Drain pipe purging

[bryanb85]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this amazing hobby and have ran into my first problem. My drain pipe sounds like a flushing toilet! Water level increases to the factory holes then the water rushes in, fills back up and starts all over again. This is loud and annoying. Please if anyone has solved this problem, help me out, PLEASE!

75 gal corner flow
Rs75 sump
Reef octopus classic 110 skimmer
Aqua top swp3300

 

[Fallling]

When you say factory holes, do you mean the teeth in the overflow? Do you have durso standpipe or anything else like that in place to help quiet the overflow? If you have a durso, you probably don't have enough holes in the cap. Another thing that can cause this is if the drain hose/pipe to the sump is submerged too far underwater. It should be just under the water level.

 

[Cymonous]

I had this same problem. My issue was too much flow from my return pump. I added a ball valve to the outlet. It took some tinkering with the adjustment of the valve, but the surging eventually went away.

 

[billdogg]

^^^What he said^^^

You need to reduce the flow some. A ball or gate valve is the easiest way. Just turn it down until the water level in the overflow box stay constant and the flushing stops. With a "reef ready" 75g tank (I'm assuming 1" bulkhead) that means no more than 300gph.

 

[ca1ore]

This is a typical problem with Durso pipes, particularly as you start to approach the theoretical flow limit. It is essentially the pipe trying to form a siphon, increasing flow, failing, then trying again. Unless you want to go to a dual drain, the only solution, really, is to reduce flow so that the pipe stops flushing.

EDIT: I type too slowly ......

 

[bryanb85]

on my drain pipe there are two holes, one on each side (of the 90 elbow). also I currently have the drain hose connected into the top of the sump where the water flows into the sock. that is not even close to being submerged underwater. I will unhook that hose and place it into the sump water.

 

[bryanb85]

my currently pump is rated for 977 gph, so it sounds like I am pushing WAY to much water. from the sounds of all the responses, the ball valve is the only way to slow down the flow? I hate to sound some dumb but when I say im a rookie at all this I mean ROOKIE!

 

[ca1ore]

my currently pump is rated for 977 gph, so it sounds like I am pushing WAY to much water. from the sounds of all the responses, the ball valve is the only way to slow down the flow? I hate to sound some dumb but when I say im a rookie at all this I mean ROOKIE!

We were all there at one point - some of us a distressingly long time ago - and made all of these same mistakes. I no longer make this one; I've moved on to a whole new set ......

 

[Fallling]

A valve on the output of the return is how you'll want to restrict the flow. A gate valve is typically a better option as it will allow you to really fine tune the flow. A ball valve will also work, but won't allow for the same level of fine tuning. Ball valves are great when you need to completely turn flow on and off. Another, more expensive, option is to get a return with less flow that's more suited for you overflow.