What happens when the power goes out???

[reef dude]

What happens when the power goes out and i am not home? The water is drawn out by a siphon method into my wet/dry filter and then pumped back up by a rio 2500. The pump will obviously stop pumping if the power goes out but it will create a back-siphon and also the original siphon wont stop at all until the water goes below the siphon tube, but thats like 6 inches into the tank! (alot of gallons worth)?!?!?

 

[nacl-h2o]

Drill a hole in the return tube just below the water line. That will brake the siphon if the power goes out. HTH

 

[reef dude]

if i did that, wouldnt the return line stop working, it would just pump water back into the sump and try to pump it back out?

 

[nacl-h2o]

No, You put the hole in the return hose below the water line on the main tank. If the power goes out your water will only fall to the level of the hole you made to brake the siphon. Only a small amout of water will come through that hole onto the main tank, but thats where you want it anyway.

 

[accurate]

I agree 100%!!
My power has went out several times and i paid for it. Sucked up water for an hour or so.
I now have a small hole just below my water line and i tried it out and it works great..
I like to visit this website.. Such knowledge

 

[barracuda]

What should be the diameter of that hole? And another thing i cannot understand: The water is pumped with a pressure. If you drill a hole in the return hose, the water will go throu that hole with pressure causing bubbles on surface of water. Did i understand it or not?
Dima.

 

[byrself]

the hole should be drilled to where it stays underwater under normal circumstances, but when the water starts to back siphon, it will loose siphon once the top of the water level reaches the drilled hole. it doesn't have to be large at all, just enough to draw in air once the water falls beneath it.

 

[maryc137]

Our return has a small hole that was poked with a pocket knife, just below the waterline in the tank. As soon as you shut the return pump off you hear a sucking sound and it stops siphoning.

 

[jumpfrog]

I don't think you'll see any bubbles. I drilled about a 1/32 hole to the side of the return nozzle. Barely affected the nozzle output and actually created a little side current. Never seen an air bubble coming out from the hole. I would make sure the hole isn't too small. It's amazing what things can clog up a hole and then you've defeated the purpose.
Good Luck!

 

[reef dude]

ok so lets say that i do drill the hole at the top of the return line....wouldnt alot of the return water go into the tank through that hole? instead of the elbow at the end of the return line in the tank? or is it not that big of a hole to make a big difference? B/C the return line goes about 6-8 inches into the tank, will water still come out from that line?
<img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[byrself]

some might, but not enough to matter. the water will take the path with the least resistance, and the open end of the elbow is alot less restrictive than the little pinhole on the pipe. cover the end of the pipe and water will shoot out the hole.