Overflow Pipes depth into sump?

Trickman2 · 05/22/2018, 12:05 PM

So I had a custom sump built. My question is now when the overflow pipes enter the sump chamber how far underwater should they go?

Trickman2 · 05/22/2018, 12:28 PM

sump

JTL · 05/22/2018, 01:20 PM

An inch or so is good.

Steve175 · 07/15/2018, 08:01 AM

It matters little as long as micro bubbles and/or sump detritus build-up are non-issues. Very nice sump. Virgin. It may be too late, but it is more efficient for the skimmer output to be in a chamber distal to the intake. And if the middle chamber is a refugium, you will want to put some sort of screen across the 2nd divider to keep your macro in place.

Lsufan · 07/15/2018, 09:42 AM

It depends on the type of drain setup u have. Looks like u have a beananimal in which case it definitely matters & u don’t want to submerge them no more then 1”. With a syphon drain the further u have the ends of the pipes submerged the harder it is to purge the air from the pipes. So with them submerged to far they will take forever to purge the air & the syphon to kick in & it may not kick in at all

mfinn · 07/15/2018, 06:47 PM

My beananimal style drains go about 6" under the waters surface in my sump.

Tom39 · 07/20/2018, 07:25 PM

Anywhere from just below the surface to 1" below the surface.

Daddi0 · 07/20/2018, 08:10 PM

My drains are 6 inches above the water in my sump

mcgyvr · 07/21/2018, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfinn

My beananimal style drains go about 6" under the waters surface in my sump.

And the bean would work better/startup faster if you had them at 1" or less..

mcgyvr · 07/21/2018, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daddi0

My drains are 6 inches above the water in my sump

Are you deaf or just enjoy the sound of water falling...

Feel like you have to pee all the time??

mfinn · 07/21/2018, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

And the bean would work better/startup faster if you had them at 1" or less..

Works just fine the way it is.

Daddi0 · 07/21/2018, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Are you deaf or just enjoy the sound of water falling...

Feel like you have to pee all the time??

Yes, Yes, and YeSSSSS

They are in the garage so the sound of water is soothing.

Lsufan · 07/22/2018, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfinn

Works just fine the way it is.

I’m glad it works for u but most people would have issues if they submerged a syphon drain 6” into the sump. In fact if I had to guess, I bet atleast 75 to 80% of the people who have issues with the syphon kicking in is because they have the drain pipe submerged to far into the sump

mfinn · 07/22/2018, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsufan

I’m glad it works for u but most people would have issues if they submerged a syphon drain 6” into the sump. In fact if I had to guess, I bet atleast 75 to 80% of the people who have issues with the syphon kicking in is because they have the drain pipe submerged to far into the sump

I have no idea what you are talking about.
What does, "issues with the syphon kicking in " mean?

Lsufan · 07/22/2018, 03:31 PM

It means a syphon isn’t a syphon until it purges all the air from the pipe. Once it purges the air it starts a syphon. The further the pipes are submerged in the sump the harder it makes it to purge the air from the pipe, which is the reason u aren’t supposed to submerge a syphon drain more the 1” into the sump. Sure it can work in some cases but more times then not it causes issues

mfinn · 07/22/2018, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsufan

It means a syphon isn’t a syphon until it purges all the air from the pipe. Once it purges the air it starts a syphon. The further the pipes are submerged in the sump the harder it makes it to purge the air from the pipe, which is the reason u aren’t supposed to submerge a syphon drain more the 1” into the sump. Sure it can work in some cases but more times then not it causes issues

I do have one drain that is full syphon.
Never knew it could be a issue.
The second does have some air in it.
I'm running my RD2 80 watt at 70 watts and the overflow, and sump drains are very quiet, along with the pumps I'm running.

Lsufan · 07/22/2018, 07:17 PM

I wasn’t trying to tell u that u are wrong or anything. I just wanted to point it out being people may read the posts & think it doesn’t matter how far they submerge the pipes. Then they have issues & don’t know why. The point of them not being submerged more then 1” has everything to do with the pipe being able to purge the air so the syphon starts

Daddi0 · 07/23/2018, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsufan

I wasn’t trying to tell u that u are wrong or anything. I just wanted to point it out being people may read the posts & think it doesn’t matter how far they submerge the pipes. Then they have issues & don’t know why. The point of them not being submerged more then 1” has everything to do with the pipe being able to purge the air so the syphon starts

Does a drain "syphon" out of the display? On all of my reefs, water simply overflows and drains.
Cheers! Mark

Lsufan · 07/23/2018, 05:59 PM

It depends on the drain setup. If the drain has air in it then it isn’t a syphon. A syphon drain doesn’t have any air in the pipe, which is the reason they are silent. Beananimal & herbie drain setups have a syphon drain for the main drain.

05/22/2018, 12:05 PM	#1
Trickman2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 446	Overflow Pipes depth into sump? So I had a custom sump built. My question is now when the overflow pipes enter the sump chamber how far underwater should they go?

05/22/2018, 01:20 PM	#3
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	An inch or so is good. __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

07/15/2018, 08:01 AM	#4
Steve175 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 1,186	It matters little as long as micro bubbles and/or sump detritus build-up are non-issues. Very nice sump. Virgin. It may be too late, but it is more efficient for the skimmer output to be in a chamber distal to the intake. And if the middle chamber is a refugium, you will want to put some sort of screen across the 2nd divider to keep your macro in place. __________________ Steve ---------------------------------- Current Tank Info: 2 separate 250G bowfront rimless ELOS tanks plumbed to 260G sump, 220G refugium, 220G frag, BK DeLuxe 300, 400W MH x4, closed loops, 3/4hp chiller x2, Phos reactor, Kalk reactor, Charcoal reactor, Ca reactor, 60G surge tanks, & a huge elec bill

07/15/2018, 06:47 PM	#6
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	My beananimal style drains go about 6" under the waters surface in my sump. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

07/20/2018, 07:25 PM	#7
Tom39 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Spotsylvania, Virginia Posts: 435	Anywhere from just below the surface to 1" below the surface. __________________ 150g cube, 40g sump, Rapid led, Neptune controller, LR, sandbed, ATS, PS Current Tank Info: 150g Marineland Cube

07/15/2018, 09:42 AM	#5
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	It depends on the type of drain setup u have. Looks like u have a beananimal in which case it definitely matters & u don’t want to submerge them no more then 1”. With a syphon drain the further u have the ends of the pipes submerged the harder it is to purge the air from the pipes. So with them submerged to far they will take forever to purge the air & the syphon to kick in & it may not kick in at all

07/20/2018, 08:10 PM	#8
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	My drains are 6 inches above the water in my sump __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

07/22/2018, 03:31 PM	#15
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	It means a syphon isn’t a syphon until it purges all the air from the pipe. Once it purges the air it starts a syphon. The further the pipes are submerged in the sump the harder it makes it to purge the air from the pipe, which is the reason u aren’t supposed to submerge a syphon drain more the 1” into the sump. Sure it can work in some cases but more times then not it causes issues

07/22/2018, 07:17 PM	#17
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	I wasn’t trying to tell u that u are wrong or anything. I just wanted to point it out being people may read the posts & think it doesn’t matter how far they submerge the pipes. Then they have issues & don’t know why. The point of them not being submerged more then 1” has everything to do with the pipe being able to purge the air so the syphon starts

07/23/2018, 05:59 PM	#19
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	It depends on the drain setup. If the drain has air in it then it isn’t a syphon. A syphon drain doesn’t have any air in the pipe, which is the reason they are silent. Beananimal & herbie drain setups have a syphon drain for the main drain. Last edited by Lsufan; 07/23/2018 at 06:10 PM.