Weird question here. My DT water level drops with evap but my sump does not. The sump stays steady with what I'm assuming is my ATO doing the job. But why or how do I get the DT to stay at a higher level? Hope this makes sense. Aka it seems my sump water level doesn't vary based on my DT dvaporating. Could it have anything to do with the fact that my return and my siphon valves aren't set to wide open?
Evaporate in DT and not sump
- Thread starter SycoCell
- Start date
You mean a leak somewhere inside of the overflow box that the water is getting down the piping well below the siphon itself? - because that I know I do have...I didn't think it affected anything really.. I've been too lazy to cut a new pip to insert into the bulkhead...Just kept the one that has a tiny leak.
vhuang168
New member
Why?
His return and his drain are not set to wide open.
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mcgyvr
New member
That is your problem..
mcgyvr
New member
Thats just how it works..
The output (output to sump) will always be equal to or less than (less and your display will overflow/flood) the input (return pump)..
The output can never be more than the input (unless there is an overflow leak as there is here)
The water level in the DT must raise above a certain point (overflow lip height) for the water to even make it to the drain..
Mind you, my DT has always evaporated down to this level...Seems to be where it's happiest. It never goes below it - I just end up filling it higher than this when I do water changes. I sense I know why...I think my siphon is too "deep" in the overflow box. A couple months ago, I cut about 1/2" off of it to hope to remedy the slight leak where the pipe meets the bulkhead - thus putting the siphon a little deeper than normal. Guess I'll just remove it and put a longer pipe on it.
Darth_Tater
Member
This sounds like a flood waiting to happen.
I suggest you take a look at this thread.
If you only have two drain pipes I suggest searching for the Herbie overflow in the DIY section (Herbie and BeanAnimal are the same system, BeanAnimal just has a third pipe for a second failsafe).
Thanks for the link - I'll read through.
As far as flood, its not enough to cause an issue. Plus, when the water level drops in the tank, it cannot get into my overflow chambers as is. By the time my water level drops below the overflow chamber grates, the water has stopped flowing into my sump and my sump is only a little above half full. But this reminds me why I want to fix the problem to begin with.
mcgyvr
New member
But the water in the overflow box would be getting lower/changing....And it will quickly reach a point where its below the drain elbow or whatever and cannot drain anymore because there is no more water available.. And thats only a temporary case when it was higher than it needed to be already (aka you just did a water change and put too much water in) Or that the drain is being clogged then unclogged then clogged again repeatedly..
Or in a "surge" system where water is pumped into a larger canister and that canister is rapidly dumped occasionally..
But these are temporary/quick cases and not a "hey guys my DT water level has been changing over the course of X days"
So.. Its still a leak.. Where the combined water from the DT is allowed to get into the overflow section is greater than the water being put into it.. Hence the level goes lower..
On a leak free continuous system the output is always equal to or less than the input...
vhuang168
New member
Evaporate in DT and not sump
What you are describing is water leaking from the DT into the overflow box. That would cause the water level in the overflow box to rise. Eventually (given enough time and assuming the op is replacing water in the sump since the total volume of the DT/overflow box is increasing) equalizing with the water in the DT.
OP, are you seeing a raise in the water level of the water in overflow box rising?
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What you are describing is water leaking from the DT into the overflow box. That would cause the water level in the overflow box to rise. Eventually (given enough time and assuming the op is replacing water in the sump since the total volume of the DT/overflow box is increasing) equalizing with the water in the DT.
OP, are you seeing a raise in the water level of the water in overflow box rising?
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My tank has two corner overflows built in - it's a 125g.
The water has just been evaporating down to the top of the siphon (normal) and then it runs as it should. I've basically been filling the tank too full with my siphons being as low as they are. This weekend, I am going to extend the piping on my siphons to raise the normal water level in my DT.
The water has just been evaporating down to the top of the siphon (normal) and then it runs as it should. I've basically been filling the tank too full with my siphons being as low as they are. This weekend, I am going to extend the piping on my siphons to raise the normal water level in my DT.
Makes no sense to me. The net system effect of evaporation will always be reflected in the pump return chamber. All other areas will maintain constant levels based on water overflowing the baffles. That your display level falls to the top of the stand pipe means there is something amiss with the baffles/weir of the overflows.
