Silent and Failsafe Overflow System
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Those standpipes MUST be supported and should not be allowed to hang on the bulkheads.
Bean.. Yes, they most definitely will be. This is just a dry fit and rough cut to get an idea where I'm going with the drains. Once I get the sump in position, I'll be able to fabricate something to carry the weight.
I'm hoping by next weekend I can get the system running. Will move it to my workshop, fill up and see just how it works and figure out what and how to tune it. After that will be the challenge of moving into it's final place which means moving my existing tank out of the way and transferring from old to new. Should be exciting.
Thanks for advising.
Gus
I'm hoping by next weekend I can get the system running. Will move it to my workshop, fill up and see just how it works and figure out what and how to tune it. After that will be the challenge of moving into it's final place which means moving my existing tank out of the way and transferring from old to new. Should be exciting.
Thanks for advising.
Gus
acropora1981
New member
Very cool thread... just read the full article on beananimal.com; thanks for this. My girlfriend and I are buying a house next year and this will definately be the overflow that I go with when I build my double masterpeices 
CreativeGuy
Creature Morpheus ...
Hi Bean,
It is for this type of "silent" overflow system, but it is more complicated from the point of view of multiple discharges (8 total as described above) in the coast to coast boxes and the questions involve the linear inches of the weir or flow into the boxes. It took me three type written pages to describe the situation as well as there being four or five related CAD drawings. Therefore, it maybe best to create a new thread about my project and link it back here as ROcket Surgeon suggested.
Just in the process of setting up a new webpage for my project, and they may take be a little time as I am not a webpage designer.
It is for this type of "silent" overflow system, but it is more complicated from the point of view of multiple discharges (8 total as described above) in the coast to coast boxes and the questions involve the linear inches of the weir or flow into the boxes. It took me three type written pages to describe the situation as well as there being four or five related CAD drawings. Therefore, it maybe best to create a new thread about my project and link it back here as ROcket Surgeon suggested.
Just in the process of setting up a new webpage for my project, and they may take be a little time as I am not a webpage designer.
TheFishMan65
New member
Just make a thread and post the documentation and pictures.
jason2459
Well-known member
I'm looking for some tips on how to set this system up on a tank I bought.
What I have:
I just got a 180g with a single 2" bulkhead on the back top center.
On the current system I'm replacing I have 3 drains plus 1 return all 1" sch 40 runs going down to my basement across the house to a sump.
Not sure what the best options are for the 2" bulk head already in place. Use it as the full syphon? Then get two more 1" bulkhead holes drilled out for the open and emergency? Or, should I just cap it and go all 1" bulkheads?
What I have:
I just got a 180g with a single 2" bulkhead on the back top center.
On the current system I'm replacing I have 3 drains plus 1 return all 1" sch 40 runs going down to my basement across the house to a sump.
Not sure what the best options are for the 2" bulk head already in place. Use it as the full syphon? Then get two more 1" bulkhead holes drilled out for the open and emergency? Or, should I just cap it and go all 1" bulkheads?
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
CreativeGuy
Lets start out with some basics, Please post the drawings and a very brief description here. We can build from there.
Lets start out with some basics, Please post the drawings and a very brief description here. We can build from there.
JTL
New member
I have an external OF and the water flows into it over the end panel of glass which I cut shorter than the other panels. I made that panel 1-1/2" shorter which leaves an inch between the top of the tank and the water level. I would like to shorten that distance on my new build. Why does the water build up 1/2" going over the weir, there are no obstructions and the the OF box is not full? This is on a 48x24 tank with the weir on the 24"side, my new one will have the weir on the 48" side, but still a c to c. Will the water still build up 1/2".
RocketSurgeon
New member
The height of the water over the weir is determined by your return pump volume. If you want to raise the waterline you could silicone a piece of glass or acrylic to the top of the pane, or adding a teeth type strip would also raise it.
A 24" wide weir is quite large so you must be pumping a LOT of water through it.
JTL
New member
Rocket, you may be able to calculate the thickness of the water but I can't.
The pump is an Eheim 1262 and based on my existing vertical distance of 5' I think it is putting out about 700gph, my new build will have more like 4' of head loss, but the weir will be 2x. The only reason I care is because I need to get the glass cut and I don't want to have the water level in the tank any lower than necessary without adding anything.
The pump is an Eheim 1262 and based on my existing vertical distance of 5' I think it is putting out about 700gph, my new build will have more like 4' of head loss, but the weir will be 2x. The only reason I care is because I need to get the glass cut and I don't want to have the water level in the tank any lower than necessary without adding anything.
RocketSurgeon
New member
Just as a rough estimate... if everything stays the same except for weir length (24" to 48"), because you doubled your weir length, in theory you cut your water height from 1/2" to 1/4".
From what I've read...The most effective system creates a thin sheet of glass overflowing the weir. Most of what you want removed from the system via the skimmer will be found at the surface. If you have 1/2" of water going over your weir, the bottom 1/4" (if not more) of water is wasted (for filtration purposes). You are just adding noise and energy consumption.
The benefit of going coast to coast is getting this very thin sheet of water, which you can not get from a 6 or 8 inch overflow box with teeth cut in it.
RocketSurgeon
New member
Copied from Bean's site:
Surface Renewal
An extreme example: Take two identical 40' wide ponds that are fed with the same amount of water, one with a 4' wide dam and the other with a 40' wide dam. It follows that for the same flow (lets say 100 gallons per minute) over the dam, that the narrow dam will have a very thick waterfall and the wide dam a very thin sheet of water cascading over it. Now place an oil slick over both ponds! It will take significantly longer for the 4' wide dam to clear the slick fro the pond. Why? Because much of the water flowing over the dam is from below the surface! Now apply this logic to your tank, but instead of an oil slick, understand that the surface of the water attracts organics from the tank. The logical conclusion? For any given flow rate, the wider the overflow, the better your skimmer and/or in sump filtration will work!
I am currently setting up my 90 gallon tank with an external beananimal overflow on one of the side for a penisula set up. I was hoping to see some other peoples pictures of their external setups and was also wondering if using 1.5" bulkhead would be an issue? Controlling the flow rate with ball union valve would work the same way regardless of bulkhead size, correct? Thanks for your time.
I've seen 4-500gl tanks at the LFS with an internal overflow box where the water was more than an inch over the teeth. Not sure how much water they were pumping but you can bet it was a lot. The center support was under water. :spin2:
rad1687 said:
IIRC, a 1" pipe at full siphon will throughput about 1500gph. Unless you plan on running stupid amounts of flow thru your sump I can't imagine why would need the larger BH's. 1-1/4" would be overkill.
You're putting three drainpipes in, 'bean style', right? What kind of pump volume?
I'm getting ready to build my internal overflow and based on what I'm hearing here not sure how far above the bottom of the trim I should set the top of the overflow. I'm guessing a quarter to half inch should be goood? This way depending how much water is flowing, be it 1/4" or more thickness over the overflow, the water level in the display will always be above the trim with plenty of room to spare to the top of the tank.
Am I thinking this through correctly?
Thanks
Gus
Am I thinking this through correctly?
Thanks
Gus
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