-that only lets water flow one way and not the other) being installed right where the water returns into bottom of the tank it will not let water back siphon through pump-The only water that can get sump is what is left in tank (roughly 40 gals or so if I had to guess) and my sump will hold much more than that...

Hope that kinda made sense-
If not man-I can take some pics pretty soon to better show what I mean....