DORSO OVERFLOW

[enemec1]

If I do this with a dorso corner overflow will I still be able to put a gate valve on the drain line? Return line will have a Apex flow meter.

 

[Vahanyos]

I don’t see why you won’t be able to... the screen is just going to build gunk on it eventually and possibly slow the flow through it tho.

 

[Vahanyos]

Can I ask why you want a gate valve on your drain pipe?

 

[enemec1]

Can I ask why you want a gate valve on your drain pipe?

Need to try and keep the drain quiet. Tank will be in living room.

 

[Vahanyos]

A gate valve does absolutely nothing on my durso overflow to my sump. If you want to quiet it - do the steps below. I’m the same way... I needed it super quiet and this is how I achieved it...

1. When you plumbing the durso pipe, the water pouring in your weir should not be too low for it to make a waterfall splashing sound. This is what people usually mean when they say it’s loud. 1 and a 1/2 inch fall should be good enough to not create a loud splash. This is achieved by making the water level in your weir as high as you can, but of course not too high. My water falls almost 3” and It was loud.

2. I took foam pads and inserted them so they are secure inside my wier and this pretty much interrupts any water falling inside. Super duper quiet.

3. Avoid plumbing 90 degree piping on your drain to the sump. Make it 45 degree ones and you won’t hear any flushing sounds either.

From my experience with one, these are the only ways I was able to completely silent a durso.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

Durso drains don't normally have gates on them. The air vent at the top acts as the gate a breaks the full siphon. But if you want to put a screen over the end and use a gate you can

 

[enemec1]

Vahanyos, how often do you change the pre filters in the overflow?

 

[Vahanyos]

Vahanyos, how often do you change the pre filters in the overflow?

I just rinse them in the sink every month or so. To be honest it’s been over 2 months now I haven’t done it, not really a concern. They don’t get clogged that quickly. Don’t use fine sponge, let the holes be big enough to just break the water flowing in

 

[Engloid]

If you have only one drain from the tank to the sump, and you regulate flow with a valve, that is a very bad idea. Very very bad.

 

[Hemmdog]

If you have only one drain from the tank to the sump, and you regulate flow with a valve, that is a very bad idea. Very very bad.

+1
I have a gate valve on my durso and I’ve never touched it once in my tanks life. It’s risky, I was noob when I plumbed it.

 

[Vahanyos]

+1
I have a gate valve on my durso and I’ve never touched it once in my tanks life. It’s risky, I was noob when I plumbed it.

I did the same haha - It really does absolutely nothing lol

 

[Engloid]

I did the same haha - It really does absolutely nothing lol

Unless you restrict flow even a few drops per hour too much......and it may take a week to overflow the tank. :)

 

[enemec1]

so if i just plumb one in and leave it open I'm ok. Reason for this would be if I'm not happy with the sound from the durso i have that in place to do a herby and go over the back with the return line ( don't want to do this cause of the look). Also doing it this way would allow me to shut down the tank and remove the sump for any reason for maintnaince. Just trying to future proof some options.

 

[Engloid]

Think of your tank like a bucket of water that is full to the top. If you pump a gallon of additional water into the bucket, all the will spill out is a gallon. Once you stopp pumping water into the bucket, it will stop overflowing.

Your overflow is the same way. The amount overflowing and draining to your sump will only be the amount that is pumped into the tank. Once you stop pumping water into it, the water overflowing into the drain will stop.

Now consider a bucket with a small hole in the side, filled to that hole. If water is added slowly enough, it will never reach the top of the bucket and spill over the rim, but will instead only flow out the hole. What if you add water at a slightly higher rate than the hole can flow? It will wind up filling the bucket and overflowing, at some time. It may be seconds, or days, depending on how faster water is pumped into the bucket, compared to what can flow through the hole. If you dont want the bucket to overflow, you dont want to restrict flow out the hole in the side.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

so if i just plumb one in and leave it open I'm ok. Reason for this would be if I'm not happy with the sound from the durso i have that in place to do a herby and go over the back with the return line ( don't want to do this cause of the look). Also doing it this way would allow me to shut down the tank and remove the sump for any reason for maintnaince. Just trying to future proof some options.

You can use it to shut it down for maintenance if you would like. If you shut the return pump off the water will stop flowing back down the overflow though. If you have a herbie oveoverflow in mind i would use a true gate valve and not the quarter or half turn ball valve. You wont have enough control over it as the slightest adjustments will be too much either way

 

[FoxyFace]

If I do this with a dorso corner overflow will I still be able to put a gate valve on the drain line? Return line will have a Apex flow meter.

You could put a gate valve right off the return pump on the feed line.

 

[jsvand5]

I’d just skip the durso. Use the drilled return hole as your main drain, use the original drain hole as your emergency drain and have it plumbed as a Herbie style. Just run the return up over the back. You will never be happy with a durso setup

 

[doughboy]

fwiw, durso can generate noise at the overflow box and in the sump. the overflow box noise can easily be silenced like what you did. the sump is another story. The best way I have seen is to use sump that completely muffles the drain line. it goes into a compartment that is fully enclosed and goes under water then water flows back up and drops into two or more socks.
I gave up on durso and just plumbed an over the top return in order to get herbie configuration on the two overflow pipes.

 

[Katrina71]

I'm really glad I read this. I just got some very good info.

 

[Vahanyos]

The muffled sound is true with the durso setups. You'll have to submerge the pipe at least 2" in the water for it to be completely silent. Unfortunately for me, mine sits 2" above my water line (thank you to crappy plumbing provided by the manufacturer), but it's still not loud at all. Barely hear it with my stand doors closed

Sure you can put a valve on it still - but it'll be used for anything BUT adjusting the flow rate lol