when power goes out my system won't restart well help!!!

[Lunchbucket]

ok, my roomie blew the circut my tank was on. was ok. restarted it and my overflow won't keep up right away w/ the return pump. the tank fills faster than it drains. have to mess w/ the ball valve to get it to work!! i don't want to have a flood sometime so please help me out.

external overflow. keeps up when it is set but won't go that fast when restarted. it is primed (always) but it gets air in the overflow vinly tubbing to the sump and i think that slows it. so how do i fix that. don't want a flood and short the electricity.

later
Lunchbucket

 

[Lunchbucket]

put a one way valve in the tubbing?? just the air in there won't let the water flow as fast as it needs too

aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, i am worried about a power outage when i am gone now!!

later
Lunchbucket

 

[Carpentersreef]

I have an external overflow as well, and I have had the same problems. I think that the problem is backpressure on the overflow, in my case. I have my overflow draining into a refugium that is drilled about halfway up the tank. The water flow has to get going before the overflow operates properly. I think that the external overflow has too small of capacity. I have the CPR.
I have found that cleaning the piping helps.
My next tank will be reef ready.

 

[Lunchbucket]

sorry to hear you have the problem too but how do i fix it? anyway to do it? it is the air that takes up room where the water should be (filling the pipe up) the air doesn't come out right away. suppose w/ teh water pushing it down ans stuff.

no i am stressed

so do drilled tanks have that problem too?

later
Lunchbucket

[ August 04, 2001: Message edited by: Lunchbucket ]

 

[Carpentersreef]

yeah, sorry I couldn't be of more help. I think the main problem is the size of the pipe coming out of the overflow. Mine is only 3/4" inside diameter, and of course it's gravity fed. I think it would help tons if you could somehow increase the pipe size.
I don't think that reef ready tanks have the same problem because the overflow pipes are something like 1 1/4". Someone with one will have to respond to that.

Mitch

 

[Lunchbucket]

any help on what size to use. i will try it if it works!!

later
Lunchbucket

 

[Lunchbucket]

^^^^^

 

[SPC]

Hi Lunchbucket, need some more info please. What brand overflow?
How does the water leave your overflow box, in other words are you using a Durso type or is it just a straight stand pipe?
How does your drain enter your sump, under the water or...?
Steve

 

[Lunchbucket]

it is a diy overflow. the water leave by way of a 1 1/2inch (i think) pvc connection. and 1 1/2 inch vinly tubbing. no stand pipe. should i make one? if so how? what type

also it enters the sump above the water line into a drip plate then into the refugium.

hope you can help
later
Lunchbucket

 

[BobCReef]

Is it the U Tube on the overflow that accumulates air and restricts the flow. If so i had this problem also and solved it by increasing the return flow back to the tank. What happens is the is not enough flow thru the U tube so small bubbles can gather at the top of the tube. More flow will carry those small bubbles thru so you do not get that air lock at the top of the tube.
Not sure if this is what you mean. At first i would periodicly shake the tube to get the air out because you could see it gathering in the tube. What size pump are you using for return.

 

[SPC]

Lunch, how does your U tube stay primed with the outside box not having a stand pipe of some kind? By your description it sounds like your drain is mounted in the bottom of your outside box which would mean that it would empty completely when you turn off the power.
Steve

 

[Lunchbucket]

yeah the drain is on the bottom of the outside box and yes it does empty all that way.

i don't have a u tube

go here and look at the overflow design

it is like the cpr ones...no u tube.

do i need a stand pipe? will that help. the vinyl tubbing on the over flow (outside box bottom where it drains) will still empty and leave the air in there.

mine be able to snap a pic if my camera lets me upload pics

later
Lunchbucket

 

[SPC]

Lunch, I didn't realize you had this design. I have no experience with this overflow design (I have only used U or J tube designs) but what I have read on this board about them is that they can loose siphon very easily. You may want to start a new thread with CPR in the title to get people to respond who have experience with them. I know you said that it dosen't loose siphon, but there may be some other reason for your problem that is unique to this design.
Steve