I have a very slow leak in my sump area somewhere. I will end up with a thin layer of water on the bottom of my stand (my stand is acrylic and 100% watertight, thankfully).
I thought I could rule out a leaking sump tank itself because I turned everything off in the sump including return pump and just let it sit there for a day and nothing.
I ran the return pump by itself for a day, no leak. Ran the return pump + biopellets for a day, no leak. Skimmer + pump + biopellets, no leak.
It will be dry for a couple of days then wet the next. I cannot find a leak ANYWHERE! does anyone have tips or ideas that i might not have thought of?
are splashes adding up to puddles? finding a leak though is tougher the slower they are.
try to get it all dry…when you’re gonna be home for awhile that is… run the system and check for any signs of water with a flashlight every hour or so until you see some. the sooner you find any the easier it will be… just follow the water in the opposite direction of gravity… and water will travel across often, as well as straight down.
i’d start by checking all of your higher pressure areas .
But, every couple of days only though :: anything too do with top-offs, or at least when the level rises…that is if you dont have an ato…
i agree with ken, salt tracks are a good sign you’re close ::
hope this helps, and you don’t get shocked :think)
Is the tank being filled too much and the sump spilling over during power outages? Maybe try leaving some paper towels around and see what gets wet first. Have you checked the bulkheads for salt creep or water with a paper towel?
If you can wrap a towell or rags around the top and tape them on there once you find water down there check the rag or towels and if they’re wet it’s comin over the top at least narrow it down. Paper towels are the best. You can even put some under the sump it’ll be easier to see and feel water when it’s on paper towels.
Check the acrylic - is it wet anywhere or is it just the bottom of the stand? Is it clsoed off or open stand? Where is the tank / what’s sitting on (carpet, wood, tile, concrete, basement floor)?
@ken: Now that you mention it, there is a ton of salt creep on the back of my sump. It is hard to look back there but I got my hand back and felt for wetness at the seam and couldn’t feel anything.
@gord: No, the sump has room for all of the water to go to in case of power outage. The bulkheads are dry, no salt creep as well, thankfully!
@dunk: Awesome Idea, I’m going to tape some paper towels around the top of my sump. Maybe something is splashing?
@CDangel: It is only wet at the bottom. The stand is closed off and is sitting on hardwood floor. It looks to me like the water is coming from the sump as it usually gets a fine line of water around the sump edges first.
I turned my BP reactor off last night and this morning there was no wetness… but when it was running i could not find a leak or wetness on the reactor ANYWHERE!
There was one time recently where something leaked about 2 gallons of water into the stand (thats how i found out it was watertight!) but I rechecked everything and found no leaks… I’m so lost, thanks for the help though!
If you can get a drop of water from the base of the stand I’d check it in a refractometer.
My guess is that it may be condensation from water evaporating out of the sump, but since the stand is closed off it has no where to go, thus when it hits the cooler base of the stand the dew point drops and the air lets the water go and you end up with water in the bottom of your stand.
You can also try leaving the door open for a few days and see if it alleviates the problem. The water moist air would then be able to trravel in to the room instead of being contained in the stand.
Think of it like a bathroom mirror - when you leave the door and window open you can get out of the shower and shave immediately. With them closed you have to grab the wife’s towel and dry off the mirror first.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:10, topic:5798”]
You can also try leaving the door open for a few days and see if it alleviates the problem. The water moist air would then be able to trravel in to the room instead of being contained in the stand.
Think of it like a bathroom mirror - when you leave the door and window open you can get out of the shower and shave immediately. With them closed you have to grab the wife’s towel and dry off the mirror first.[/quote]
: anything too do with top-offs, or at least when the level rises…that is if you dont have an ato…
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