I posted some questions about whether or not to drill my tank on the Newbie forum and one of the replies suggested I try the DIY crowd for more info. So here goes:
I have a 75gal (48x18x20) that I am setting up. It sits on a counter so that one of the 18x20 ends butts up against a cabinet. Plan A is to drill the tank wall at that end for a bulkhead fitting, build an overflow box around it and run the plumbing through the adjacent cabinet, down through the counter and into the sump.
A sales guy at an LFS told me I was inviting disaster drilling a tank wall, especially near the top and suggested a siphon overflow. I had the feeling he might be overstating the risks in an attempt to sell me some gear, but did he have a point ? Should I reconsider ?
If I decide on drilling how do I find someone willing to do it ?
Is it a fairly straightforward operation to do yourself (pointers about size, location, etc. would be welcome) ?
With the siphon-style overflow it seems like I can limit the water that winds up on the floor due to a power outage by limiting the volume of the section my return sits in, using a well-designed siphon, and maybe adding a sprinkler solenoid valve to the bottom of the siphon tube. But I'm not so sure of sufficient overflow rate or of synching return to overflow. Suggestions on how to accomplish this would be great.
Matt
I have a 75gal (48x18x20) that I am setting up. It sits on a counter so that one of the 18x20 ends butts up against a cabinet. Plan A is to drill the tank wall at that end for a bulkhead fitting, build an overflow box around it and run the plumbing through the adjacent cabinet, down through the counter and into the sump.
A sales guy at an LFS told me I was inviting disaster drilling a tank wall, especially near the top and suggested a siphon overflow. I had the feeling he might be overstating the risks in an attempt to sell me some gear, but did he have a point ? Should I reconsider ?
If I decide on drilling how do I find someone willing to do it ?
Is it a fairly straightforward operation to do yourself (pointers about size, location, etc. would be welcome) ?
With the siphon-style overflow it seems like I can limit the water that winds up on the floor due to a power outage by limiting the volume of the section my return sits in, using a well-designed siphon, and maybe adding a sprinkler solenoid valve to the bottom of the siphon tube. But I'm not so sure of sufficient overflow rate or of synching return to overflow. Suggestions on how to accomplish this would be great.
Matt
