DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I've been running a durso style for a while now in my 70. It's been great! Quiet and flows way more than the open pipe did in my overflow box. However, today when I got home, the floor was flooded. Just a couple gallons, but enough to destroy the shitacular laminate flooring (no loss there, but annoying.) It only overflowed until the water in the sump return chamber dropped below where the return pump could pump it. Turns out the durso had clogged. Not with a snail or algae, but with AIR. After running for months, it decides to fill with air? What the hell? Anybody else have this happen? Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Turns out we had a brief power outage. Enough to allow some air to get trapped? Dunno... What I *do* know is I need to get a UPS for the return pump... Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Can you install a emergency drain along side the durso? I would have thought that the air hole in the top cap of the standpipe would have let the air escape. Been a long time since I've had a durso so other than that I can't be of any help. Link to comment
righttirefire Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I thought the little hole in the cap prevented air getting trapped Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I looked at your thread but couldn't see a good picture of the over flow. Can you drill the tank? If so I'd drill it and put in a internal overflow and plumb it bean animal style. Fail safes in place. 3 drains so really no chance of flooding. Also it's self starting after a power outage. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Here's a pic: (The water level isn't normally that high. I was tuning it when I took that pic.) I'm still confused why it would fail by plugging with an air pocket. The airline wasn't clogged with anything but water when I pulled it out. But once I pulled it out all the bubbles came out. It's gotta be tied to the power outage we had. It was just a few minutes, but obviously enough to cause trouble. There isn't room for another standpipe in that overflow, but I could maybe put a bulkhead in the side with an open drain to the sump. It would suck and be ugly, but should work well enough as an emergency overflow. I have so much flow in this tank that I doubt I could get enough flow with an open pipe (flushing). But it would definitely help. Can't drill the tank... Already running. I'm not confident enough in my skills to drill it with water in it. My luck I'd crack it, and then I'd have a real mess. Because this tank has scratches in it, I've actually been considering buying a new one, but that's a cost for another day. Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 From what I gather after reading a few threads on it the air pump is suppose to pull the air out of the standpipe to create a siphon. Is the nipple on the air pump clogged or anything. The design is suppose to restart the siphon if power is lost too though, doesn't seem like a great design. How big is your return pump? Could it be that when the power was restored the air pump didn't have time too clear all the air before your return pump filled the display up? Is your return pump rated for really close to what the over flow max is? Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 I think you're mixing my overflow with the standpipe. That standpipe didn't come with that overflow. There's no airpump on the durso, the line is just open to atmosphere. As far as flow matching, yes. The pump and the overflow are *very* closely matched. I'm running a Sicce Synchra Pro 800gph pump and that CS90. The only way I could run that pump full speed was if I installed the durso. Otherwise I got maybe half of the capacity of that pump (the adjustment on the pump was all the way down, and the overflow was still flushing.) Link to comment
jbb Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I have always use an aqualifter attached to the top of the box to help prime the system in case of an outage . Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I think you're mixing my overflow with the standpipe. That standpipe didn't come with that overflow. There's no airpump on the durso, the line is just open to atmosphere. As far as flow matching, yes. The pump and the overflow are *very* closely matched. I'm running a Sicce Synchra Pro 800gph pump and that CS90. The only way I could run that pump full speed was if I installed the durso. Otherwise I got maybe half of the capacity of that pump (the adjustment on the pump was all the way down, and the overflow was still flushing.) Ah I got ya. Guess I didn't read the threads enough haha. Sorry wasn't much help then. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 I have always use an aqualifter attached to the top of the box to help prime the system in case of an outage . As do I. Not sure what that has to do with my durso problem though. Link to comment
jbb Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 As do I. Not sure what that has to do with my durso problem though. Doh' Sorry , was thinking the box siphon was lost . Let me read again ... Brb Just for giggles pull that down facing 90 off and see what it does, see if that changes anything Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 lol, no worries. Somehow, when power went out, enough air got into the standpipe, along with a bit of water to block the airline, so that the drain just stopped. When I pulled the line out of the durso, a ton of bubbles came out, and the drain started flowing normally again. That's all I can figure out. Seems to me the weight of the water would have been adequate to pull the tiny drop of water out of the airline, allowing things to flow. The only thing I can think of is that because the end in the sump is fully submerged there was enough back pressure to keep all that from happening. Just for giggles pull that down facing 90 off and see what it does, see if that changes anything You mean have the opening horizontal? I ran it like that for a bit at first when playing with the durso concept, and it was much noisier. But I think that would eliminate the risk, you're right. Link to comment
jbb Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 lol, no worries. Somehow, when power went out, enough air got into the standpipe, along with a bit of water to block the airline, so that the drain just stopped. When I pulled the line out of the durso, a ton of bubbles came out, and the drain started flowing normally again. That's all I can figure out. Seems to me the weight of the water would have been adequate to pull the tiny drop of water out of the airline, allowing things to flow. The only thing I can think of is that because the end in the sump is fully submerged there was enough back pressure to keep all that from happening. That's weird because when I ran that setup mine was submurged as well and I never ran into that problem. My piping inside the box was 1.25" though so there may have been enough room to let any type of back pressure out . If that is what happened . I would run a couple of power outage simulations on it and see what exactly is going on, that's a disaster waiting to happen. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Or I could throw it all out and get a bigger overflow and go fully bean animal. My planar herbie 17 is happening this weekend (though the glass for hte inside won't be ready till Monday. Grrr... Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Personally I'd tear it off and either drill it or get one with better reviews and plumb it bean animal style. Hopefully I am going to drill my 40 sometime soon haven't made up my mind about a overflow yet. Love the Synergy ghost but I think that might be s little overkill for a 40. Haha Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 What's wrong with the overflow? I think it's fine. The durso is something I added. This overflow is only rated for 600gph, and with the 5 ft head, my pump is probably only putting out that much. So it's a good match. Link to comment
jbb Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Personally I'd tear it off and either drill it or get one with better reviews and plumb it bean animal style. Hopefully I am going to drill my 40 sometime soon haven't made up my mind about a overflow yet. Love the Synergy ghost but I think that might be s little overkill for a 40. Haha Check it , and they will do custom if needed http://www.elite-aquatics.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=57&product_id=43 They will have lids available also Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 I was able to repeat the issue. An air pocket would block the flow every time the power went out. I did lots of test before, I'm not sure why now it doesn't work. Hmm.. I removed the downward pointing elbow (no glue in the durso) and it stopped trapping air. Hmm... But now it's noisier thanks to the vortex that gets created and destroyed repeatedly. I'm going to need to work out something else... Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Check it , and they will do custom if needed http://www.elite-aquatics.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=57&product_id=43 image.jpg image.jpg They will have lids available also Those look nice. But they say you can plumb it for a bean animal style but it only has two drains on it. Don't you have to have three drains for a bean animal? For $120 I wouldn't want to have to drill my own third hole. Ah never mind. I saw the one with the third drain. Wish the weir was removable like the synergy ones so you could take it off and clean the teeth. Link to comment
jbb Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Those look nice. But they say you can plumb it for a bean animal style but it only has two drains on it. Don't you have to have three drains for a bean animal? For $120 I wouldn't want to have to drill my own third hole. Ah never mind. I saw the one with the third drain. Wish the weir was removable like the synergy ones so you could take it off and clean the teeth. Nothing a toothbrush can't handle Link to comment
lkoechle Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 You don't think salt clogged it? I have to clean mine every so often. If you need to make the air hole smaller, instead of using airline (which I have never had luck with) you could duct tape it shut and put in a smaller hole I have no idea what could be causing your main issue though. Where is the water level normally? You usually run it half way up the elbow and there should be another piece at the top with a cap... Link to comment
Hig789 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Nothing a toothbrush can't handleOh yeah for sure. That's probably the one I'll get. If the reef savvy ones weren't $250 I'd get one of those. I like the no bulkhead design on the rear box and the overflow is a1/2" skinnier. Sorry to high jack the thread. Link to comment
DurocShark Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 No worries. I'm enjoying the discussion. I think I just am crushing the flow on this. I need a second drain. Link to comment
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