Bean/siphon drains feeding equipment?

[Horace]

Has anyone used their beanAnimal style drain to feed equipment? My plan is to feed both a Rollermat (600gph) and an ATS (650gph) with my drain rather than a pump. To do this will mean multiple ball/gate valves to restrict/direct water to these devices at the proper feed rate. Has anyone tried this successfully or am I asking for a nightmare tuning the drain to work correctly?

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[ssgss gogeta]

I have tried to tee off a drain line. Pain in the *** but can be done. - - put a ball valve higher to control main syphon
- lower T piece
- then a ball valve on each side

Tuning wise let it flow fully open, than adjust the side of the T you want to restrict. Leave the other side of the T fully open the only reason for the ball valve is if you ever want to close just that side off for what ever reason. Than adjust your main syphon. This may restrict your flow the side you want to have set at a specific flow. Now comes the fun. Open that up ever so slightly and than re-adjust syphon and repeat. It is a pain in the *** compared to adjusting a normal syphon but it can be done


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[ssgss gogeta]

Realistically I no longer continued it because it was too much of a pain. Was having to readjust it far more regularly than I'd like. Probably better off doing what most people do and building a manifold from your return line


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[Horace]

Originally Posted by ssjss gogeta

Realistically I no longer continued it because it was too much of a pain. Was having to readjust it far more regularly than I'd like. Probably better off doing what most people do and building a manifold from your return line


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Thx for the input. I really wanted the rollermat to be fed off the drain to catch the detritus coming down so it does not settle in the sump....but you may be right. I am trying to best to make this build as set and forget as possible. If I am going to have to mess with it constantly then that doesn't sound like fun.

Just curious though, did you use a gate valve to tune the main syphon? The lack of fine tuning capabilities of a ball valve may be the reason you had such issues.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I think it's probably fine to feed the rollermat but I would just direct the rest to the sump instead of also feeding the ATS. I have my siphon drain go into a dedicated first small chamber of my sump, and feed the rollermat with a pump located in that section.


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[Horace]

Originally Posted by LobsterOfJustice

I think it's probably fine to feed the rollermat but I would just direct the rest to the sump instead of also feeding the ATS. I have my siphon drain go into a dedicated first small chamber of my sump, and feed the rollermat with a pump located in that section.


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I definitely considered that too. The downside is one more pump to pay electricity to run, and more noise. I am being very intentional to limit the number of pumps. As such I would probably do what you said, feed the Rollermat with the drain, and then feed the ATS, Carbon Reactor and Calcium Reactor with the Return manifold.

[ssgss gogeta]

Originally Posted by Horace

Thx for the input. I really wanted the rollermat to be fed off the drain to catch the detritus coming down so it does not settle in the sump....but you may be right. I am trying to best to make this build as set and forget as possible. If I am going to have to mess with it constantly then that doesn't sound like fun.



Just curious though, did you use a gate valve to tune the main syphon? The lack of fine tuning capabilities of a ball valve may be the reason you had such issues.

Sorry it's a bit late in my part of the world so didn't explain properly. Gate valves on both the main syphon and the side of the T feeding equipment as well as ball valves and than just ball valve for the other side of the T. When I have a gate valve I always use a ball valve as well so I don't have to adjust the gate to simply shut off the drain.


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[ssgss gogeta]

Sometimes I assume people understand the way I do things standardly without actually saying ha!


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[ca1ore]

I always take advantage of gravity over yet another pump. I have three siphon drains on my overflow. One feeds the ATS, a second feeds my separate refugium and the third just runs to the sump. The first two a 'fixed' with only the third requiring adjustment. Easy.