Silent and Failsafe Overflow System

[ram1500]

drilling.....

drilling.....

Sunday morning success....!

Here's some pics of this mornings success story.... Rest of the pluming to follow. Talk about sweating bullets...!

Found a local Acrylic supplier, going there this week to get some black 1/4" sheets to make the overflow box.

guess I'm cheating a little by raising the centerline of the open pipe about 1/4"

Thanks for everyone's help..
Gus

 

[CJBROWN]

Sunday morning success....!

Here's some pics of this mornings success story.... Rest of the pluming to follow. Talk about sweating bullets...!

Found a local Acrylic supplier, going there this week to get some black 1/4" sheets to make the overflow box.

guess I'm cheating a little by raising the centerline of the open pipe about 1/4"

Thanks for everyone's help..
Gus

Wow. Nice job.
Cutting glass is a PITA, eh?

 

[ram1500]

Believe it or not, it really wasn't that bad.... I think the anticipation was far worse...!

Thanks
Gus

 

[ram1500]

where can I find 1.25 x 1 street elbows? I have 1"

Thanks
Gus

 

[torino06]

Sunday morning success....!

Here's some pics of this mornings success story.... Rest of the pluming to follow. Talk about sweating bullets...!

Found a local Acrylic supplier, going there this week to get some black 1/4" sheets to make the overflow box.

guess I'm cheating a little by raising the centerline of the open pipe about 1/4"

Thanks for everyone's help..
Gus

how far down are the top of your holes from the top of the trim? good work by the way!

 

[ram1500]

The center line is 4.25" from the top of the trim.

 

[JTL]

How are you going to get the acrylic to bond to the glass? Silicone does not work very well imo.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I would use glass for a glass tank and acrylic for an acrylic tank. Glass is bonded with silicone adhesive, acrylic with solvent. Trying to adhere acrylic to glass for an overflow is asking for trouble.

 

[JTL]

Bean, are 1" pipes and a 3/4" BH too small for a 75g tank. My Eheim pump is only rated for 900gph and I am probably getting about 650gph after head loss. My current system has 1" BH's and 1-1/4 pipe and I have to restrict the flow to keep the water level up in the over flow. Also do you think a 48" Weir is over kill, the new tank just happens to be that length. My current tank is over flows from the end which is only 24".

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don't think 48" is overkill.

The siphon will more than likely be fine, but the open channel may be pushing it. That is instead of running with 50% or more headroom, you will be fairly close to the limits of both the siphon and open channel operating envelope.

In other words, It will likely work but there is not a lot of room for deviation from the plan and/or error.

 

[RocketSurgeon]

I don't think 48" is overkill.

The siphon will more than likely be fine, but the open channel may be pusing it. That is instead of running with 50% or more headroom, you will be fairly close to the limits of both the siphon and open channel operating envelope.

In other words, It will likely work but there is not a lot of room for deviation from the plan and/or error.

Bean, are 1" pipes and a 3/4" BH too small for a 75g tank. My Eheim pump is only rated for 900gph and I am probably getting about 650gph after head loss. ....

A chart can tell us the rating of a 3/4" BH, but I would think that ability to be clogged is more important. I personally wouldn't use 3/4".

The other issue with smaller pipes are the potential to make noise trying to maximize flow through them.

Lastly, I wouldn't want my emergency drain limited in any way shape or form.

 

[JTL]

Thanks! Do you recommend keeping the centerline the same for all 3 pipes? Since the BH is 1", how about if I use 1" for the 90's going into them and 1-1/4 for the down pipes? I know there is some reason for using larger pipe then the BH but I never knew why.

 

[Names Brucey]

I have tried searching throug all of this thread again but didn't see this. What is the minimum clearance I need from the bottom of my 1.5" street elbows to the overflow glass? Getting ready to order my glass and want to make sure I am not setting myself up for problems. Thanks.

 

[JTL]

I have mine set at about 1/1/2" but I am not sure there is a hard number.

 

[RocketSurgeon]

Thanks! Do you recommend keeping the centerline the same for all 3 pipes? ...

excellent.

... I know there is some reason for using larger pipe then the BH but I never knew why.

It's not that Bean used larger pipes, but smaller bulk heads. I think it was because he already had the holes drilled or already had the bulkheads or something. I'd have to go back and look again.

 

[JTL]

I do recall that as well, but I read somewhere else that if you are using anything less than 1-1/2 BH's you need to up the size of the drain pipes. Don't know why. It seems to me that on the input side, ie the street ells, I am not losing anything by going with the same size as the BH. They are so close together. The output side, ie the down pipes, may need more room. If not I would go with 1" all the way. Help Bean.

 

[RocketSurgeon]

I do recall that as well, but I read somewhere else that if you are using anything less than 1-1/2 BH's you need to up the size of the drain pipes. Don't know why. ... Help Bean.

Only other reasons to upsize lines was to be sure you kept air in the open channel, and allowing more surface area for water to travel down, reducing noise. The other reason, is there is less chance of clogging the drain at the valve or union, if it makes it past the bulk head.

 

[Names Brucey]

I have mine set at about 1/1/2" but I am not sure there is a hard number.

Thanks.

So yours are 1.5" from the bottom of the glass to the bottom of the elbow opening. My original layout would have my opening be only about 1/2" clearance.

Anyone else?

 

[RocketSurgeon]

... I am not sure there is a hard number.

I believe it was discussed just a few pages back, that the bottom glass can actually be too close to the elbow, causing a suction effect. Bean quoted some formula using the Inside Diameter of the pipe. I'd have to look back to find it.

 

[Names Brucey]

Found it. Thanks. According to Bean's calcs, .5" should also be fine for a 1.5" elbow.