Hangon OverFlow Box Problem

[gaijin]

I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
small overflow box...

[Marc Levenson]

When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
and wet the floor?

What size drain does that box have?

Marc


gaijin wrote:

> I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
> to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
> the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
> that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
> comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
> seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
> past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
> problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
> small overflow box...

--
Personal Page:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[gaijin]

I have the box inside the tank set at the lowest possible level, but
that is only about an inch away from the top, and I am of course
scared that I might come home one day to find that the level in the
tank keeps creeping up and up, and one day overflows my tank, causing
a flood indeed.

Of course the converse is also true, if I reduce the flow, and there
is an air bubble in the siphon tube, I worry that the siphon might one
day be lost and an overflow again would occur!

The drain size is one inch, and there does not seem to be any problem
in extricating water through the drain. The level of water in the
output box is minimal and seems to be able to keep up with whatever
flow I give it. After all I am not talking about a huge waterflow
afterall....


On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:17:08 GMT, Marc Levenson
> wrote:

>When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
>water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
>and wet the floor?
>
>What size drain does that box have?
>
>Marc
>
>
>gaijin wrote:
>
>> I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
>> to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
>> the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
>> that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
>> comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
>> seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
>> past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
>> problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
>> small overflow box...

[gaijin]

Of course the other concern is that when the water level in the
overflow box gets as high as the water level in the tank, creatures
from the tank may take a ride into the siphon tube and onto the sump!

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:17:08 GMT, Marc Levenson
> wrote:

>When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
>water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
>and wet the floor?
>
>What size drain does that box have?
>
>Marc
>
>
>gaijin wrote:
>
>> I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
>> to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
>> the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
>> that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
>> comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
>> seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
>> past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
>> problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
>> small overflow box...

[Marc Levenson]

Okay, having the box on the inside of the tank where it is
within 1" of the top is fine. The water level inside that
inner box should be slightly lower than the surface of the
water in the tank, so it can skim/collect any debris and
suck them into the U tubes and down to your sump. If the
water level is equal or higher than the teeth of the box,
the pump is too powerful.

You can put some eggcrate or plastic gutter guard (keeps
leaves out of gutters) inside the inner box to keep
livestock from escaping the Nemo way. ;)

Marc


gaijin wrote:
> Of course the other concern is that when the water level in the
> overflow box gets as high as the water level in the tank, creatures
> from the tank may take a ride into the siphon tube and onto the sump!
>
> On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:17:08 GMT, Marc Levenson
> > wrote:
>
>
>>When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
>>water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
>>and wet the floor?
>>
>>What size drain does that box have?
>>
>>Marc
>>
>>
>>gaijin wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
>>>to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
>>>the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
>>>that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
>>>comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
>>>seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
>>>past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
>>>problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
>>>small overflow box...
>
>

--
Personal Page:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[gaijin]

I can't beleive that a Rio 1700 can be too powerful for ANY overflow
box. What a piece of junk! If only I had kept better track of my old
overflow box from an older tank, I wouldn't have had to buy a new one.
I guess I have to look for a larger capacity overflow box as the
waterlevel is indeed higher than the teeth of the box. Do you think
adding a suplementary siphone tube would be a good idea?

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 09:47:41 GMT, Marc Levenson
> wrote:

>Okay, having the box on the inside of the tank where it is
>within 1" of the top is fine. The water level inside that
>inner box should be slightly lower than the surface of the
>water in the tank, so it can skim/collect any debris and
>suck them into the U tubes and down to your sump. If the
>water level is equal or higher than the teeth of the box,
>the pump is too powerful.
>
>You can put some eggcrate or plastic gutter guard (keeps
>leaves out of gutters) inside the inner box to keep
>livestock from escaping the Nemo way. ;)
>
>Marc
>
>
>gaijin wrote:
>> Of course the other concern is that when the water level in the
>> overflow box gets as high as the water level in the tank, creatures
>> from the tank may take a ride into the siphon tube and onto the sump!
>>
>> On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:17:08 GMT, Marc Levenson
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
>>>water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
>>>and wet the floor?
>>>
>>>What size drain does that box have?
>>>
>>>Marc
>>>
>>>
>>>gaijin wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
>>>>to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
>>>>the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
>>>>that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
>>>>comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
>>>>seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
>>>>past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
>>>>problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
>>>>small overflow box...
>>
>>

[Marc Levenson]

You can add 2 or 3 U tubes, but the drain may be the
problem. If it is a 1" drain, it can't handle more than
600gph.

I had an overflow with a 1.25" drain and two 1" U tubes, and
my Mag 9.5 was too much for it to keep up.

Marc


gaijin wrote:
> I can't beleive that a Rio 1700 can be too powerful for ANY overflow
> box. What a piece of junk! If only I had kept better track of my old
> overflow box from an older tank, I wouldn't have had to buy a new one.
> I guess I have to look for a larger capacity overflow box as the
> waterlevel is indeed higher than the teeth of the box. Do you think
> adding a suplementary siphone tube would be a good idea?
>
> On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 09:47:41 GMT, Marc Levenson
> > wrote:
>
>
>>Okay, having the box on the inside of the tank where it is
>>within 1" of the top is fine. The water level inside that
>>inner box should be slightly lower than the surface of the
>>water in the tank, so it can skim/collect any debris and
>>suck them into the U tubes and down to your sump. If the
>>water level is equal or higher than the teeth of the box,
>>the pump is too powerful.
>>
>>You can put some eggcrate or plastic gutter guard (keeps
>>leaves out of gutters) inside the inner box to keep
>>livestock from escaping the Nemo way. ;)
>>
>>Marc
>>
>>
>>gaijin wrote:
>>
>>>Of course the other concern is that when the water level in the
>>>overflow box gets as high as the water level in the tank, creatures
>>>from the tank may take a ride into the siphon tube and onto the sump!
>>>
>>>On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:17:08 GMT, Marc Levenson
> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>When the water level in the outer box matches the tank's
>>>>water level, is that so high that you fear it will overflow
>>>>and wet the floor?
>>>>
>>>>What size drain does that box have?
>>>>
>>>>Marc
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>gaijin wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I recently got a new overflow box and cannot seem to get the flow rate
>>>>>to work. A have a weak (piece of crap) pump Rio 1700, however with
>>>>>the pump running wide open, the water level in the overflow matches
>>>>>that of the tank level. When I try to throttle it back to a more
>>>>>comfortable level, I get airbubbles in the siphon tube, and cannot
>>>>>seem to reach a happy medium. Is the overflow box too small. In the
>>>>>past I have run much more powerful pumps with bigger overflow boxes no
>>>>>problem. Unfortunately all the LFS around here only seem to carry the
>>>>>small overflow box...
>>>
>>>
>

--
Personal Page:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[pausto]

gaijin wrote:
>
> I have the box inside the tank set at the lowest possible level, but
> that is only about an inch away from the top, and I am of course
> scared that I might come home one day to find that the level in the
> tank keeps creeping up and up, and one day overflows my tank, causing
> a flood indeed.
>
> Of course the converse is also true, if I reduce the flow, and there
> is an air bubble in the siphon tube, I worry that the siphon might one
> day be lost and an overflow again would occur!
>
> The drain size is one inch, and there does not seem to be any problem
> in extricating water through the drain. The level of water in the
> output box is minimal and seems to be able to keep up with whatever
> flow I give it. After all I am not talking about a huge waterflow
> afterall....
>

Another point to check. Luckily I caught this one before it
caused me a great disaster.
Check to make sure that the "U" tube isn't resting too close to
the bottom of the box, at either end. In order to get full flow,
I had to cut a half inch off one end of the tube, leaving three
quarters of an inch clearance between the tube opening and the
bottom of the box.
In my situation, this did lower the water level of the inside
box.

Paul

[gaijin]

Interesting thoght, as my simmerbox is set to the lowest possible
level in the box, I will check this out!


On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 06:50:42 -0500, pausto > wrote:

>gaijin wrote:
>>
>> I have the box inside the tank set at the lowest possible level, but
>> that is only about an inch away from the top, and I am of course
>> scared that I might come home one day to find that the level in the
>> tank keeps creeping up and up, and one day overflows my tank, causing
>> a flood indeed.
>>
>> Of course the converse is also true, if I reduce the flow, and there
>> is an air bubble in the siphon tube, I worry that the siphon might one
>> day be lost and an overflow again would occur!
>>
>> The drain size is one inch, and there does not seem to be any problem
>> in extricating water through the drain. The level of water in the
>> output box is minimal and seems to be able to keep up with whatever
>> flow I give it. After all I am not talking about a huge waterflow
>> afterall....
>>
>
> Another point to check. Luckily I caught this one before it
>caused me a great disaster.
> Check to make sure that the "U" tube isn't resting too close to
>the bottom of the box, at either end. In order to get full flow,
>I had to cut a half inch off one end of the tube, leaving three
>quarters of an inch clearance between the tube opening and the
>bottom of the box.
> In my situation, this did lower the water level of the inside
>box.
>
>Paul