I need help quieting my overflow

[DEE’S reef]

I have a durso style overflow that I got with my tank and I’m struggling with getting the sound to not sound like a toilet flushing because I have a glass lid the lid propped slightly up so it doesn’t absolutely siphon the water and make a Weird noise. What Ideas do you guys think for the overflow

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'd start by looking at your durso standpipe. First, it shouldn't be hitting your lid. If it is, the lid on the breather hole could be causing the gurgling issue. I'm hoping the durso is an adjustable model that you can move up or down....and that's were I'd start. With it hitting the lid, I'd start by moving it down. I'm sure there are video's about this and if I find one, I'll add it to this post.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’d start by omitting that giant loop in the drain tubing! Gravity drains do not like going uphill!

 

[exnisstech]

I agree with starting by removing the loop. You should be able to get a piece of vinyl or silicone hose to replacement it. I like silicone because it's easier to work with and I feel it can help reduce vibrations.

 

[UncommonSense]

I also see what looks like a substantial amount of salt creep from the drain bulkhead fitting… I’d recommend checking the bulkhead nut for tightness!

If it’s already tight, and is still weeping water; the bulkhead gasket has failed, and needs replacement!

(Return plumbing is also not pushed very far onto barbed fittings, I’d be worried about one of these popping off and flooding the room!)

 

[DEE’S reef]

I’ll look at again when I get home. Also when I got the tank I could remove the bulk heads. And the durso is fixed at a height and part of it was glued

 

[Freenow54]

Is that smaller one the water return to the display? Add an elbow and have the ends of a two pipe splitter just below the water level on the horizontal . The loop for sure , and cant see but is the drain terminating as close to the bottom as it can ?

 

[UncommonSense]

Also when I got the tank I could remove the bulk heads. And the durso is fixed at a height and part of it was glued

I assume you meant to say that the bulkheads are stuck/cannot be removed, and the durso standpipe is glued in place?

If so, that would be a good place to start… this tank will have chronic leaks unless the hard/likely cracked bulkhead fitting gaskets are addressed!

Regarding the Durso standpipe, that can easily be removed with the bulkhead fitting as it is on the flange side… assuming the bulkhead fittings cannot be reused, you can make a new durso standpipe, or simply cut the existing one and mate it to a straight pipe coupler on a new bulkhead w/length of pipe, at the same height!

(Alternatively, you could convert this tank to a dual drain configuration while addressing bulkheads! This would necessitate running the return plumbing up the back of the tank/over the rim, but means you get a near-silent drain system with some drain clog redundancy!)

 

[DEE’S reef]

So would hard plumbing the tank like getting pvc pipe that goes straight to the sump make it quieter. Also here so more picture of the top of the durso pipe the lid kinda of rest on the pipe. So I have a small peice of airline riveting raising the glass lid up.

 

[DEE’S reef]

Is that smaller one the water return to the display? Add an elbow and have the ends of a two pipe splitter just below the water level on the horizontal . The loop for sure , and cant see but is the drain terminating as close to the bottom as it can ?

The smaller pipe is the return pipe

 

[Jamie814]

So would hard plumbing the tank like getting pvc pipe that goes straight to the sump make it quieter.

Redo the drain line and remove that big loop, it will get rid of the surging like a toilet flushing on the drain line.

 

[Jamie814]

I have a glass lid the lid propped slightly up so it doesn’t absolutely siphon the water and make a Weird noise. What Ideas do you guys think for the overflow

Get rid of the glass lids completly, they block light which is critical for corals, reduce gas exchange and cause salt creep.
Your better off with a screentop or tight fitting canopy to prevent fish from jumping.

 

[UncommonSense]

So would hard plumbing the tank like getting pvc pipe that goes straight to the sump make it quieter.

Getting rid of the loop in the current drain plumbing would make it about as quiet as hard plumbing that single drain in PVC… Durso standpipe (single drain) systems are inherently quite loud unless you really turn down return pump flow rate…

Hence me mentioning the option to convert this to a dual drain (herbie) tank, and just running the return plumbing up the back/over the tank rim! (Two drain pipes means one can be run at a full siphon, making it near-silent!)

 

[DEE’S reef]

@UncommonSense I change the tubing to vinyl but it made it louder should I modify the durso pipe add a bigger hole or what

 

[UncommonSense]

I’d start by turning your return pump down, assuming it’s DC!

 

[DEE’S reef]

So I just have the sicce syncra 3.0 return pipe.

 

[UncommonSense]

So I just have the sicce syncra 3.0 return pipe.

Hmm… that should be maxing out at around 400-500GPH (observed) in this plumbing arrangement…

Care to share photos of the standpipe itself? Particularly, the cap area and plumbing configuration!

 

[DEE’S reef]

I also figured out that my durso pipe hole was clogged with some air line so I got rid of it no real flushing sound.

 

[DEE’S reef]

So the flushing gone there’s just some gurgling from the input of the sum.
Here’s some picture

 

[UncommonSense]

I also figured out that my durso pipe hole was clogged with some air line so I got rid of it no real flushing sound.

That air line is intentional, reefers used to put a valve on it to try and tune in silent running by controlling air flow into the drain… it’s honestly a complicated mess, and wasn’t reliable, as you’ve just experienced!

The sump gurgling is pretty typical of a single drain overflow, they really don’t run silent unless you turn down return pump flow significantly!