help me with some sump theory (1 Viewer)

[cope]

I had this great idea to make a bigger sump... I have no clue what I am doing.. I thought this would be simple....
here is what I made... notice the water levels.... the skimmer makes no bubbles at all.......do I have a wall that is too high here?

what is the general level of the water verses the skimmer... I have looked up the skimmer and of coarse there is NO maximum operating water level....

I have already cut and melted and lowered the wall on the pump side.. the lowest water level.....

I am stumped and I can figure most things out...... do you see anything here that I have done major wrong? thanks and any input would be great...

 

[cope]

Oh and by the way.. this picture the unit is running....

 

[Metzzen]

if no bubbles I would think you air intake is clogged. Even if the water level was to high it should skim, it would just be a very wet skim. Im kinda confused by the plumbing there. hard to see what is going where.

 

[cope]

I think I need to lower the bubble wall... But do not want to cut anything until I am for sure.... no way to test before I cut...... But I am thinking the water in the filter side is way too high .. raise the skimmer or lower the wall...... lower the wall not easy because it is all glued in .... I could cut some holes on ether side to lower that level...... I just could not leave well enough alone.... worst off... I will put the old sump back in..

 

[cope]

yes it is a tangled mess... This is how I got it... I am trying to make it better....... and the air line is clear .. I have checked it... I have even blown thru it thinking I may jump start the suction... but nope... it goes back zero bubbles.....

 

[cope]

the pump runs the skimmer and the return,.... if that helps... and the instructions on the skimmer allows for this type of set up... so the pump line is split 1 return 1 skimmer intake 1 counter flow on skimmer.... and then the pipe running all the way thru the sump is the skimmer exit....... I drilled a hole thru each wall to allow that pipe to run thru there.... it works great... except it don't work.. LOL......

 

[cope]

the complete setup

if this helps... the tanks left and right are running on a overflow system and water supply is from powerheads inside the sump..... you can not see them due to the reflection

 

[flexrac]

what's the gph on the pump?
the skimmer is not getting enough flow/pressure from the pump, for this to work, you will need a ball valve on the other line you have connected, restricting the flow will divert flow to the skimmer.
but you may be faced with another problem, not enough flow on the return to the tank, which will result in a possible flooding if the pump can't keep up with the flow from the overflow.
had a similar problem on my split return setup, one line to the tank and the other back into the sump, however the water didi not flow to the tank once i started the pumps. solution was to slow the flo to the sump with a ball valve.

Hope this helps.

 

[cope]

I have been working on this build for about 4 days.. in the hot warehouse at my shop.... I am mentally and pyshically exhausted.. (it is so hot) so I slept on it...I willdo some more research on the NET.... I think the water pressure in the first compartment is appling too much backpressure to allow massive water movement in the skimmer.... the thing worked fine before I changed it.... and the return pipe was above the water level...= no back pressure... I was trying to create more water volume and make a second refugium. Thank you Flex I will also try your suggestion before I distroy this Acrylic master piece (LOL) I will still accept suggestions.......

 

[flexrac]

no prob, keep us updated.

 

[cope]

Update: well after hours of extending all the piping 4" and back & forth to the store... I rigged it up in the warehouse to see if it held water.... well it did.. BUT, the thing had no flow into the skimmer.... Dang it... so I took the whole thing apart hoping I would find a dead fish stuck in a line.... Well. I found a chunk of carbon... it had wedged itself into the pressure side of the skimmer.. and blocked the flow... So everything I did was totally un-nessessary! so now it is running.. and I am waiting on dry skim-mate.... and cleaning up all the water I spilled in the process of taking it apart 4 times..... no matter how carefull you are.. there will be spilled water..... it is running.. thank you for all your help.... Flex...

 

[hank]

but you may be faced with another problem, not enough flow on the return to the tank, which will result in a possible flooding if the pump can't keep up with the flow from the overflow.

Um?

The tank can't overflow MORE water than is going into it...