Plumbing help needed

[Gisho]

Assuming there is adequate space for the desired-sized hole AND the flange/nut of the accompanying bulkhead, drilling the bottom of the tank within the overflow would not be difficult at all given that it is acrylic.

This would be ideal/preferable, as there would then be no risk of the tank draining beyond the overflow teeth (or lowest return nozzle).

You only need a simple hole-saw attachment for a regular drill which can be found at any hardware store.

Very simple, 10 minute, DIY project. Remember that a 1" bulkhead does not require a 1" hole, it requires a 1 3/4" hole.

For other hole/bulkhead ratios, see this link:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...mbing_parts_fittings_bulkheads_strainers.html

Where are you? Wouldn't mind doing it for you if you are nearby.

 

[Gisho]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11663276#post11663276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by i2go
...and one low on the opposite side. ...

Maybe I'm not understanding where exactly you are referring to, but no, do NOT drill any low holes. You'll be duplicating the issues/problems of the existing holes in the bottom pane of the display tank, and again you will be depending on a check-valve which is not ideal.

 

[i2go]

Im in Laguna Niguel, thanks for the offer though, I think laverda offered, I shoot him up a pm. I unplumbed my tank, not all is lost, in fact I can use all of it I think. The glued pvc pipe with a ball valve and a check valve can be kept(I think) then flexible tubing to the Y fitting then to the return( or if I want two returns). I can keep the bottom bulkheads and use them for the new returns. I just need more flexible tubing.

I dont understand how you can drill the return inside the overflow box.

When I said "and one low on the opposite side" like half way in the tank to create no dead spots. Will this work? One high to stop siphon, and the other lower. Or will it keep draining to the lower one?

The positive side of this is that there is no flood, and I get to get a new return pump. My current one now is a Rio 12HF, and it is realllly loud.

thanks

 

[Gisho]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11663674#post11663674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by i2go
Im in Laguna Niguel, thanks for the offer though, I think laverda offered, I shoot him up a pm. I unplumbed my tank, not all is lost, in fact I can use all of it I think. The glued pvc pipe with a ball valve and a check valve can be kept(I think) then flexible tubing to the Y fitting then to the return( or if I want two returns). I can keep the bottom bulkheads and use them for the new returns. I just need more flexible tubing.

I dont understand how you can drill the return inside the overflow box.

When I said "and one low on the opposite side" like half way in the tank to create no dead spots. Will this work? One high to stop siphon, and the other lower. Or will it keep draining to the lower one?

The positive side of this is that there is no flood, and I get to get a new return pump. My current one now is a Rio 12HF, and it is realllly loud.

thanks

Yeah, Laguna Niguel is a just a BIT far from me :eek1: :lol:
Anyway, glad you got Laverda to help you out. Very kind of him/her.

Yes, not all is lost. You can, and certainly will need, to use most of those plumbing parts.

What is it exactly that you don't understand about drilling the bottom pane of the tank within the overflow box? You would simply connect your return piping/tubing to that bulkhead and your return nozzles would come up over the top of the overflow (or you could drill the overflow box itself near the waterline, install another bulkhead, and then use loc-line with return nozzle(s) for a cleaner look).

No, I would NOT drill any hole more than an inch or two below the waterline. Again, any failure or small leak will either overflow your sump, or drain your tank to that level, directly onto the carpet.

 

[bromion]

Yeah, return holes should be high. Just below the water level is preferable.

You will see tanks with holes drilled at various depths. These are for CLOSED LOOPS, where an external pump is hooked up from one tank bulkhead to another tank bulkhead, NOT through a sump. With a closed loop, if the power cuts off on the pump, the water has nowhere to go (it circulates within the same tank), so there is no flood. If you have a sump, you have an open loop. Water freely drains into your sump and is pushed back up by the pump drawing water from the sump. In a power outage situation, that pump stops and all that water can drain back into your sump through any plumbing connected to the pump.

Note that even if you drill the bulkheads up high, you still need to break a siphon that might be caused by any return nozzles you have placed lower in the tank (for example, your loc-line could reach deep down). In the case of an outage, this could siphon water into your sump just like you siphon it out in a water change or vacuum. A siphon break is a small hole in the return nozzle drilled just below the water level. When the water drops below that hole, the siphon will break and you're safe.

Are there diagrams somewhere for this stuff? You'd think there would be.

 

[Macimage]

It sounds like you are on the right track now. I wouldn't recommend siphon break holes as they can get clogged and fail. As long as you are redoing it, it would be best to set up your plumbing so that the sump can handle all the tank backflow and not rely on check valves or siphon holes, both of which can fail.

Joyce

 

[Gisho]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11664307#post11664307 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bromion


Are there diagrams somewhere for this stuff? You'd think there would be.

Here's a place for you to start i2go. Check about midway down under "About plumbing...". There is a plethora of information to be discovered within the links provided.

http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm

 

[i2go]

thanks for the link,

I was confused about the part where you drill the second hole for a bulkhead in the overflow box.