The Shadow™ Overflow from Synergy Reef has arrived!
- Thread starter Reef News
- Start date
- Tagged users None
That doesn't make sense. If the emergency drain is open and has air able to enter the rear box, then the lid cannot create a vacuum, unless all 3 pipes have water in them. The lid should have no effect on the flow or level inside the rear box. Something else is going on. Do you have pictures of how it is plumbed inside the rear box and to the sump with water in it.
@cracker We will be RAP in Orlando next weekend. I will have some shirts there if you are attending!
tammieh
Active Member
I'll be there! Recon mission for my new 300 gallon build. Unfortunately wanted to be moved in and ready to buy at this time, but building delays....
I have 3 drains reduced down to 1 inch with a gate valve on the primary. When the lid is off the rear box says fairly full and I can adjust it quiet to a full siphon. When I put the lid on the water level in the rear box drops and nothing I do will adjust it quiet...
Hard to tell exactly what your plumbing setup is, but if you go to the basics of the BeanAnimal system, your pipes should never actually run horizontal if you can at all avoid it, and 90s should be avoided as well. These cause flow issues. In your pic above it appears you have plenty of room for using 45s to slope the drains, so that is #1 on my suggestion list.
#2 would be moving the gate valve all the way to the bottom of the drain run. This might not seem like it matters but it does. As close to the operational water surface as you can get it (i.e. you would only have maybe a 2" pipe section after the valve, and 1" of that would be under water)
#3 your OC and Siphon line should be no more than 1" underwater. I can't recall on the emergency drain but I think it's recommended to have that underwater as well.
@mixer911 if you submerge all 3 drains 1/2" to 1" under the sump surface, you could theoretically create a vacuum. Can't say I've ever considered this type of situation before (air-tight external box)
Awesome. Make sure to stop by the booth.
@Floyd R Turbo while everything you mentioned is correct with a traditional BA setup, and it is definitely the target setup, I have setup hundreds of these overflows with horizontal runs, multiple 90's and gate valves right under the rear box and they all worked flawlessly. My shop tank has a 4' horizontal run with 2 90s on each run. Gate valve 4" under the box on the primary and it runs over 3000 gph dead silent. I have tested these things with so many different plumbing configurations that as long as you don't restrict the drains (feed skimmers ect.) they are pretty versatile.
In his case something is causing the rear box to prematurely make it a vacuum. I think the emergency is not getting the air it needs to equalize the rear box. I actually designed the rear box to with a airtight lid so in the case of an emergency all 3 pipes get submerged and the box becomes a vacuum. This forces the water down the pipes at a high velocity and dumps everything. The lid being air tight in an emergency state means that it will not overflow water out of the rear box. The vacuum stops water from going over the sides as the emergency pipe is very high in the box making the water level very high as well.
Interesting, never thought of that. I like the next level thinking of this. Can't wait to set mine up!
I'm way behind but here are the drains for my dual Synergy Shadow 300.
I finally got mine installed on a new 180 build last weekend.. Wow, love it! It's so silent, sometimes I think my return isn't running and I have to open the cabinet to look at the water going into the filter sock.
nova65ss
Valuable Member
So I think I figured it out the second drain was too tall and too close to the lid creating the vacuum I shortened it and now it's quiet again but both of the 180 elbows are cracked so it is currently using both drains. They cracked right down the seem when pushing them on the standpipes.
Engloid
Valuable Member
@Floyd R Turbo while everything you mentioned is correct with a traditional BA setup, and it is definitely the target setup, I have setup hundreds of these overflows with horizontal runs, multiple 90's and gate valves right under the rear box and they all worked flawlessly. My shop tank has a 4' horizontal run with 2 90s on each run. Gate valve 4" under the box on the primary and it runs over 3000 gph dead silent. I have tested these things with so many different plumbing configurations that as long as you don't restrict the drains (feed skimmers ect.) they are pretty versatile. [/QUOTE]
The drain on the left is my siphon line. It loops around for two reasons. One is to create a trap. Secondly, because I couldn't fit all the fittings in with the same distance between as the overflow box has. This setup works great, but somebody else said it "doesn't comply with the basics of a BA overflow." I am heartbroken... haha!!! Somehow, I have never seen this LIST of BA "basics." I was also scolded for using a ball valve.
The drain on the left is my siphon line. It loops around for two reasons. One is to create a trap. Secondly, because I couldn't fit all the fittings in with the same distance between as the overflow box has. This setup works great, but somebody else said it "doesn't comply with the basics of a BA overflow." I am heartbroken... haha!!! Somehow, I have never seen this LIST of BA "basics." I was also scolded for using a ball valve.
Dead silent. My old tank had kits of noise but this new setup is ultra silent. The only noise I hear is the skimmer and other pumps.
I had to double check a few times to make sure water was flowing.
Engloid
Valuable Member
I dont use anything on it. I never clean the back of a tank because when it gets covered with coralline, it helps hide everything behind it. Likewise, it helps the overflow box to blend in also. I dont ever have plexiglass tanks because they are harder to keep clean and scratch easy. About all you can do is wipe it about three times as often, with something soft. I dont know what would take off coralline without scratching it.
Engloid
Valuable Member
Here is my overflow video. Turn up the volume and you may hear the fans on the lights, but the overflow is silent. You can hear the tv in the background. It's about 33 feet away, to give you an idea of the sound levels in the room vs the overflow.
On the left is my primary siphon. Note that it's FULLY submerged.
In the middle is the emergency drain, which is well above the other two, but below the top of the box.
On the right is the secondary drain. Notice that it is NOT fully submerged. Water level is at the low point of the elbow (inner radius).
The water level in the box is above the bottom of the bulkheads (and is determined by the secondary drain.
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5932effe9d20b/20170603_131705.mp4
On the left is my primary siphon. Note that it's FULLY submerged.
In the middle is the emergency drain, which is well above the other two, but below the top of the box.
On the right is the secondary drain. Notice that it is NOT fully submerged. Water level is at the low point of the elbow (inner radius).
The water level in the box is above the bottom of the bulkheads (and is determined by the secondary drain.
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5932effe9d20b/20170603_131705.mp4
Last edited:
Similar threads
