synergy reef overflow placement?

[cracker]

I've seen a lot of pics of the overflow itself. not a lot on the plumbing from the box on down.
Steve How far along are You on the plumbing? I saw the pic of Your sump, very nice ! I'll use the same flex tubing in Your sump pic. You can get that flex tubing at the pool supply. I like it as you can move it around or cut to a proper length depending. Gives Ya the ability to change things around.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I've seen a lot of pics of the overflow itself. not a lot on the plumbing from the box on down.
Steve How far along are You on the plumbing? I saw the pic of Your sump, very nice ! I'll use the same flex tubing in Your sump pic. You can get that flex tubing at the pool supply. I like it as you can move it around or cut to a proper length depending. Gives Ya the ability to change things around.

I actually went with a combo of PVC and flex coming out of the overflow...2 lines leading to the bulkheads in my sump/refugium & the emergency one just above the equipment compartment. After dry fitting everything (fit great) and redoing the measurement to account for the extra lengths needed due to being able to get a tighter fit when the glue softens the PVC, I just couldn't get my secondary line lined up right. It was a combo of the angle that I needed to get to align the overflow and the sump and there was a stand brace right in the way. I finally gave up on it and used the flexible PVC hose that came with the refugium/sump...as I was getting too frustrated Shouldn't really matter as it it just the secondary drain and shouldn't be used often, if at all.

I have the tank about 90% full of water and was going to fill it the rest of the way, fill up the refug/sump, and then plug everything in and see how she goes...but my wife has has a nasty kidney stone for almost the last 2 weeks that they just admitted her for yesterday...so had to put the tank on the back burner until at least this weekend.

 

[cracker]

Thanks Steve. Hey Take care of Your Lady! Get back when Ya can.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

Thanks Steve. Hey Take care of Your Lady! Get back when Ya can.

Will do...surgery is tomorrow. And I haven't even had to play the "excuse, me? I'm a RN" card on anybody yet

 

[cracker]

I ordered a gate valve last night. from BRS 1 inch thread to thread . I'm not drilling or plumbing a thing until I have all the parts ! I swear to the Fish Gods " This Time" I won't plumb something then after it's too late wonder why I did it that way!

 

[Steve Maxwell]

HELP!!!!! I got my overflow set up and something is not working! I was filling up the DT and got to the point where the water was flowing into the front overflow box...then instead of going down the primary or the secondary pipe, it kept filling up until I had to pull the plug before it overflowed...at that time it started flowing down the emergency line. The valve on the primary line is open...I have no idea what is wrong...HELP!!!!

I have it set up just like this (sorry for the RC link...but I'm desperate!):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2546162

I moved my pics around, and so the links went bad. Unfortunately, I can't edit the original post anymore, so here's a new post with the pics in place.

First, here is BeanAnimal's original description of the system: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11752972&postcount=1

Here is a link to the overflow: http://synergyreef.com/product/16-synergy-reef-overflow/

This is the piping configuration I used inside the box:

From left to right: open channel, emergency standpipe, siphon.

The open channel has a 1/4" hole drilled right into the top of the elbow. I eliminated the air line, because I wanted to be able to close the lid on the Synergy Reef external box. With the lid closed, there is no sound from water flowing at all, either from the OC or through the bulkheads. The water level bisects the horizontal section of the open channel, so it is below the air hole and the emergency standpipe, but completely submerges the siphon. Here is a view from the top, with the system running so you can see the water level:

You can tell from this view that the siphon is completely submerged, and the open channel is not. This is important, keeping the air hole above water level under normal conditions. Not only that, but the water level also bisects the bulkhead openings, so that it flows directly through without an elevation change. No sounds of splashing, flowing, or trickling from the overflow.
External plumbing from the box:

And finally, where the drains exit into the sump:

In this picture, the system is running at full 600 gph. And you can see there are NO bubbles coming from any drain, making the system completely silent, as designed!

The two outer drains are the siphon and open channel. They terminate about an inch below the water line. The emergency center drain terminates above the water line, because it stays dry except in an emergency situation, and in that case I want no obstruction to flow.

On startup, the system purges air from the siphon within 10 seconds. I attribute this to the siphon line being lower than the OC, and so it fills more quickly and can start its purge before the OC starts to take some of the load of draining.

All the drains are 1", but a single 1" drain running at full siphon can easily accommodate the 600 gph of flow I'm putting through it.

I've tested the system against all failure modes, and it holds up. When I close off the full siphon, the water level rises until it covers the air hole in the OC. It immediately converts to full siphon and water level drops to the level of the air hole. Air then starts getting sucked in, making noise, and the water level holds steady there.

Closing off the OC completely would cause water level to rise to the emergency standpipe, which would then become the new OC.

The system can be shut off completely, and when restarted air purges out of the siphon within 30 seconds. Everything works as BeanAnimal describes.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

Found out I just needed to drill holes in the PVC pipes in the back overflow box. Working great now!

 

[cracker]

Steve which pvc pipes did You drill? Is it the far left?

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I actually drilled the far left and far right...working like a charm so far

 

[cracker]

Steve , So You drilled a hole in the full siphon drain? I "think" I see why the water wouldn't drain thru the full siphon drain. The air trapped in the drain was too much for the water to push it out.??? Hey if it's working, Good Job!

 

[jaws789832]

I think drilling a hole in the full syphon kind of defeats the purpose of the full syphon but I might be wrong. In mine I drilled a hole in the partial syphon, ran a piece of tubing that turns back into the overflow and sits just below the emergency syphon. When the tank starts up the water fills the overflow, cant push the air out of the main syphon quick enough, starts going down the partial syphon, at this point the main catches up and all is good. Occasionally the water level reaches the tubing I put in causing the partial syphon to turn into a full syphon then the main catches up and the water level drops back down below the tubing causing the partial to go back to a partial. The emergency never gets hit at all.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I actually tried it with just the partial siphon line being drilled, but the full siphon line never started draining...I even adjusted the heights of the lines in the back, but it didn't work. Leave it to my set up to be different

 

[jaws789832]

Heres a quick question for ya. Did you adjust the height of the pipes going into the sump? When i first set mine up the full syphon was too deep in the sump not allowing it to get the air out. I cut it off to where the full syphon is about half an inch to an inch below the water level of the sump and it worked flawlessly.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

Heres a quick question for ya. Did you adjust the height of the pipes going into the sump? When i first set mine up the full syphon was too deep in the sump not allowing it to get the air out. I cut it off to where the full syphon is about half an inch to an inch below the water level of the sump and it worked flawlessly.

Nope...didn't even think of that. Not sure how far below water level they extend in the R-200.

 

[jaws789832]

I have the trigger sump and their pipe went 3 to 4 inches below the sump water level. I had to cut them off and that is when the bean animal worked as intended. Silent with backups. With the holes drilled in yours, it will work but you will probably have a gurgling sound. I might be wrong though.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

I'm not hearing any gurgling at the moment...might have to take the lid of the overflow box off to see if I hear anything.

 

[cracker]

Steve, I have to agree with Jaws. By drilling a hole in the full siphon drain. You have A durso type drain. Now wait, if You adjust the valve where the water line is "over" hole drilled in the siphon drain, it becomes a herbie of sorts. I think LOL Any way If it's working and not sounding like a constant toilet flush than call it good! I think the lines to the sump are submerged too deep. Can You remove the full siphon drain or did you glue it in place?
Either way, If You want a true herbie type drain, then make the drains into the sump not so deep? Let's say the water in the overflow box is 2 inches above the full syphon drain. then the drain at the bottom needs to be 2 inches or less below the water line. Does that sound right gents? Ok , So I "think" If You raise the drains into the sump and plug the air hole with some silicone or such, it should work as a herbie. Again does that sound right?
Anyway Thank's all who have given op's here.

 

[Steve Maxwell]

LOL...I have no idea what setup I have...maybe we created a new one! All I can say is that it is working...it is quiet...and I'm not touching it

 

[cracker]

Patent it quick! LOL You have invented the "Derbie Maxwell" type over flow!
Any way I got the gate valve today. No more excuses , time ti drill!

 

[cracker]

Ok So here is what I want to do concerning the placement of the template. I will drop the template 1/2 inch below the inside lop of the frame. By this weekend I'm surely to be into it!