Room flooded. Please help!

Hi everyone. I am using a drip to waste system that jas been working perfectly fine. I have a 100l tank and the plants are fed using an mj1000lh pump. I usually fill the tank to aboit 80litres. Now ive had no problems till the other day. I came home to find the room flooded. So after a clean up operation i turned the pump off because the plants were saturated and certainly wouldnt need feeding that night. Whilst in the room, i topped the tank back up. Now the pump was OFF but the next day the room was flooded again! The tank was emptied to about half way, same as day before. Whats happening?! This hasnt happened before. Has the pump become weak and the pressure of the water above forcing the propellor round? Is it siphoning out? Please help becuase i am lost! Ive borrowed a pic i found online which is exactly what i have but i have 8 plants....Help!
Thanks in advance.

If the outlet is lower than the pump then yup it's siphoning

But it's been running for nearly 8 weeks and I've had no problem???
Thanks for replying.

And any ideas of how to fix this because it's the only set up in can have because of space and other factors?

ok going by the scale of your diagram...

your plants need to be higher than the water level in your tank so you don't get a siphon runoff

are you using drippers?
tell us more about your system and we might be able to help more.

I know of a quick and easy way . just throw those plants into soil ,. fuck the hydro .drip bull shit . add water when needed . keep it simple , you have 50 gallons !!!! of nutrient water every where serious risk of molding the entire house thats a lot of water

Corbzilla said:

But it's been running for nearly 8 weeks and I've had no problem???
Thanks for replying.

Click to expand...

There is no real check valve in a pump like that. The tightness of the pump did not allow the reversal (by siphoning) - of the solution to siphon back out....The pump wore and it "freed up" the "vanes" that spin and she started to allow siphoning!

You need a "check valve"! Go to the local hydro shop and explain that problem.....He'll give you what you need...

Home depot and lowers sells a couple different back flow valves, 1/2" + 3/4", sweat in, screw in, brass or pvc. Try to get the PVC, I initially used the brass and it sended like the valve was to heavy and my pump, 400gph, had a hard time pushing past it. Only other issue I notice is the valve flutters when my pump runs and I think it's because these pumps put out barely enough pressure to open it

The only other thing I can think of is a crack in the rez. Not very likely but just check it with a flashlight and see if any light will show you the crack. But my bet is on the siphoning.

If your in there for every watering just put a ball valve after the pump. Open it when you wanna water. Close it when your not using it.

Thanks for all the replys everyone.

420Barista said:

ok going by the scale of your diagram...

your plants need to be higher than the water level in your tank so you don't get a siphon runoff

are you using drippers?
tell us more about your system and we might be able to help more.

Click to expand...

Yes I'm using drippers, or was. I'm changing to drip rings. And I can't move my plants at all, restricted by height as it is. There must be ways to combat this problem, some of the responses have mentioned various ideas. Thanks.

bryan oconner said:

I know of a quick and easy way . just throw those plants into soil ,. fuck the hydro .drip bull shit . add water when needed . keep it simple , you have 50 gallons !!!! of nutrient water every where serious risk of molding the entire house thats a lot of water

Click to expand...

I have to have it automatic as I can't be there all the time. And luckily I made sure that I waterproofed the floor and up the wall so it's effectively in a 'dry pond' which can hold more than 100ls.

Dr. Who said:

There is no real check valve in a pump like that. The tightness of the pump did not allow the reversal (by siphoning) - of the solution to siphon back out....The pump wore and it "freed up" the "vanes" that spin and she started to allow siphoning!

You need a "check valve"! Go to the local hydro shop and explain that problem.....He'll give you what you need...

Click to expand...

Now this is think is the answer. I've been researching this. By check valve, do you mean a non return valve or an anti syphon valve? I've ordered an anti syphon valve. I couldn't see how the non return valve would work as it still goes the same way. Please tell me if I'm wrong. And if I do need one, could you please tell me what order to put the devices in my line from pump. I can't seem to find much online. Thanks for your help!

WeedFreak78 said:

Home depot and lowers sells a couple different back flow valves, 1/2" + 3/4", sweat in, screw in, brass or pvc. Try to get the PVC, I initially used the brass and it sended like the valve was to heavy and my pump, 400gph, had a hard time pushing past it. Only other issue I notice is the valve flutters when my pump runs and I think it's because these pumps put out barely enough pressure to open it

Click to expand...

The same thing as Dr Who suggested. Have I got it wrong then with the anti syphon? Should I use both? I have found the plastic ones you've suggested and I've actually ordered a different pump now as well, a 2700lh one compared to the mj1000 so hopefully more power to combat the tube rise.

Bareback said:

The only other thing I can think of is a crack in the rez. Not very likely but just check it with a flashlight and see if any light will show you the crack. But my bet is on the siphoning.

Click to expand...

Defo not thank God! It's one of those flexi tanks as well.

Carolina Dream'n said:

If your in there for every watering just put a ball valve after the pump. Open it when you wanna water. Close it when your not using it.

Click to expand...

If only. If I could be there every time I'd hand water mate. I enjoy it. Just can't be there every time...
Thanks for the help. A bit more info on these check valves and hopefully I can have a pain free Xmas!

at the top of your run coming out of the res at the highest point you need a hole so air can equalize the pressure in the tube to prevent siphon. I always put a 1/4 inch drip line in the top and put a dropper on the end so I don't lose too much pressure and zip tie it to the tube so it drips back into the res. This is a rigged version of a bleed valve and you need something similar to stop the siphon. I am very limited on height and this has been my best solution without sacrificing very much pressure from the pump.

non return valve requires some pressure to open so it cannot open by the siphoning effect alone

orangeade5 said:

at the top of your run coming out of the res at the highest point you need a hole so air can equalize the pressure in the tube to prevent siphon. I always put a 1/4 inch drip line in the top and put a dropper on the end so I don't lose too much pressure and zip tie it to the tube so it drips back into the res. This is a rigged version of a bleed valve and you need something similar to stop the siphon. I am very limited on height and this has been my best solution without sacrificing very much pressure from the pump.

Click to expand...

I can't believe after all the effort I put in I could miss something so essential! I suppose I thought the pump would prevent any water passing through whilst it wasn't operating. I've ordered an anti syphon valve so I'm assuming it's the same type of thing and I install in the same place you suggested?
Thanks for your reply, it's invaluable.

zem said:

non return valve requires some pressure to open so it cannot open by the siphoning effect alone

Click to expand...

Where would I install the non return valve? Before or after anti syphon? Do I need both?

Corbzilla said:

Where would I install the non return valve? Before or after anti syphon? Do I need both?

Click to expand...

A non return valve would be the same as a check valve, only allows water to flow one direction through the tube. They are nice but I have had them fail in such a low pressure situation. The hole is always my go to because it doesn't rely on moving parts that can fail.

I'm not a 100% sure on this so my thoughts are suspect at best.

I think the anti siphoning valve is to prevent negative pressure build up in the rez . And the anti return/ check valve is to prevent water from back flowing due to gravity/ negative pressure.

Let's wait and see if you get a better explanation or rebuttal of this theory.

I know what a check valve does for well pumps so I'm thinking it does the same for rezs .

Check valve would be installed after pump and before rez.

tbh i never used a non return valve in such low pressure, i only suggested it as a possible solution. actually i never will use it, reason being that i would do anything to avoid having anything that is not passive whenever i can, and in your situation i would figure a way to do that passivlely, i guess that if you simply get a pipe reducer from 1/2" to 1 1/2" make the hose going up from the pump big, then reduce it at the to to 1/2" for the pipe going down, i doubt that the 1/2" suction is enough to siphon the 1 1/2"

Corbzilla said:

The same thing as Dr Who suggested. Have I got it wrong then with the anti syphon? Should I use both? I have found the plastic ones you've suggested and I've actually ordered a different pump now as well, a 2700lh one compared to the mj1000 so hopefully more power to combat the tube rise

Click to expand...

I was wrong, the check valve I mentioned won't work. They way you'd have to mount it so the pump could open it, it wouldn't stop the siphoning.

Ideally, you'd want a control bucket with a float valve and pump, or raise your buckets so the water level is even in everything.

orangeade5 said:

at the top of your run coming out of the res at the highest point you need a hole so air can equalize the pressure in the tube to prevent siphon. I always put a 1/4 inch drip line in the top and put a dropper on the end so I don't lose too much pressure and zip tie it to the tube so it drips back into the res. This is a rigged version of a bleed valve and you need something similar to stop the siphon. I am very limited on height and this has been my best solution without sacrificing very much pressure from the pump.

Click to expand...

Just do that^^

I use a 1/4 barbed t plug the other side and use the cheapo valve to reduce the flow a little bit and done! 59 cent anti siphon. Of course if your using PVC just get a t, a valve and a 90 and point it back into the res and back the valve down so your not wasting to much pressure.