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Adding more sump tanks - question!

Hello,

I have the following IBC Tote setup (covered in another thread here) http://imgur.com/a/kU75t and I need to add another sump tank for additional water capacity and I've burned out 2 pumps now as I just quite dont have enough total sump capacity.

I started to dig another hole next to my existing sump to connect them via the 2" ball valve on the bottom. I hit my septic tanks drain field and had to stop. Now Im stuck and need some help!

Is there a way to connect a new IBC tote to a sunken IBC tote and have them work together as 1 large sump? I am completely puzzled and stuck on this, I cant think of how it would work without having to add another pump to the system or re-plumb nearly everything.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

--Blake

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pieter Swanevelder on February 28, 2017 at 12:36am

Jeff - yes - you need a U-bend at each end of the water bridge to keep it from taking in an air bubble if one of the ends are exposed. It also makes filling it a lot easier as you don't need a high volume flow to get the air out.

Blake - a more correct term for the flow valve is probably a "ball valve" - the passive (non electrical) working on water troughs, toilet cisterns - although if you use the toilet one (at utility water pressure ~4bar?) you'll probably need to modify the entry hole in the valve to allow more flow at lower pressure of your two tank sump system. It's low maintenance - as long as your have some sort of filter/settling system keeping out the gwak. you can add structures in your sump to add in settling of fines.

My system is a bit exposed to leaves - so think of some sort of filter at the inlet of your water bridge - and the level switch for your pump is a great idea. You can rig the Normal Close (NC) to the pump control circuit, with the other contact Normal Open (NO) of the level switch to an alarm or such.

Regards,

Permalink Reply by Yaacov Levi on June 27, 2017 at 9:09am

No replies ?

What have you done ? My suggestion would be two totes, side by side, connected at the bottom. With Bell Siphons to keep them level. Dont mess up your drain field.