overflow driving me crazy

[gdavis17]

The problem I am having is actually not my overflow, but the noise caused by the water splashing into the sump from the drain. Currently, the drain has a pvc 45 degree fitting on the end and the water covers the fitting 2/3 of the way. I have messed with the water level (fully submerged fitting and water below fitting) and my two choices are: spashing water, or gurgling air. What am I doing wrong? No one else's sounds like this. Everytime I go into the room the tank is in I have to go pee. Thanks in advance for the ideas.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Not sure if this will help or not, but I have my return half way out of the water, seems to let the air escape and keep the noise to a minimum.

 

[mokeyz]

also, use a durso on your standpipe in the tank overflow (cap with a small hole in it) and in the sump use a reducing tube. you can either insert a smaller soft airline tube in the drain pipe, this will help a bit.

 

[bdare]

What if you use a wider output into the water?

 

[rustybucket145]

loose the 45 and put on a 90deg facing straight down. If you don't have a durso or gurgle buster vent up top this will not work so put a durso or gurgle buster and then put the 90 faced down and all will be very quiet.

 

[bdare]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11033306#post11033306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
loose the 45 and put on a 90deg facing straight down. If you don't have a durso or gurgle buster vent up top this will not work so put a durso or gurgle buster and then put the 90 faced down and all will be very quiet.

What's a gurgle buster?

 

[gdavis17]

Thanks for the great ideas. I'm going to try removing the 45 and replace it with a 90. Should the 90 be completely submerged or like the pic above from Toddrtrex? Also, the overflow I am using is a CPR CS50 show in the link below.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~CR1511.html
I was under the impression that a durso or gurgle buster was used to quiet the overflow and not the drain. Am I right? Can I still incorporate one? Thanks.

 

[gdavis17]

I did a little research and it looks like the gurgle buster would work on my overflow. What is the best way to build one?

 

[gdavis17]

can I construct the Hofer Gurgle Buster and slip it right over the strainer, simply replacing the foam that originally would cover it?

 

[corbett_n]

how do you like your cpr overflow. What kind of return pump do you have

 

[gdavis17]

I really like the overflow. I ran airline from the air vent on top of the middle of the overflow to a maxijet's venturi in my tank, so if it ever loses power it will start the siphon right back up on it's own. I am using a mag 5 as a return.

If I build a Hofer Gurgle Buster, do I leave the airline tubing from the maxijet to the overflow? I would think I would, but want to make sure. Don't want any floods. thanks.

 

[mille239]

My solution to quieting down the drain to the sump: put a 'Y' or a 'T' before the pipe going below the water level in the sump so the air can escape out vertically. HTH!

 

[ganjero]

this works pretty good on overflow boxes, btw if I was you I would change that box for u type box.

http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/standpipe/standpipe-ken_stockman.htm

I'm using that plus I change the pipe for flex tubing and the sound is minimal.

 

[gdavis17]

Thanks ganjero, The reason why I chose the CPR rather than the U-tube overflow was because of the size of the box in the tank. The CPR is about half as big. I heard the main downside of the CPR boxes was the fact that they lose suction in the case of a power failure. I thought I resolved this by hooking it up to the venturi of a ph.

I went out and bought a Y fitting, and hooked it up liked mille239 mentioned above. This seemed to silence it by about half, but there is still quite a bit of air that chooses to escape out the bottom of the Y and not the top. Any ideas regarding this, before I build a durso, or a gurgle buster? Thanks.

 

[gdavis17]

any idea's why the Y didn't really work?

 

[gdavis17]

It seems like about a third of the water chooses to come out of the top of the Y and not the bottom. What if I get some sort of prefilter sponge to put on the top portion of the Y? It seems to me that this would still let the air escape, and silence the water that splashes out of the top. What do you think? Does Lowes sell this type of foam? Thanks.

 

[Playa-1]

How much flow do you have going through the sump?

 

[gdavis17]

Not that much, I would think. The sump is about 10 gallons, with a 3/4 drain, and a mag 5 return. There is also a CSS 65 skimmer running off of a rio1100 (really doesn't create any flow). Lastly I have a small ph which I use the venturi to keep the overflow siphon in case of a power outage.

 

[bues0022]

I did what mille239 said to do also, and it quieted things down significantly. It's still not as quiet as I would like, but I think I'm getting echos from water transitioning from hard pvc to flex hose. One modification I made, however, was to put an extension on the pipe going vertically up. On top of this pipe I put a cap with a small hole drilled in it. The reason you are having water come out the top is because you are getting back pressure from the bend going into the tank. By raising the top of the tube about 6 inches higher, you are creating a shaft for the pressure to go into. The pressure isn't much, hence only about 6 inches is needed. The cap is there to keep noise down. Otherwise you'll get a lot of splashing sound and echo. The hole is where excess air comes out. In my tank, I have air rushing out of there almost constantly. I hope this helps. I had the exact same issues as you, so if I figure anything else out I'll let you know.

 

[rick s]

Here's another option. Click on this thread and scroll down to my post. It works for me.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1135439&highlight=noise