What's going on with my return pumps?

[2manyhobbies]

Yesterday, I came home to find my tank overflowing. I check the sump and there wasn't much water flowing in. Also, since the level was low my top-off kicked in and dumped in about three gallons of water which did not help the situation. I siphoned off three gallons but it was still trying to overflow. Next, I turned off the pumps, took them out and cleaned them. I did find a snail in the suction end of one pipe, I left the pumps off overnight as it was dark and I didn't have enough light to work with. Today, I checked the stand pipe but found no obstructions, so I turned the pumps on and again it started to fill to overflowing. I do have ball valves on both pumps so gave them a quarter turn. The tank is now at its normal level.

I have been running these pumps for 16 years and this has never happened. What made it do this now? It is all working fine now, but I sure don't want this to happen again.

 

[ashburn2k]

Do you have a check valve somewhere?


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[Corallus]

What’s your overflow configuration? A single stand pipe, or do you have a secondary drain, like a herbie setup? If I understand the problem right, it sounds like more of a drainage than pump issue.

 

[rygh]

Sounds like something stuck in the drain pipe to me.

 

[max_nano]

Are the pumps 16 years old? Now that you’ve cleaned them, that may have increased their output which through the drain/fill ratio off causing the display to overflow? And maybe the initial overflow was while a snail took a journey to/from the sump

 

[2manyhobbies]

Having cut off some of the pumps outflow has brought it all back to normal. The level is fine now. It is just a bit wierd that this should happen after running the pumps at full strength for 14 years. There is a check valve for back flow but it is working fine and there is only one stand pipe.

 

[JVU]

Having cut off some of the pumps outflow has brought it all back to normal. The level is fine now. It is just a bit wierd that this should happen after running the pumps at full strength for 14 years. There is a check valve for back flow but it is working fine and there is only one stand pipe.

Dave you need to check your overflow pipe(s) from the tank to the sump for an obstruction, as opposed to your return pump. You could be in for a worse disaster if it/they clog more.

 

[2manyhobbies]

Today, I caught two snails trying to sneak into the overflow. Knocked them back into the main tank.