OVERFLOW NOT WORKING! Please help! Something is wrong and I dno what it is!

[Dustin]

I will try and stay as calm as I can in this message. My overflow does not work anymore. How the hell is this? I mean its a drilled tank, and I can see nothing in the drain line. It drains a little, but barely anything. wtf is going on? All I did was replace the return tube, probably making the flow a little great, but now the tank just wont cycle. I am really worried. Please help me.

[Dustin]

please help me folks

[serjuanca88]

Do you have a return pump? is it on? is it clogged?

[Dustin]

no, not now, and no. Its not that, its the overflow, its only draining like 1/10 its normal rate

[DeskJockey]

If you dont have a return pump how is the water getting back to the tank?

[serjuanca88]

you need a return pump to raise the water level in the main tank. An overflow on has water running if the water level rises up beyond a certain level.

[CVDReef]

if your overflow is connected to a tubing which goes to your sump, you need to have another opening in the tube to allow air to get inside. if the air in the tubing cant escape, then it will not allow the water to flow inside.

 

try splicing in another piece of tubing to allow air in, just be sure to keep the open end of the new tubing higher than the water level of your tank, or you water might come out of it

[Graywolf57]

Seems like only two things could have changed, the volume of water going into the tank (your comment saying the new return tube allows greater water flow into the tank). The second posibility is the water level in your sump, which is what CVDReef is getting at I believe. Is the overflow pipe from the tank into your sump under water now (was it before).

[Dustin]

Sorry, I do have a return pump, wasnt readin that. Its a MJ 1200 No worries, its fixed! Thanks

[Graywolf57]

OK, fess up, what was the problem:D

 

It will make us look just as silly I'm sure

[Dustin]

There was no problem, I just discovered a new law in physics or something. There must have been some kinda pressure or something, and air needed to get out. I just filled up the tank to the brim, let it slowly drain down. I did this 4 times and it slowly got better. By the 5th time it was running clean again.

[kennerd]

What type of pipe goes out to the sump, a finned bulkhead or a standpipe?

[Vincerama]

Likely the drain lines were submerged in the sump, creating backpressure as the drain lines had to work against the volume of water in the sump...like a diving bell...

 

V