Stockman Standpipe--New, Easier Design

[wedfr]

before i saw this i actually did the same thing with a 1.5" drian and i used a 3" - 1.5" bushing. I ended up scraping the idea and just built one out of acrylic tubing. i just didnt think porting out the bottom of that bushing was going to give me enough flow.

Havent hoked it up yet but ill let everythign know how it goes, should be running by tommororow or monday the latest.

 

[musicsmaker]

I cannot submerge it without getting a longer hose, something no local LFS has in stock.

Did you check at your hardware store? Lowes and Home Depot have braided PVC hose of all diameters, cut to fit. Super cheap for the length you probably need.

 

[kstockman]

You can make my design out of 1.25" PVC, then reduce it to 1". I have made a couple of these for people on RC.

But you are telling me that the noise was not present with the 1.25" Durso. That is very odd. Unless the larger standpipe created enough back pressure to slow the water down some.

Taking the plug totally out will be very noisy, it is like an open standpipe.

 

[jimsar]

Cutting the reduction fitting

Cutting the reduction fitting

What's the best tool for cutting the reduction fitting? I noticed the nice, clean straight cuts on the pictures. I've got a dremel, but not sure which cutting blade is best for this. I've got hacksaws galore, but can't seem to cut true.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[jeff967]

I did it all on a table saw

 

[Vincerama2]

Hack saw and cheap mitre box...have some sandpaper on hand to de-burr the cut.

V

 

[jimsar]

I did it all on a table saw

What blade did you use? I've got a power mitre saw, I wonder if the standard blade will work on PVC. I'm at work right now and can't say how many teeth.

Vince, I've also got a maple mitre box, it might be the safer route.

Thanks, guys, for the suggestions.

Jim

 

[Vincerama2]

Here is a trick for marking a straight cut on tubes, take a piece of paper (like an 8x11 sheet) and wrap it around the tube, when the edge of the paper lines up, it will be perfectly straight! Just tape it in place, then run a marker around it to mark your cut. You could try cutting with the paper in place, but I find it annoying and if the paper rips off, there goes your straight edge!

Also, once you have marked it, you can try this trick as well....
If you cut ALL the way from top to bottom of a tube (unless you have a really good mitre box) your blade will probably drift, BUT if you cut cut just a bit from the top, then rotate the tube and cut again, and repeat this until you have cut all the way around (using your straigt cut mark) you will have a nice straight cut! You can take a piece of sandpaper to deburr the cut or smooth it out, but for the purposes of the standpipe, that is just a nicety (it helps to have smooth edges though, as you won't trap bits of floating hair algae, etc).

GOod luck!

 

[kstockman]

Apparently my last reply did not go through. I would be careful with a power miter saw. I had a fitting blow up in my hands the other day. I acutally did a physical check of myself to make sure htat I did not take an shrapnel. Needless to say, it scared the crap out of me. I would use a band saw to be safe or a hand saw.

 

[jimsar]

Apparently my last reply did not go through. I would be careful with a power miter saw. I had a fitting blow up in my hands the other day. I acutally did a physical check of myself to make sure htat I did not take an shrapnel. Needless to say, it scared the crap out of me. I would use a band saw to be safe or a hand saw.

I'm glad that you're OK. That's why I asked for other options earlier, power cutting tools make me nervous. Vince has a couple of practical "tricks" that are very useful. I'll try them.

Again, thanks guys for your help.

 

[jimsar]

A better(?) Guide?

A better(?) Guide?

I finally cut the reducer using a hack saw on a mitre box. I marked it using Vincerama2's paper trick. It kept on slipping a bit, so in an effort to have a better grip, I inserted the 2" coupling and PRESTO, I found myself a better guide. I just rotated as I cut, nicked the coupling a couple of times, but it was a fairly true cut.

So, you folks attempting to cut for the first time, use the 2" coupling as a guide. You won't even need a mitre box, but a vise will definitely help.

Jim

 

[Vincerama2]

I have found that with Ken's NEW standpipe design, it doesn't flow water fast enough through the top. It originally took some mental acrobatics to figure out what he was talking about with the new design, but it made sense when I had the pieces in hand. However, with his new design, the water flows into the top of the pvc tube, and has to bypass the "spokes" of the coupler. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but I don't get as much flow as I thought I would. So over the weekend, I'm going to add a cutout in the body of the pipe, like the original design.

Luckily, the design is such that you can just take it apart and stick in another precut pipe (with a side window cut out!)

V

 

[zeppelin]

I put this together last night on my new prop tank (50 gal. Rubbermaid). What a difference. Very little noise at all now. Thanks man. Pretty cool design.

Larry

 

[eric4usa]

I wouldn't say it's "easier" than your previous plan with the elbow joint.
It is definately a space saver though for people with smaller overflows and looks a little more professional.
Too bad you can't patent plumbing ideas like that.
Thanks for sharing!

 

[kstockman]

I cut the spokes so that none of them are connected to maximize the flow.

If the design does not work then just build the original.

The only real benefit to this design is that it will fit over a preexisting pipe. Since it just slides on, you can remove it to clean it--not that I ever clean mine.

 

[Vincerama2]

?? How did you cut the spokes off?

Maybe I have done something different, or bought a different slip reduction fitting (I bought two of them from HD, each was a 2->1 reduction bushing, but only one could have worked.

I'll have to take a look at mine over the weekend...in anycase, it's easily modifiable once you figure out what is going on and what you are trying to achieve.

V

 

[jarhead]

Ken,
Will this design work with a 1 1/4" standpipe? I currently use a Dursos and would like to try your design.

 

[Vincerama2]

Hey, I found my flow problem, it was not the standpipe, but the U-tube I was using! I was using two 3/4" and two 1/2" U-tubes. (yes, I used 4 u-tubes for siphon!) They sucked, so I made a big 1" one. It was not enough so I put a U-tube from another overflow I have and it flows nicely.

The problem was my incompetence at making large U-tubes. I used PVX and used 90 degree elbows for the 3/4" tubes, and melted and bent the 1/2" ones! I guess you really need the nice smooth U bend (not 2 90 degree bends) and a nice wide siphppn tube to make sure you keep your weir working!
(Oh, unless you are using a powerhead like many HOB filters that have square siphons!)


(I'm using a weir style overflow, not a drilled tank)

V

 

[kstockman]

IMO 1.25" should be fine.

 

[jarhead]

IMO 1.25" should be fine.

So instead of the 2"-1" reducer I hope I can find a 2"-1.25".
Since I have a 1" bulkhead, maybe it's just easier to replace the 1"-1.25" male adapter with a 1" male adapter use a 1" standpipe.