Just say no to external overflows

[grassi]

I'm ready to help drilling. I'll do the dirty job with the buckets

 

[DonW]

I feel guilty because I sold you that box lol
I think Don idea's is great.
If you don't want to mess up with soldering, maybe you can just get an switch like this http://autotopoff.com/products/SS1/ and hook it up to a second aqualifter.
No idea if it is correct

That will not do anything to help the situation. First by the time the second aqua lifter restarted the siphon the tank will a have already overflowed. Second after the siphon restarts the the float will drop and switch turning off the back up aqualifter. The saga will just continue untill the sump is dry, pump is smoked and the floor is soaked.

Don

 

[Emerald525]

To Drill or Not to Drill!

I know why your overflow quit working. It found out your were a cowboys fan. Sorry for your troubles and the overflows also. JK. I am so glad I have met many nice peeps and been helped out. I make it a point now to have a reefer on standby when I go out of town. One cool thing that I am going to set up over the next year is webcams. I am going set up 3 or 4 webcams looking at key thing in the aquarium so I can visually monitor when I go out of town. Also I am going to get the Apex controller so i can view what is happening with the tank when i am out of town.

LOL I knew it would not be long before my dedication to the Cowboys would be blamed for my problems in the saltwater world.:lol: However, if I had been an Eagles or Steelers fan the basement likely would have flooded! And psb you are teetering on the verge of OCD there with the continuous webcam monitoring. You will know you are there when you start taking your Apex out to dinner and the movies!:lol: Grassi by the way has admitted publicly that his Apex sleeps in the same bed with him!:lol:

I'm ready to help drilling. I'll do the dirty job with the buckets

OHHHHH that's a tempting offer Alex! It's hard to refuse someone offering to do the dirty work!

That will not do anything to help the situation. First by the time the second aqua lifter restarted the siphon the tank will a have already overflowed. Second after the siphon restarts the the float will drop and switch turning off the back up aqualifter. The saga will just continue untill the sump is dry, pump is smoked and the floor is soaked.

Don

Wow Don that's almost poetic! I admittedly am having some difficulty interpreting your schematic. I may have to get some input from my more clever local electrician friends. I'm very impressed with how you could just "whip that up" off the top of your head!

To Drill or Not to Drill that is the Question!

 

[DonW]

Drilling is of course the best of both worlds. I'll explain, well maybe.

If first aqualifter fails float switch will close.
Float switch triggers the relay.
Relays turns on the second aqualifter and shuts down the return.
Water level drops opens float switch
The jumper wire latches the relay so second aqualifter stays on.
The diode allows return pump to restart.

No flood and your good.

Don

 

[ashton]

I think it has something to do with texas because I went to texas to visit family in July and my aqua lifter died and then the tank overflowed a bit before it was caught by my mom who was staying at my place. Now i am setting up a new tank that is drilled with overflow.

 

[DonW]

No but seriously. If you want a low tech method that will work just fine you need to install the aqualifter properly. The reason a overflow fails after the aqualifter dies is because the aqualifter is a pass through design. The water acts as a venturi and pulls air in via the dead aqualifter. There is no reason for the overflow to shut down if the aqualifter fails as long as its installed properly. As long as the overflow is capable of running on its own for a few days just installing the aqualifter properly will preven most floods.

Don

 

[TheKraken]

Drilling is of course the best of both worlds.

I used to think factory drilled or nothing (ie mega-flow). However I have a oceanic retrofit (one hole in the bottom) and a friend has a side retrofit (one hole in the back) on a smaller tank. In a world of tempered glass panels I am liking the side bulkheads for safety and the fact the stand does not require as much modification. I am starting to see commercial tanks that have a normal looking overflow but the side is drilled so I hope this catches on.

Well, as soon as they figure out that the return and drain need to be offset so a durso will fit...

 

[jrgilles]

this is why I have backup drains everywhere