FLow Rate is REALLY low...

jphilip813

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So I am not sure what is happening, but my main flow with the gate valve is just not flowing the way it use to...infact, the overflow is pushing nothing but air and I can hear it. I opened up the main return line ALL the way and place my hands where the water actually flows into my sump (first chamber) and it is not the same flow rate....It is so bad, the backup drain is loud, so I have turn the flow rate of my COR 20 to about 20%....FAR from my usual 55%. I have the Synergy Overflow version 2 1600; on a 120gallon 40gal fuji 36 sump...Suggestions to bring my flow rate back up?
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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When you realized the flow being reduced in you primary full siphon line, did you notice more water flowing down your secondary trickle line?
OMG...yes it did...that is exactly what happen...more water was coming into the trickle secondary...None actually went into the Emergency line (3rd line)...water level never got that high.
 

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How old is your set up? Sounds to me like you may have a clog or build up in the primary siphon line.

What I would do is turn your return pump back up to its normal setting. Open your gate valve (counter clockwise) to fully open. It will be loud. Let it run for a bit to flush so to speak. Then slowly close the gate valve (clockwise) in small increments until you establish a full siphon and it quiets down again. Only a small trickle should be going down your secondary trickle line.

Hopefully, by opening it up fully and letting it flush for a few moments, you can flush out whatever may have been clogging it up.
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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How old is your set up? Sounds to me like you may have a clog or build up in the primary siphon line.

What I would do is turn your return pump back up to its normal setting. Open your gate valve (counter clockwise) to fully open. It will be loud. Let it run for a bit to flush so to speak. Then slowly close the gate valve (clockwise) in small increments until you establish a full siphon and it quiets down again. Only a small trickle should be going down your secondary trickle line.

Hopefully, by opening it up fully and letting it flush for a few moments, you can flush out whatever may have been clogging it up.
Thanks for replying....My current setup is about 1yr old (Last April during COVID)...I was also thinking that something might be clogged in the main line. I did open the mainline (Which in the past, would become very loud with rushing water...NOW, that doesn't even happened...And I didn't even mention the Saltcreep DAILY on the overflow box...My next step probably on Wednesday is to shut the line done and see if I can fish something out of the mainline... Seconday line works GREAT!!!!, but that is not where the Gate valve is located...its on the main one... (See video from yesterday; timeline around 1:40-1:50)

 

Water Dog

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If you have the gate valve fully opened and still getting little flow, something is definitely clogging the line.

Unfortunately, the salt creep thing is another issue that really plagues the Synergy Reef Shadow overflow.
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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If you have the gate valve fully opened and still getting little flow, something is definitely clogging the line.

Unfortunately, the salt creep thing is another issue that really plagues the Synergy Reef Shadow overflow.
Ok, I thought I was loosing it...When I say alot of salt...ALOT of it. I reached out to Synergy and the rep. said that the Secondary line should take a lot more flow ((Not the trickle) that we are all use to hearing....kind of throw me for a loop to be honest. I will see what I can do today ((Hopefully)) I do find something in the line (((weird)))
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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is it possible that there is an airlock of some kind? can you pop the one on the full siphon off and inspect?
I pulled the U shaped one off just to see if the water rushed down the pipes with the gate valve opened ALL the way...and Nothing happened...same slow rate :rolleyes:
 

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Hopefully you have unions at both ends so you can remove that primary line and try to snake it out to clear whatever may be clogging it.
 
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jphilip813

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Hopefully you have unions at both ends so you can remove that primary line and try to snake it out to clear whatever may be clogging it.
Yeah I do...I learned a lot from this forum and others... UNIONS are our friends in this hobby, lol....currently fighting the war on two fronts...a replacement Trident from Neptune that has not worked since it arrived on Monday (working through the technical/video uploads with Neptune right now) and this slow drain....:rolleyes:
 

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Do you have some sort of screen on the intake of that drain? Keeps from have snails or fish going down and getting stuck.
I use a screen and my overflow box is covered. Nothing goes on there but water.
Once a week I open the gate a half turn and return it to the set position again. Just incase food or something did make its way in there.
 

ca1ore

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Ok, I thought I was loosing it...When I say alot of salt...ALOT of it. I reached out to Synergy and the rep. said that the Secondary line should take a lot more flow ((Not the trickle) that we are all use to hearing....kind of throw me for a loop to be honest. I will see what I can do today ((Hopefully)) I do find something in the line (((weird)))
Hard to see why that would be true. Perhaps with the synergy because of poor design, but on a well designed overflow the secondary is ideally just a trickle.
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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Do you have some sort of screen on the intake of that drain? Keeps from have snails or fish going down and getting stuck.
I use a screen and my overflow box is covered. Nothing goes on there but water.
Once a week I open the gate a half turn and return it to the set position again. Just incase food or something did make its way in there.
Hi, no I do not...Mine is free from a screen. I also, took it down Monday night...gave it a good vinegar bath (since it has being almost a year since I did it last)...cleaned out the connecting plumbing as well as the Wye...attached it back and she is running as good as new. The Snygery Overflow just bleeds salt (saltcreep) ALL the time...irks me so much because it cost so much...but that is a different battle I will deal with at another time...right now...I am HOPing something is stuck in the plumbing and not a complete design flaw...
 
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jphilip813

jphilip813

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Just an update to the group...so I took the main drain down and to my disappointment (((Nothing was stuck or lodged) in the drain on both ends. I restarted the syphon after I connected and managed to tuned the overflow back up to 50%....an increase from 20% on the COR-20. I also cleaned my COR last week to make sure it was not the pump itself ((And it was not the pump)). Now my eye is on the Synergy Overflow...seriously believe it is the overflow box itself...((Oh btw, Neptune is going to send out a SECOND Trident within one week, since the one they sent last week...didn't work))
 
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