Overflow box question.. please help!!

Jonviviano · 01/27/2006, 02:29 PM

Ok, so i have an overflow bos almost identical to this one.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=CR1513

Everyday i look at it and there is an accumulation of air bubbles stuck in the siphon, I know eventually i will forget about this and it will break suction. On another thread i saw this pump thats supposed to keep suction.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=CR1513

I was wondering if it is supposed to have water flow through it(?) Im very confused with this pump but i am tired of sucking the air out of my overflow box manually (ew!)
Any help with the setup of this little pump would be greatly appreciated, THANKS!

twkenny · 01/27/2006, 02:34 PM

Uh oh...same products showing!

Jonviviano · 01/27/2006, 02:36 PM

OOPS! Sorry, this is the pump i ment (blushing)

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...dproduct=KTALP

twkenny · 01/27/2006, 02:36 PM

If it's an Aqualifter (?) you're talking about then yes...it will suck the air out as it accumulates. It will pull water too. No problem.

Jonviviano · 01/27/2006, 02:38 PM

ok, thanks! I know this sounds stupid, but do i leave it running? or only when i need to take out air bubble, which would ruin the purpose.Thanks again

twkenny · 01/27/2006, 03:08 PM

No problem!
Yeah, it always runs.

Gabby Tony · 01/27/2006, 03:23 PM

I have the same set up. I leave mine running all the time. That way if there is ever a power failure, your overflow will get it's syphon back automatically when your power is restored.

Tony

bradleyj · 01/27/2006, 03:29 PM

I run one on mine all the time. I used to have a problem with them breaking down and dieing on me, but if you put on a prefilter befroe it, they run great.

Ereefic · 01/27/2006, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gabby Tony
I have the same set up. I leave mine running all the time. That way if there is ever a power failure, your overflow will get it's syphon back automatically when your power is restored.

Tony

Unless your pump fails, then your in trouble. I'd ditch it and get a u-tube style overflow. One day, you'll thank me.

twkenny · 01/27/2006, 03:48 PM

A pump fail at an inopportune time? Nah, not in this hobby!

Gabby Tony · 01/27/2006, 04:44 PM

I have unplugged my pump and let my tank drain back into the sump until it breaks it's syphon. NEVER have had a spill or overflow yet.

Porkibear · 01/27/2006, 05:41 PM

Another thing you might consider checking is if you have a crack in the overflow U-tube. Mine had a small hairline crack, and the vacuum was sucking air through the crack and accumulating in the tube... eventually breaking the overflow and tank overflowing!

I fixed the crack by sealing it with epoxy from my LFS. Fixed the problem, and had no problems ever since.

twkenny · 01/27/2006, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gabby Tony
I have unplugged my pump and let my tank drain back into the sump until it breaks it's syphon. NEVER have had a spill or overflow yet.

It actually should not break the siphon as long as both ends of the u tube or whatever type you are using stays underwater inside the box. In other words, if the power fails, it should not require any type of pump or manual help at all to get the overflow working again. The wide, flat tubes seem to accumulate a lot more bubbles that the old standard U tubes, the ones that are just a U shaped round piece of tubing. I ran one for over a year and never lost the siphon and did not run an air pump. Any bubbles that got in the tube got sucked through pretty quickly.
It's imperative that the bottom of the tube is lower than the "teeth" on the part of the box inside the tank, and the standpipe has to be higher than the bottom of the tube on the box on the outside of the tank. If you turn off the return pump, the boxes on the inside and outside of the tank have to have enough water in them to keep the ends of the tube submerged when the water level equalizes in each box and the water drains down to the top of the standpipe. The tube stays full, and when the pump comes back on and the overflow box inside the tank fills up, it simply pushes the water to the outside box and you're good to go.
The siphon can get broken if enough bubbles accumulate and the water can't push the bubbles through. Since water moves faster through the round tubes, it moves air out more easily.

sjm817 · 01/27/2006, 08:07 PM

As above, your overflow should not break siphon when you turn your pump off. Something is wrong. Maybe a too short or missing standpipe?

01/27/2006, 02:29 PM	#1
Jonviviano Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 417	Overflow box question.. please help!! Ok, so i have an overflow bos almost identical to this one. http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=CR1513 Everyday i look at it and there is an accumulation of air bubbles stuck in the siphon, I know eventually i will forget about this and it will break suction. On another thread i saw this pump thats supposed to keep suction. http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=CR1513 I was wondering if it is supposed to have water flow through it(?) Im very confused with this pump but i am tired of sucking the air out of my overflow box manually (ew!) Any help with the setup of this little pump would be greatly appreciated, THANKS!

01/27/2006, 03:23 PM	#7
Gabby Tony Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Springfield, Illinois Posts: 227	I have the same set up. I leave mine running all the time. That way if there is ever a power failure, your overflow will get it's syphon back automatically when your power is restored. Tony __________________ Eco-system 3012 filtration 90 Gal 92 lb LR, 15 lbs LS 2 perc clwns 1 Lwnmowr Blennie 1 Yellow Tang 1 Em. Crab 2 Blood Shrimp 4 Turbos Check my gallery for recent pics Current Tank Info: 90-Converted 5-8-03

01/27/2006, 03:29 PM	#8
bradleyj Reefkeeping Mag Staff Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Murray, Utah Posts: 3,454	I run one on mine all the time. I used to have a problem with them breaking down and dieing on me, but if you put on a prefilter befroe it, they run great. __________________ Murray, Utah 335G reef, 72" Maristar, Deltec AP702, PF601S , 2 Darts 4Vortech MP40's 18,000 Gph Feb, 2012 RC TOTM Current Tank Info: 335g Leemar

01/27/2006, 04:44 PM	#11
Gabby Tony Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Springfield, Illinois Posts: 227	I have unplugged my pump and let my tank drain back into the sump until it breaks it's syphon. NEVER have had a spill or overflow yet. __________________ Eco-system 3012 filtration 90 Gal 92 lb LR, 15 lbs LS 2 perc clwns 1 Lwnmowr Blennie 1 Yellow Tang 1 Em. Crab 2 Blood Shrimp 4 Turbos Check my gallery for recent pics Current Tank Info: 90-Converted 5-8-03

01/27/2006, 08:07 PM	#14
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	As above, your overflow should not break siphon when you turn your pump off. Something is wrong. Maybe a too short or missing standpipe? __________________ - Scott

01/27/2006, 02:34 PM	#2
twkenny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sunny South Posts: 1,081	Uh oh...same products showing!

01/27/2006, 02:36 PM	#3
Jonviviano Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 417	OOPS! Sorry, this is the pump i ment (blushing) http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...dproduct=KTALP

01/27/2006, 02:38 PM	#5
Jonviviano Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 417	ok, thanks! I know this sounds stupid, but do i leave it running? or only when i need to take out air bubble, which would ruin the purpose.Thanks again

01/27/2006, 03:08 PM	#6
twkenny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sunny South Posts: 1,081	No problem! Yeah, it always runs.

01/27/2006, 03:48 PM	#10
twkenny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sunny South Posts: 1,081	A pump fail at an inopportune time? Nah, not in this hobby!

01/27/2006, 05:41 PM	#12
Porkibear Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 186	Another thing you might consider checking is if you have a crack in the overflow U-tube. Mine had a small hairline crack, and the vacuum was sucking air through the crack and accumulating in the tube... eventually breaking the overflow and tank overflowing! I fixed the crack by sealing it with epoxy from my LFS. Fixed the problem, and had no problems ever since.