IPisces
Well-known member
Hey Floyd... Lets see whats on the other side of that wall too.
About ready to throw the flag in. This is making me insane.
- Thread starter tat2z_21
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
thatguy559
Well-known member
its a straight pipe into a 90 then goes down his wall then 90's into his sump
TJL
copod
I'm still thinking blocked air pocket at the "Y" the dominant flow drain just pushing back directly accross and depositing its bubbles just inside the fittings weaker flow side. Since you do not have valves is there a way to manually block one of the overflows with your fingers or a small ball (ping-pong or super ball etc.) one at a time to see if this clears it up or just alternates wich pipe has the dominant flow.
Todd
Todd
menace78
Well-known member
Just a thought
As I understand it you have 2x 1" overflows that should each handle ~600gph
Didn't see anywhere in the posts what GPH you are actual running but I would think you would need to remember that 2x 600gph standpipes y'd together still only handle 600gph total.
Of course I don't know the sizes on those pipes I see there so this might be a mute point. but just had to bring it up.
knowing the return volume, and pipe sizes would help.
Also have you ever noticed a tendency for one or both of your overflow compartments surging up and down?
As I understand it you have 2x 1" overflows that should each handle ~600gph
Didn't see anywhere in the posts what GPH you are actual running but I would think you would need to remember that 2x 600gph standpipes y'd together still only handle 600gph total.
Of course I don't know the sizes on those pipes I see there so this might be a mute point. but just had to bring it up.
knowing the return volume, and pipe sizes would help.
Also have you ever noticed a tendency for one or both of your overflow compartments surging up and down?
IPisces
Well-known member
I'm with Todd on this. My first thought last night was that I think the Y is restricting flow due to it being too small to handle the volume from both overflows and the dominate overflow is rushing back up into the weeker side. They look like they are coming together to direct at each other. Seems like it would cause alot of turbulance and air bubbles right there before it continued out. I think a more direct Y set up (and valves) would help. Still would like to know what is on the sump side.
thatguy559
Well-known member
"y" together with the same in and out yes would still be 600gph. this is 1" Y into a 1 1/2" out. this a TRUE Y so there is no way that its going to push water into the other side of the split. i can see this with a "T" but not a true Y
his overflows dont surge at all. when i redid his plumbing the flow was perfect everything flowed fine no issues for around 3 months. i think there is a blockage somewhere.
Last edited:
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
600 gph is not a lot. If was always a smooth flow with no surges, and the overflow inlet fins haven't been changed as in plugged raising tank water level, and no valves adjusted: leaves only the possibility (probability)of blockage. Snail shell/dead fish/algae...
IPisces
Well-known member
He did say he tried snaking and couldnt get by the 90. Maybe it wasnt the 90. Maybe there is something blocking the flow in there.
menace78
Well-known member
Still waiting on return water volume 
but another thought just crossed my mind.
I know in my setup. if my silencer gets some salt creep, I get surging in my overflow. that's why I asked.
but then I thought.
If your silencer gets blocked in your setup, the other overflow rushing down at that Y could keep air pressure in the other down pipe and not let water get into the drainpipe high enough to cause a vacuum and would seriously effect the drainpipes flow rate. when mine gets salt creep, I hear it flushing. lol and the overflow surges. but I have 2 separate downpipes into the sump so no chance one of them could be holding air pressure to keep the other from working properly.
If that's not it. I agree with IPisces. maybe try and measure how far your making it down the pipe so you know it's the 90° bend that's stopping you
but another thought just crossed my mind.
I know in my setup. if my silencer gets some salt creep, I get surging in my overflow. that's why I asked.
but then I thought.
If your silencer gets blocked in your setup, the other overflow rushing down at that Y could keep air pressure in the other down pipe and not let water get into the drainpipe high enough to cause a vacuum and would seriously effect the drainpipes flow rate. when mine gets salt creep, I hear it flushing. lol and the overflow surges. but I have 2 separate downpipes into the sump so no chance one of them could be holding air pressure to keep the other from working properly.
If that's not it. I agree with IPisces. maybe try and measure how far your making it down the pipe so you know it's the 90° bend that's stopping you
tat2z_21
tat2z_21
Well it is the 90 because after I remove the Durso's I can see through the bulk head and see the 90. So as I am trying to carefully maneuver the device through the bulk head it hits the 90.
thatguy559
Well-known member
i have 90's on my bulk heads. i dont see that being the problem. if that was the problem then it would have been from the beginning
IPisces
Well-known member
I was wondering if you made any progress on identifying the problem.
IPisces
Well-known member
Going back to your first post to try and understand what is actually happening. It seems to me that it wouldnt matter which overflow is not flowing at its full capacity, that the tank water level would raise across the entire tank, so how do you know one is flowing slower than the other? Is the water level in one overflow lower than the other? I'm just trying to understand how you are figuring that one overflow is slower than the other.
Can you maybe reduce the flow from the return pump so that the tank does not fill up faster than it is draining. See if it levels out the flow in both overflows.
Grabbing at straws here. Either there is an obstruction or restriction in flow from the tank to the sump or the return pump is too strong. We need to start eliminating things.
Can you maybe reduce the flow from the return pump so that the tank does not fill up faster than it is draining. See if it levels out the flow in both overflows.
Grabbing at straws here. Either there is an obstruction or restriction in flow from the tank to the sump or the return pump is too strong. We need to start eliminating things.
tat2z_21
tat2z_21
Justin- You are correct the 90 is not the issue for the slow flow. The issue with the ninety is that the snake or any other device that I am using to remove the clog will not pass the 90.
Lorrie- The left overflow, is at the surface of the water, with the valve on top (airflow) closed completely. The drain on the right water level is at the bottom of the durso stand pipe inlet. With that being said I have taken the right standpipe off and felt the flow going through the standpipe, theree is flow but not a significant amount. I still have not figured this out yet. It is really starting to scare the crap out of me.
Lorrie- The left overflow, is at the surface of the water, with the valve on top (airflow) closed completely. The drain on the right water level is at the bottom of the durso stand pipe inlet. With that being said I have taken the right standpipe off and felt the flow going through the standpipe, theree is flow but not a significant amount. I still have not figured this out yet. It is really starting to scare the crap out of me.
DonW
R.I.P.
Close both air valves on both pipes. You should get flushing. Plug off each durso one at a time, you should still have flushing from the open durso. If there is no flushing you have a full siphon or plugged pipe on that line and the plumbing is at falt. Tie a small metal washer to a piece of thin fishing line and drop it down the durso in question. slowly feed the line with the system running. If the washer makes it way to the sump then you probably dont have a plug and probably have a full siphon. If you find there is a plug a wire fish is more suited to the smaller plumbing than a drain snake.
Don
Don
IPisces
Well-known member
Dont you want the valve full open to allow air to excape. mine are full open.
DonW
R.I.P.
The valves on a durso is an anti flushing valve. You open the valve just to the point where it stops flushing. This should be the most quiet position. Long before people started using valves we would just drill a 1/8" hole if that didnt do it we would just keep going bigger until the flushing stopped and call it good.
Also check the valves. The cheap one have a small bulls eye shaped screen thing and they plug with salt creep real easy.
Don
IPisces
Well-known member
once you have a good siphon, if it is making too much noise, then close it down a little, but not completely closed. I think you are getting air bubble at the top of the drain.
Yeah, what Don said!
He said it was full closed. You dont want it full closed.
Yeah, what Don said!
He said it was full closed. You dont want it full closed.
DonW
R.I.P.
Well lets see if we cant get some terminology straight and get this figured out. It should be very simple. Siphons and Durso's dont work together. If for some reason you actually achieve a siphon in a dual durso system you will have floods. The reason being is when you have an actual siphon the water is pulled through the pipe much faster than gravity will ever push it. If the siphon is not intentional like a herby and controlled it wiil break. When it breaks the second overflow will be overwhelmed and cause a flood.
Complex small diameter plumbing arrangements are famous for achieving a siphon when they shouldn't. This makes it nearly impossible to control the second durso. If there is anywhere in your plumbing the water is flow into a y fitting this could be the issue. The single leg of any y should go toward the water source and the two that form the y should go to the distribution points like sump and refugium. If its the other way around and you have little 1" plumbing any back pressure on on one of the legs will create an actual siphon.
Don
Complex small diameter plumbing arrangements are famous for achieving a siphon when they shouldn't. This makes it nearly impossible to control the second durso. If there is anywhere in your plumbing the water is flow into a y fitting this could be the issue. The single leg of any y should go toward the water source and the two that form the y should go to the distribution points like sump and refugium. If its the other way around and you have little 1" plumbing any back pressure on on one of the legs will create an actual siphon.
Don
