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DIY MAME-style PVC overflow


J-Ranko

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==================DISCLAIMER====================

 

The following PVC overflow design is NOT flood-proof. While it has worked reliably in my experience, I make no claims or promises about its reliability or robustness in general. Please make sure you have a back-up mechanism in place in case the overflow is clogged or the siphon is broken. Use this design at your own risk.

 

=============================================

 

OK, now that that's out of the way...

 

I know some people have been asking for these for a while now, so sorry for the delay. It's taken a while because of two things: 1) I've been working on some 3D renderings of the device itself, and 2) procrastination. :P

 

I decided I'm going to show the design in three parts. First is the overflow itself, second will be the return, and third will be the return and overflow combined. Here are the rendered images of the overflow:

 

PAME00.jpg

 

PAME01.jpg

 

PAME02.jpg

 

PAME03.jpg

 

PAME04.jpg

 

PAME05.jpg

 

Individual parts to be outlined in the next post...

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I'm assuming here you'll be using a 3/4" PVC pipe. For a different size, adjust accordingly.

 

Here are the PVC fittings for the overflow segment (return segment to follow later):

 

PAME_10.jpg

 

Quantity is indicated inside the curly brackets {}.

1. {1} 3/4" elbow

2. {6} 3/4" Street elbow

3. {1} 3/4" Tee

4. {1} 3/4" Cap (slip) [note: cap in the picture has a small drilled hole on top]

5. {1} 3/4" to 1/2" Slip x FPT adapter

6. {1} 1/2" to 3/4" MPT x Barbed adapter (nylon)

7. {1} 1/8" to 1/8" barbed union (nylon)

 

The "crown" that is used to strain the water is made from 9 regular cable ties (white).

 

PAME_11.jpg

 

Just cut off the kinked ends of the cable ties, wrap a cable tie around the water inlet, and superglue them together per the picture above.

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Nice render

 

Make sure you read through my write up and you may avoid some issues. I hope you have better luck with the noise then I did.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=244598&hl=

 

Thanks for pointing out your thread. Didn't know about it till now.

 

The idea of hooking up the venturi on the return pump to the overflow (to prime and maintain the siphon) is just like how the MAME works. I was never able to make an effective venturi on the return PVC segment (like the original MAME design) so I went back to the standard design using a check valve. But I might try hooking it up to a return pump with a venturi fitting, since you had success with it.

 

I haven't had any issues with gurgling noises, though (it's been on my tank for about a month now). I think having a cap with a small hole drilled on top, putting a valve on the return pump, and using clear flexible tubing helps to prevent any gurgling noises.

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Here's the render for the return segment:

 

PAME12.jpg

 

This is very simple so I don't think I need to separate the individual parts, but let me know if you need me to do so. I made the return section out of 1/2" CPVC. Here's the parts list:

 

1. {3} 1/2" CPVC street elbow

2. {1} 1/2" to 1/2" Slip x FPT adapter

3. {1} 1/2" to 1/2" MPT x Barbed adapter (nylon)

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All together now :) :

 

PAME_T.jpg

 

Use white cable ties to hold the two pieces together.

 

Start-up mechanism, siphon stability and recovery, and back-up solutions will be discussed in subsequent posts. Stay tuned.

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Just a couple quick observations. 1) This looks beautiful, as does your tank, btw 2) The problem with it it not resuming siphon may be from the down lead, the t joint looks to be above the waterline. I would suggest trying to make the back/outside loop a little more stretched and bring the T lower. This should hold enough water to create a decent vacuum when pumping resumes. Just my 2¢. Good luck with it and great work again.

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Just a couple quick observations. 1) This looks beautiful, as does your tank, btw 2) The problem with it it not resuming siphon may be from the down lead, the t joint looks to be above the waterline. I would suggest trying to make the back/outside loop a little more stretched and bring the T lower. This should hold enough water to create a decent vacuum when pumping resumes. Just my 2¢. Good luck with it and great work again.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I did build the Tee just below the water line. I know it's not that evident in the pictures, so I'll make a render from a better perspective.

 

I agree it could be lowered and stretched little more, but I purposefully built it as compact as I can, while still able to hold siphon in the event of a power outage. It does resume siphon once the pump restarts.

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Thanks for pointing out your thread. Didn't know about it till now.

 

The idea of hooking up the venturi on the return pump to the overflow (to prime and maintain the siphon) is just like how the MAME works. I was never able to make an effective venturi on the return PVC segment (like the original MAME design) so I went back to the standard design using a check valve. But I might try hooking it up to a return pump with a venturi fitting, since you had success with it.

 

I haven't had any issues with gurgling noises, though (it's been on my tank for about a month now). I think having a cap with a small hole drilled on top, putting a valve on the return pump, and using clear flexible tubing helps to prevent any gurgling noises.

 

frist damn that render is fantastic.

 

as to the mame just like the siphon kit to drain a water bed. the vacume/siphon is started & maintaned by a feed from the return line.

siphon%20overflow.jpg

mame-nano-overflow-2.jpg

nano-overflow-mame.jpg

the only reason I bring this up is that if the vent is powered by the venturi. it may cause it to maintain siphon. not likely but possible.

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frist damn that render is fantastic.

 

as to the mame just like the siphon kit to drain a water bed. the vacume/siphon is started & maintaned by a feed from the return line.

siphon%20overflow.jpg

 

How does this design work? Is that a venturi fitting at the top of the return pipe? It is suppose to suck air/water from the overflow pipe and thereby prime the siphon? I tried making something similar but got two frustrating results depending on how I configured the venturi on the return pipe:

 

1. Siphon too weak to pull air/water out of overflow pipe.

2. Water in the return pipe/line flows out and through the feed into the overflow pipe/line, instead of the other way around.

 

nano-overflow-mame.jpg

the only reason I bring this up is that if the vent is powered by the venturi. it may cause it to maintain siphon. not likely but possible.

 

I've seen videos of the MAME in action, and it appears to work thus:

 

Return pump pumps water through the return line, which contains a venturi near the top. This venturi is connected to the overflow line, so that the vacuum produced by the venturi sucks out the air in the overflow and thereby starts the siphon in the overflow line. Here's a

.
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actually the outlet on the return line diverts a small percentage, into the overflow, priming the siphon. after watching those videos, added a siphon break to help prevent flooding. haven't built it was from a thread where we where bouncing ideas around. watch close in the vid & you can see it spray water into the siphon.

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I am looking at building something simular to this. I'm going to use the longer tubes like the original PVC overflow, but add the Mame siphon between the return and overflow. I have a few questions:

 

- How much flow are you using on your return?

- Is there a point where the flow is not enough to pull the siphon?

- Would this design work if the return was on the other side of the tank away from the overflow (20" between mine)?

- Did you create an angle cut on the 1/4" barb for the return to help pull the siphon and keep the return from pushing water into the overflow? I also thought of placing the tube a few inches into the return instead of using the angle cut.

 

BTW. Your rendering doesn't show where the barb was placed on the return, but I suspect it is in the same location as the other barb on the overflow.

 

EDIT: ok I don't see where you said you used a barb union to put the siphon line back into the return, so I guess you did something different that needs to be explained.

 

David

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

So, if the power fails, will this keep siphon for when the pump turns back on to prevent overflow?

 

Also how do we start the suction?

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
So how many gph is this rated at?

 

 

So, if the power fails, will this keep siphon for when the pump turns back on to prevent overflow?

 

Also how do we start the suction?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

try a pm.

 

i made one, slightly different design.

 

once hooked up properly, the venturi can be very reliable.

 

flow rate isn't that high if you use smaller pvc, but it works.

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maybe tommorrow. i'd need to find pics, wherever they are, or take some new ones...i'll probably take some new ones tommorow, so check back.

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