can some one help me

Aquaman

Aquaman

New member
hi guys on my set up I have my res above my tank ( its the only place I can put it ) the pump im using is an aqualifter to pump from my res to the sump ... I noticed it keeps pumping even when the floats are up ... I know its syphoning back is the reason .. is there a way I can stop this ?


it goes like this

res
hose
aqualifter in
aqualifter out

hose
sump
 
I had the aqua lifter 3 feet higher than the res and the out put tube was not in the water still syphoning so much I could not tell that the pump was on or off
 
you have to break the siphon when it stops pumping. Unfortunately. neither of the prior suggestions will do that. you either need to replace the pump with a solenoid or have the aqualifer output pipe feed into a larger diameter pipe with the transition vented to the air above everything else.

I've prepared the attached technical scale drawing for further detailed explanation.

View attachment 18617
 
your pic looks like bad porn
Herbie said:
you have to break the siphon when it stops pumping. Unfortunately. neither of the prior suggestions will do that. you either need to replace the pump with a solenoid or have the aqualifer output pipe feed into a larger diameter pipe with the transition vented to the air above everything else.

I've prepared the attached technical scale drawing for further detailed explanation.

View attachment 18617
Click to expand...
 
The pump height isn't really the issue. Here's is what happened to me when I first used the aqualifter for my ATO:

My pump and the outflow from the pump were in the sump. Pump was about the same height as the outflow. It kept siphoning water from my res.

I moved the outflow tube higher, the problem stopped.

Now on my other tank, the pump and outflow are the same height. I don't have the problem of siphoning.

I think the correlation here is that the pump and outflow need to be the same height, or the outflow needs to be higher. Just a guess, but that's my experience with it.

Edit: upon reading what I just typed, it doesn't seem to make sense.

Just keep messing with the heights of the pump until it stops would be my advice.

Also, if you're hooking the pump up to a controller, which outlet are you using. The only experience I have is with the apex, and outlets 4 and 8 are designed to be used with ATO pumps. The outlet may not shut off fully and continue to run. If you're not using a controller, try plugging in something like a fan or lamp to draw power as well.
 
it's simply an issue of vacum pressure (siphon) in the output. If the pump outlet tube is lower than the the surface water level of the ATO vessel then gravity will keep pulling water from the vessel through the tube. As the water falls ou the end of the tube it must be replaced with more water in the inlet of the tube because that is the path of least resistance (otherwise it would have to pull a bubble in against the flow of the water flowing out. You can never use a pump from a vessel higher than the DT without an airbreak in the line (or having the water fall from above the ATO vessel). Otherwise the pump turning on is just priming the siphon and it will not stop flowing when the pump turns off. This is why I built a solenoid that runs on 120. instead of a pump, i use gravity and a solenoid always fails safe.

http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?9937-DIY-gravity-fed-ATO&highlight=solenoid

(jeez guys, and I thought my wife was silly for thinking I was a wizard when I showed her the concept of a siphon for the first time. LOL)
 
Herbie said:
you have to break the siphon when it stops pumping. Unfortunately. neither of the prior suggestions will do that. you either need to replace the pump with a solenoid or have the aqualifer output pipe feed into a larger diameter pipe with the transition vented to the air above everything else.

I've prepared the attached technical scale drawing for further detailed explanation.

View attachment 18617
Click to expand...
Which is the Byrd and which is the bees
 
lol nate I had the same idea before I checked back to my post.(tube in a tube) .. had I checked back sooner I could have saved you guys some time .. and nate drawing weird alien porn for us...lol but seriously I really appreciate the love form the forum ... you guys are the best thanks
 
sk8elenex92 said:
I have the same problem.. What exactly have you done to fix this
Click to expand...

the blue tube is the outlet from the ATO pump. It runs into a larger diameter tube for a few inches so that the water runs out of smaller and into the larger and then into your sump (or w/e). the gap between the larger and smaller diameters is left open to the air and the transition must be placed higher than the level of the ATO vessel. Then when you turn off the pump the gap prevents a siphon. (Imagine poking a hole in your WC tube). Here is another extremely accurate scale technical drawing to show the bigger picture. :)
View attachment 18625
 
Herbie said:
the blue tube is the outlet from the ATO pump. It runs into a larger diameter tube for a few inches so that the water runs out of smaller and into the larger and then into your sump (or w/e). the gap between the larger and smaller diameters is left open to the air and the transition must be placed higher than the level of the ATO vessel. Then when you turn off the pump the gap prevents a siphon. (Imagine poking a hole in your WC tube). Here is another extremely accurate scale technical drawing to show the bigger picture. :)
View attachment 18625
Click to expand...

That's one possibility, but I prefer to keep water across the pump instead. So what I do is at the output I'll still have a tube going into the sump, but it will be a T with both of those outputs going out above my sump but with one output going below the pump and one way above. So when the pump turns on, the one below the pump will let water out, the other one will through gravity keep the pump primed.
 
Great thank you for the great illustration.. :blabla: So basically I have to have the out put tube from the pump higher than the actual water in the ATO..
 
Had same issue with my water siphoning into sump after restarting my return pump. I placed a check valve on the return tubing from the aqua lifter and solved issue. It is one of the air pump check valves you can get at petsmart.
 
Herbie said:
the blue tube is the outlet from the ATO pump. It runs into a larger diameter tube for a few inches so that the water runs out of smaller and into the larger and then into your sump (or w/e). the gap between the larger and smaller diameters is left open to the air and the transition must be placed higher than the level of the ATO vessel. Then when you turn off the pump the gap prevents a siphon. (Imagine poking a hole in your WC tube). Here is another extremely accurate scale technical drawing to show the bigger picture. :)
View attachment 18625
Click to expand...

Man, this porn keeps getting worse and worse....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top