Internal overflow is loud as heck - any help please :)

[MakeSomeWaffles]

Hey Guys -

I picked up this custom tank last week, it’s already been drilled, plumbed and running for a year.

The way it’s engineered is strange to me - there is a bulkhead drilled into the bottom left corner, and a pipe coming out - around 2” I’d say. Then there is like an overflow tower that fits over this pipe, it’s not siliconed down or anything it’s just free standing. The return is piped back into the water intake and comes out of the same hole through another tube (nozzle on top).

I hated the design and had a guy come and plumb the return so it’s external and comes over the back glass. I then ripped out the old piping and had him rebuild the sump piping to include a UV filter and a much stronger return pump. The issue I’m having now is the water is flowing into the return making a horrible gurgling noise from the top and a loud ticking noise below the tank. I’m not sure what kind of overflow this is but it has a long black plastic coil inside and a black cap you can lift up or down to “regulate the flow” which doesn’t seem to work.

see videos, and thanks for any advice or help on what the heck I should do to get this thing moving normally without all this awful noise

 

[blaxsun]

You need a gate valve on your overflow return pipe (in the sump area, above where it exits into a filter sock). Then you can use that to fine-tune the water level in the tank.

 

[MakeSomeWaffles]

 

[MakeSomeWaffles]

You need a gate valve on your overflow return pipe (in the sump area, above where it exits into a filter sock). Then you can use that to fine-tune the water level in the tank.

Thank you, that’s it? The guy who plumbed this told me not to block off the return at all and keep it fully opened… weird

 

[blaxsun]

Thank you, that’s it? The guy who plumbed this told me not to block off the return at all and keep it fully opened… weird

Possibly because you only have the one overflow (and no emergency overflow). The only way to eliminate any noise from the water going down the overflow is to fine-tune the overflow - either with a variable speed return pump, a gate valve or a combination of both. Note that if you only have a single overflow pipe there is a potentially for flooding if for any reason it gets clogged (snail, fish, etc.)

With my gate valve all the way open both the tank and sump are extremely noisy - ranging from the sound of water flowing down the pipe to air bubbles in the sump.

 

[MakeSomeWaffles]

Possibly because you only have the one overflow (and no emergency overflow). The only way to eliminate any noise from the water going down the overflow is to fine-tune the overflow - either with a variable speed return pump, a gate valve or a combination of both. Note that if you only have a single overflow pipe there is a potentially for flooding if for any reason it gets clogged (snail, fish, etc.)

With my gate valve all the way open both the tank and sump are extremely noisy - ranging from the sound of water flowing down the pipe to air bubbles in the sump.

Got it! Thanks for the feedback. Yeah he’s been super adamant about not restricting flow at all, he’s telling me to get him to put an overflow box with a durso pipe on there to fix the issue. Not sure if it’s a money grab or a legit solution..

I have a return pump with fully adjustable speeds but doesn’t seem to make a difference

 

[Dburr1014]

NO GATE VALVES ON A SINGLE PIPE.

Sorry for yelling, I needed to get your attention.
That is a horrible idea. If the flow slows down for any reason at all, what do you think will happen? Your pump won't slow down... Water on the floor.
Research Maggie muffler or even durso type drains. You need to get that to bend back into the water and have a small hole drilled for the air. I will admit it won't look pretty. Not with the stand alone pipe. You may have to get creative.
I can look tomorrow for some ideas, I need to get shut eye for now. I just had to warn you about a valve on a stand alone pipe, it's a disaster waiting to happen. There are much better ways to quiet it down.

 

[MakeSomeWaffles]

Thank you so much! My plumbing guy told me the same thing. He’s telling me to get an overflow box siliconed on that corner and make the single overflow pipe into a durso, which sounds ideal. Thank you for your help!

 

[Dburr1014]

Thank you so much! My plumbing guy told me the same thing. He’s telling me to get an overflow box siliconed on that corner and make the single overflow pipe into a durso, which sounds ideal. Thank you for your help!

We can start here with this thread.

So one of the most effective ways to quiet a durso standpipe is...

So is my best option to drill a bigger hole on my durso standpipes. Right now the holes are smaller than an airline tubing. How large should I go. Any other options?

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dburr1014]

This his a maggie muffler
Maggie Muffler for 1.5" or 1.25" Stand Pipes https://a.co/d/c9crloP
I know you said around 2" but is that the OD or ID?

 

[Dburr1014]

This is what most people use.
The problem is the tiny hole at the first bend coming up from the bottom of the tank. It's always too small. Not enough air enters and starts the gurgling noise. If you open the hole in steps, you will eventually match your pump size. Then the right amount of air enters and stops the noise.
Drilling in steps means; the hole is about 1/8" inch to start. Go the next size 5/32". Not enough go bigger... 11/64". Ect... Until you reach the equallibrium.



The other thing you should do is get rid of the 90 degree elbows. It will stall the water entering the sump creating the flushing noise in the first place.
You want a straight line and you want the pipe the enter the sump water by about a 1/2" or so. If you use a bag filter, that will help with the splashing/salt creep and help quiet it further.

I also want to mention that it is okay that none of this is glued. The stand pipe shouldn't get knocked out pulled out but do seat it as far as you can in the bulkhead. If you don't feel comfortable with this and want to glue it, do all your plumbing and adjustments BEFORE gluing. Under the stand there will never be any pressure in the pipe so no glue needed either unless, again, you don't feel comfortable with that.

 

[Chrisv.]

Is the tank already running or are you leak testing? I'd drill a second hole. I'm confused though, is there only one hole in this tank? how was the return set up?


Edit: I see. No second hole. I'd drill a second hole for an emergency drain.

 

[Dburr1014]

Is the tank already running or are you leak testing? I'd drill a second hole. I'm confused though, is there only one hole in this tank? how was the return set up?


Edit: I see. No second hole. I'd drill a second hole for an emergency drain.

As long as it's NOT tempered.
I have a feeling the OP does not know.

 

[Chrisv.]

As long as it's NOT tempered.
I have a feeling the OP does not know.

Yes. There was another quite tragic thread where that mistake was made. However, in that thread the poster was drilling a separate pane of glass, not the one that already had a hole.

I could be wrong, but I think they would not have tempered the bottom pane AFTER drilling, so a second hole in the bottom should be no biggie, unless this is already running as a full blown reef, in which case it would be a real pain.

 

[Pntbll687]

Hey Guys -

I picked up this custom tank last week, it’s already been drilled, plumbed and running for a year.

The way it’s engineered is strange to me - there is a bulkhead drilled into the bottom left corner, and a pipe coming out - around 2” I’d say. Then there is like an overflow tower that fits over this pipe, it’s not siliconed down or anything it’s just free standing. The return is piped back into the water intake and comes out of the same hole through another tube (nozzle on top).

I hated the design and had a guy come and plumb the return so it’s external and comes over the back glass. I then ripped out the old piping and had him rebuild the sump piping to include a UV filter and a much stronger return pump. The issue I’m having now is the water is flowing into the return making a horrible gurgling noise from the top and a loud ticking noise below the tank. I’m not sure what kind of overflow this is but it has a long black plastic coil inside and a black cap you can lift up or down to “regulate the flow” which doesn’t seem to work.

see videos, and thanks for any advice or help on what the heck I should do to get this thing moving normally without all this awful noise

First thing. Do not put a gate valve on a single drain.

The reason the overflow is so loud is because you took the return pipe out of the center. The return pipe blocked air from coming in, and now you are sucking in too much air. You could try adding a second strainer like the one on the outside to the middle.

The key to getting the drain quiet is getting the air/water mixture right. Right now you have too much air going in

You can also add a 45 at the end of the pipe in the sump. This helps the the water "flow" into the sump instead of crashing straight down.

 

[PeterEde]

So My Minireef 120 has a Durso drain. As I have just found out.

I was told to slow it down I needed a gate valve. I tried explaining if I have a DC return pump why can't I just slow it down? The LFS guy didnt seem to get it? He sold me the pump but was adamant I needed a $100 gate valve.

So from what I am reading here I DO NOT need a gate valve, all I need to do is slow down my pump to about 5x turnover..

I have been running my 2000lph pump at approx 1000lph. Since putting in a fleece roller the sump is now very bubbly and noisy.

Is 5X turnover per hour enough for a 30gal tank?

What's with the tubing in the hole. Does it go down the pipe? Not sure I see the need for the tubing?

 

[Dburr1014]

So My Minireef 120 has a Durso drain. As I have just found out.

I was told to slow it down I needed a gate valve. I tried explaining if I have a DC return pump why can't I just slow it down? The LFS guy didnt seem to get it? He sold me the pump but was adamant I needed a $100 gate valve.

So from what I am reading here I DO NOT need a gate valve, all I need to do is slow down my pump to about 5x turnover..

I have been running my 2000lph pump at approx 1000lph. Since putting in a fleece roller the sump is now very bubbly and noisy.

Is 5X turnover per hour enough for a 30gal tank?

What's with the tubing in the hole. Does it go down the pipe? Not sure I see the need for the tubing?

5x just for the return is fine but I assume you do have powerheads also. So your tank is a lot more turnover.
I think you are talking about the ridged tube in the elbow? It does not need to go down the pipe. If fact, when I ran a durso, I took it out and drilled that bigger hole I explained in post #11.

No gate valve on a single return. It's only asking for a flood. Return it to the LFS.

 

[PeterEde]

5x just for the return is fine but I assume you do have powerheads also. So your tank is a lot more turnover.
I think you are talking about the ridged tube in the elbow? It does not need to go down the pipe. If fact, when I ran a durso, I took it out and drilled that bigger hole I explained in post #11.

I have put a length of tube on with an airline valve to tune.
Much less bubbles and noise now.
This was a great thread. Learned something new.

I had asked the question of noise long ago but no one asked what ki d of drain I had and I didn't know there were different drains