![]() I sized the sump to fit under my stand while also using as much of the 4’x8′ acrylic sheet stock as possible. The price has certainly gone up since 2004 and is likely close to (or above) $300 for the same product now. I purchased the 1/2″ thick, 4’x8′ sheet of Polycast GP cell cast acrylic form a local vendor (Total Plastics) for about $140 dollars. The thicker acrylic cross section also allows for a larger surface area for solvent welding, making for extremely strong joints. The 1/2″ cell cast acrylic will not bow or be susceptible to damage. While many others would have used 1/4″ or 3/8″ acrylic, I opted to spend the extra money and do the job right. I chose to use 1/2″ cell cast acrylic to construct the entire project. The return compartment is also fitted with a 2″ bulkhead and a 1″ bulkhead (right end) to accommodate a large return pump and a small auxiliary/emergency pump. A 3/4″ bulkhead fitted near the top of the sump (right end) ensures that any flood condition is routed directly the the home’s sump pump. The sumps operating level is controlled by a float valve connected to my DIY ATO system. You can download the 3D Autocad DWG file containing the acrylic sump plans HERE. At normal operating level (~15″) the sump holds nearly 40 gallons of water with a backflow capacity of just over 10 gallons. That is, the return compartment of the sump holds roughly 25 gallons of water. The final outside dimensions ended up being 40″ x 16″ x 21″ (L x W x H) with an U-O-U (Over Under Over) baffle arrangement and a return area of 28″ x 15″ x 15″. I used AutoCad to refine the plan and create a cut list. Using a single pump would save space and allow for easier system maintenance. The refugium, RDSB (Remote Deep Sand Bed), and secondary display tank (future project) would be powered from the main return pump. I chose to incorporate a high flow sump to allow for a single large return pump to supply several other components of the system. High flows sump’s can be a hotly debated topic with regard to efficiency. I chose to build a fairly large above tank refugium instead of trying to squeeze one into the sump area. I am not a big fan of the “multi-purpose” style sump that is cordoned off into small, almost useless, compartments that house tiny refugiums and deep sand beds that are too small to make much of a difference.
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