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View Full Version : Give me your take: My idea for an upstairs sump with downstairs water changes


MatAndPatti
03/27/2013, 07:49 PM
We're setting up a 40B with a 20L sump. As much as I would *love* to do a basement sump, it's just not going to work, so the sump will be in the stand. But, I had this sortof crazy idea the other day... :rollface:

What if I ran a, maybe, 1/2" vinyl tube (almost vertically) from upstairs to downstairs? The tube could be used to drain the tank first, and then have a pump attached to it downstairs for pumping new saltwater back upstairs. This would eliminate the need for hauling 5 gallon buckets up and down the stairs, since downstairs I could wheel in a larger container from the utility room.

Anyone done such a thing before? Sound feasible?

Couple of questions if anyone has already done this...
1. What size line would be best? I'd like to keep it as small as possible, because passing the line downstairs is either going to require drilling a few holes or running the vinyl tubing down through a short section of air duct. I think 1/2" is probably the smallest I could get away with.

2. Since I'm running a line... why not 2? What about having an ATO reservoir located downstairs from the sump? Would this work, provided the pump could handle the head pressure? This would let us have a much larger ATO reservoir, and again, no buckets up and down the stairs.

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! :beer:

whiteshark
03/27/2013, 08:03 PM
I don't really see why it wouldn't work. That said if you can put an ato resivoir downstairs why not the whole sump? The idea of an ato pump being large enough to pump up a floor terrifies me. If a float valve gets stuck and a major flood would happen very quickly.

HPballer76
03/27/2013, 08:32 PM
I would run 3 lines. 1 to drain the sump, 1 to fill it and a 1/4 Ro line for ato. Get a brs 50ml a min pump for top off. It has a 20ft head height but doesn't have to much flow for an ato.

MatAndPatti
03/27/2013, 08:34 PM
I don't really see why it wouldn't work. That said if you can put an ato resivoir downstairs why not the whole sump? The idea of an ato pump being large enough to pump up a floor terrifies me. If a float valve gets stuck and a major flood would happen very quickly.

Sorry, I should have explained that some more. The tank is at the opposite end of the house from the utility room. The area below the tank is finished off (it's the 1st floor of a raised ranch), and is actually where my wife does hair (not full time, just on the side for family and friends). Between it being a finished area, and the sprays and other hair products she uses being a potential contaminant, we didn't think it would be a great place for a basement sump. I figured an ATO reservoir would be safe because it would be covered, and it wouldn't take up anywhere near the amount of room.

Good thought about the ATO sticking "on" tho... I'll have to think about that one a bit!

Thanks!
Mat

MatAndPatti
03/27/2013, 08:40 PM
I would run 3 lines. 1 to drain the sump, 1 to fill it and a 1/4 Ro line for ato. Get a brs 50ml a min pump for top off. It has a 20ft head height but doesn't have to much flow for an ato.

Thanks for that suggestion, HPballer76. 1 drain and 1 fill like would simplify the plumbing a bit. I'll have to take a look at those pumps, since I think it would address the issue whiteshark brought up about the potential for a big mess.

Thanks!
Mat

whiteshark
03/27/2013, 08:44 PM
Thanks for that suggestion, HPballer76. 1 drain and 1 fill like would simplify the plumbing a bit. I'll have to take a look at those pumps, since I think it would address the issue whiteshark brought up about the potential for a big mess.

Thanks!
Mat

Yeah that would be the way to go. Agreed on the sump too. Hairsprays and other sprays definitely can't be good for water quality.

HPballer76
03/27/2013, 10:52 PM
No problem. Although I have changed things up a bit now I plumbed my waterchange station pretty much the same way if you want to have a look here in my build thread.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2271691

MatAndPatti
03/28/2013, 08:19 PM
No problem. Although I have changed things up a bit now I plumbed my waterchange station pretty much the same way if you want to have a look here in my build thread.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2271691

Thanks for the link. Your build looks great! And that mixing station looks pretty sweet, too. Gonna need to borrow some ideas there for sure.

Thanks again,
Mat