Tragedy

[Raymond Nunez]

Today I came home to find 75 % of my 275 gal tote had overflowed .

This is not the fisrt time this has happened- this would be the third time .

Overview of system: I have a flood and drain system 275 gal tote 600 gph pump to beds with about 100 sf of grow space .

My return tank is a 40 gal brute trash can with a 1000 gph sump pump I purchased at a garden warehouse .

The pump has stopped working three times leading to overflowing .

Question:

Does anyone know of a reliable sump pump or any ideas that would help?

 

My System

 -

 

 

[Jon Parr]

I too, could not see your system on the link provided, but it sounds like you pump from FT to GB, GB drains to sump, sump pumps to FT, right? If so, no amount of fancy pumps, switches, or timers will insure that one of the pumps will not fail at some point. Assume that a pump WILL fail, and design accordingly.

Try this: pump sump to GB, GB drains to FT, FT drains to sump. If it is not possible to drain GB to FT, then pump sump to GB and FT simultaneously (using one pump and a flow valve to the lower of the two, or two pumps, 1-FT 2-GB) and both GB and FT drain to sump. I believe this is called CHOP or CHOP2, should be diagrams around. A SLO will keep the FT full no matter what.