Squidd I'm Almost Ready To Move To The Basement!!
- Thread starter lubeck
- Start date
squidd
Active Member
Originally Posted by Lubeck
Oh Yeah I Have Some Serious Electical Current Running Through The Sump
Fix this first...
Use voltmeter to measure... then unplug a piece at a time to determine offending unit...
Fix or replace...
If it's just an accumulation of little things...GFCI and Ground probe...
Oh Yeah I Have Some Serious Electical Current Running Through The Sump
Fix this first...
Use voltmeter to measure... then unplug a piece at a time to determine offending unit...
Fix or replace...
If it's just an accumulation of little things...GFCI and Ground probe...
squidd
Active Member
Actually, that's what it's supposed to do...
Aren't you glad we built an overflow drain chamber to collect all those bubbles before they got to the skimmer chamber...?Remember now, your dropping water 10'...thats quite the rush...
Skimer chamber does not look too bad in this pic...
Next is the settling chamber...and by the time water gets to return chamber/pump should be clear..
Are you pumping bubbles back to main tank...???
Aren't you glad we built an overflow drain chamber to collect all those bubbles before they got to the skimmer chamber...?Remember now, your dropping water 10'...thats quite the rush...
Skimer chamber does not look too bad in this pic...
Next is the settling chamber...and by the time water gets to return chamber/pump should be clear..
Are you pumping bubbles back to main tank...???
lubeck
Active Member
The built in over flow is making alot of noise. Both drains should be equal with each other.right? how far down should they be? Ihave them about 1inch. looking at the fuge drain, it seems to have alot of air not much flow, the skimmer drain has alot of force and still has alot alot alot alot of bubbles and they are in the display tank, as you can see.
I have been working on this since 8am and am getting tired seeing the pics will my livestock be OK with ALL OF THOSE BUBBLES?
I have been working on this since 8am and am getting tired seeing the pics will my livestock be OK with ALL OF THOSE BUBBLES?
jake15
Member
If you made your own duro pipe thing then maybe this will help ya
Flushing Effect: A commonly reported problem when first installing standpipes is what I call a flushing effect. The water level in the chamber bounces up and down at a slow steady cyclic pattern. This is different than the issue above where the water level stays to low. This issues typically is not caused by the size of the air-hole in the end cap. The flushing effect is almost always caused by back pressure in the drain line. Typically the back pressure has two main causes:
Drain pipes in the sump being submerged below the water surface to far. Ideally you just want the drain pipes submerged about an inch or two. Just enough to reduce the splashing noise in the sump.
Any loops or dips in the drain lines if using flexible tubing. If using hard PVC pipe for the drain lines make sure they always have a slope to them, don't make them perfectly horizontal or perfectly vertical.
The flushing effect works like this: Back pressure in the standpipe prevents air in the pipe from exiting the drain line. Instead of exiting the drain line, the air bubbles try to rise in the pipe slowing the rate at which the pipes drain. The water level in the chamber then rises. The increase in the chamber water level adds pressure to help clear the air from the pipe. Once enough water pressure exists in the chamber to overcome the back pressure, the air is literally is "burped" out of the drain line which crates a sudden rush of water. This is displayed as a rapid drop in the overflow chamber water level. This cycle then repeats itself over and over as the back pressure builds and gets purged.
What about the air bubbles? The vent hole in the end-cap prevents a full siphon from forming by letting a controlled amount of air enter the standpipe. This air travels down the drain plumbing and into the sump. This can be anything from a mist of fine air bubbles to a rolling boil of bubbles. If left unchecked the air bubbles can make it back to your return pump, get chopped to micro bubbles and sent to the display area distracting the viewer. The air bubbles in the sump can be dealt with in many ways such as using a baffle system, filter sock, refugium, etc.
The hole on the top of the standpipe (in the End-Cap) is very important. Without the hole, a full siphon will be created and water will be sucked out of the overflow chamber to fast. The water level will drop below the intake and you will get a terrible air sucking noise. If you drill a hole and the water level still drops to far (making a sucking noise) then the hole is to small. Just make it slightly larger (see above) and the water level will raise. If you make the hole to large then the water level will be to high. (It should not overflow the tank as it will not get that high, but keep an eye on it). If the water level is to high this can be fixed easily. Seal the hole with aquarium safe silicone and use a toothpick to make a small hole in the silicone. If this turns out to be to small, remove some silicone with a smaller drill-bit or some other tiny sharp object. No silicone handy? You can try some old well chewed bubble gum to reduce the air hole size for testing If you really mess up, then get a new End-Cap (they are cheap).
Flushing Effect: A commonly reported problem when first installing standpipes is what I call a flushing effect. The water level in the chamber bounces up and down at a slow steady cyclic pattern. This is different than the issue above where the water level stays to low. This issues typically is not caused by the size of the air-hole in the end cap. The flushing effect is almost always caused by back pressure in the drain line. Typically the back pressure has two main causes:
Drain pipes in the sump being submerged below the water surface to far. Ideally you just want the drain pipes submerged about an inch or two. Just enough to reduce the splashing noise in the sump.
Any loops or dips in the drain lines if using flexible tubing. If using hard PVC pipe for the drain lines make sure they always have a slope to them, don't make them perfectly horizontal or perfectly vertical.
The flushing effect works like this: Back pressure in the standpipe prevents air in the pipe from exiting the drain line. Instead of exiting the drain line, the air bubbles try to rise in the pipe slowing the rate at which the pipes drain. The water level in the chamber then rises. The increase in the chamber water level adds pressure to help clear the air from the pipe. Once enough water pressure exists in the chamber to overcome the back pressure, the air is literally is "burped" out of the drain line which crates a sudden rush of water. This is displayed as a rapid drop in the overflow chamber water level. This cycle then repeats itself over and over as the back pressure builds and gets purged.
What about the air bubbles? The vent hole in the end-cap prevents a full siphon from forming by letting a controlled amount of air enter the standpipe. This air travels down the drain plumbing and into the sump. This can be anything from a mist of fine air bubbles to a rolling boil of bubbles. If left unchecked the air bubbles can make it back to your return pump, get chopped to micro bubbles and sent to the display area distracting the viewer. The air bubbles in the sump can be dealt with in many ways such as using a baffle system, filter sock, refugium, etc.
The hole on the top of the standpipe (in the End-Cap) is very important. Without the hole, a full siphon will be created and water will be sucked out of the overflow chamber to fast. The water level will drop below the intake and you will get a terrible air sucking noise. If you drill a hole and the water level still drops to far (making a sucking noise) then the hole is to small. Just make it slightly larger (see above) and the water level will raise. If you make the hole to large then the water level will be to high. (It should not overflow the tank as it will not get that high, but keep an eye on it). If the water level is to high this can be fixed easily. Seal the hole with aquarium safe silicone and use a toothpick to make a small hole in the silicone. If this turns out to be to small, remove some silicone with a smaller drill-bit or some other tiny sharp object. No silicone handy? You can try some old well chewed bubble gum to reduce the air hole size for testing If you really mess up, then get a new End-Cap (they are cheap).
squidd
Active Member
In your pics...(3rd pic down #153) shows the Dursoa submerged...
Looks like the holes may be too big and sucking too much air slowing flow..
Smaller holes will cause them to suck more water/less air (whistling)
Drawing shows proper water level for Durso opperation...
About 1/2 way up "elbow" on standpipe...
Looks like the holes may be too big and sucking too much air slowing flow..
Smaller holes will cause them to suck more water/less air (whistling)
Drawing shows proper water level for Durso opperation...
About 1/2 way up "elbow" on standpipe...