Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

[TheFishMan65]

It is mostly aesthetics. Make sure it low enough that the water can get in. I don't know your expected flow rate, but I would leave at least 1/2 inch from the top of the tank. When I did my over flow (not a bean animal but the idea is the same) I put mine even with the bottom of the trim.

 

[Tautog]

Thanks Fishman, I just wanted to hear what I thought was correct before I started locking it up.

 

[scott26]

Also make sure that you leave enough room for the elbows to fit in there and point downward with enough room for the water to suck up into them.

 

[javajaws]

Should all 3 return lines be submerged in the sump or just the siphon? And how far submerged?

 

[TheFishMan65]

Siphon and open about an inch down. Emergency up high enough so you can hear it splash IMHO.

 

[scott26]

Who here is using slip elbows in there internal overflow box? or threaded?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Threaded would be a PITA... SLIP are much easier to work with in the confined space.

 

[scott26]

That was my thinking BEAN... but no matter what I do with the elbow the open channel elbow is sucking a small bit of air and it is getting recycled into my display tank. Any ideas?

 

[BeanAnimal]

I am not sure I follow, the open channel should have air in it. The siphon should not have air in it. You can cement the siphon elbow, but shouldn't need to. What is the water level in the overflow box in relation to the bulkhead and elbow.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Siphon and open about an inch down. Emergency up high enough so you can hear it splash IMHO.

No need, if the system is in fail-safe mode, there will be plenty of noise already. Also, in many systems, the emergency will kick in briefly during startup and you wouldn't want the splashing to create uneeded salt creep

 

[scott26]

I am not sure I follow, the open channel should have air in it. The siphon should not have air in it. You can cement the siphon elbow, but shouldn't need to. What is the water level in the overflow box in relation to the bulkhead and elbow.

The water level in the internal overflow box is just about to the top of the siphon elbow it has about 1/16" of elbow still exposed and the open channel has 1/4" more then that exposed since I set it up higher to make the siphon start up first.

I was thinking this was the problem since I had to re tune my system the other day since it was shooting a lot of bubbles into the DT when I realized the water level in the overflow was lower then normal I readjusted to get it up to the current water level (stated above) and the bubbles were reduced a good amount... leading me to believe that the air is coming from some sort of air leak in one of the elbows.

 

[BeanAnimal]

There will always be a small amount of bubbles at the open channel exit, but they become significant at higher open channel flow. If there are bubbles in the siphon discharge, then you have an air leak.

 

[scott26]

The open channel is the only one that has some air coming through it... does your DT have micro bubbles in it? I have a bubble trap set up.

Do you think that since my pipes only terminate about 1/2" below water level could be effecting this.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The volume of bubbles ejected from the open channel is a function of the volume of flow through the open channel. Higher flow equates to more bubbles, lower flow to fewer bubbles. The depth of the open channel discharge (for the most part) does not affect the volume or size of bubbles.

How big is the sump? Are there baffles, if so how far apart? What is the flow through the sump in GPH?, etc.

 

[scott26]

The flow through the sump is roughly 900 gph after head loss. The sump is a 40 gallon breeder with baffles set up 1" apart.

The pump is rated for 1150gph with it being teed off at on the return side to feed the fuge reducing the total to 900gph going through the system.

Here is a pic.

 

[torombolo2222]

This is an awsome thread but HUGE!!!! LOL, I have a question that reading havo seen. How much space does the beananimal set up take behind the tank? Inches??

Thanks

 

[scott26]

It depends on the set up. Internal. External. And where the pipes exit mine is internal overflow and extendeds about 5" out of the back

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[deovindice]

Banimal, Im planning on building a acrylic tank 4ft L, 3ft w, 2ft h, and want an external over flow. What would be the best size to make

 

[JMan192]

Nice plumbing work on these set-ups, how much quieter is it compared to durso's?

 

[BeanAnimal]

The flow through the sump is roughly 900 gph after head loss. The sump is a 40 gallon breeder with baffles set up 1" apart.

The pump is rated for 1150gph with it being teed off at on the return side to feed the fuge reducing the total to 900gph going through the system.

Here is a pic.

Your baffles are far too close for the volume of flow. Any bubbles entrained in the water are quickly swept through your single "under" baffle due to the high velocity of flow in that area.

You are also going to end up with a bubbles due to the waterfalls on both sides of the return compartment.

Not picking on you (at all) but I am not at all a fan of that style of sump (for the reasons just stated, among others).

Fixes:
Hard to say. Maybe adding an UNDER baffles 2" to the left of the first OVER baffle.

Maybe putting an elbow on the open channel dishcarge and directing the water towards the back corner.

Maybe a small pile of rock rubble around the pump intake...

Etc.