Jimbo662 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I've got a mag 18 that's been working great. The problem I'm having is I can't get the overflow to stay dialed in. It'll run totally silent for maybe up to a week then without messing with anything it'll start dribbling down the emergency overflow. When I make any adjustments I end up with a waterfall. After making more adjustments i can get it silent again. And I have learned to wait a while between adjustments. I've been going through this process for about 2 months now. I've got a gate valve on the drain to be able to make minute adjustments and it's currently set at about 1/3 open. I have the return line fully open. I'm wondering if maybe going with a bigger pump and opening the gate valve a little more will possibly solve the issue. I've tried rounding off the top of the emergency drain pipe like others have suggested in other threads to minimize the noise but that hasn't helped.James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I think a Mag 18 is plenty of flow for your 75 gallon, maybe even too much for my tastes but I don't know if you split off the return line or throttle it down. Some people just prefer more flow in their sumps anyways. I'd just open your gate valves all the way and start dialing them down slowly until you don't hear the gurgle and hope it stays that way. I feel like you're possibly backing up the drains too much and its causing your flow to go down your emergency pipe. I'm sure this all everything you have observed already but just wanted to mention just in case as that is what I would do to diagnose. Sorry if I wasn't much help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 The return line is a straight line into the tank. I've got a Y on the loc-line to split it. I don't have it throttle down at all. Most time it consistently goes down the emergency I check to make sure there's no snail blocking the main drain. It ran totally silent all yesterday afternoon / evening. Woke up this morning and I had a waterfall going in the overflow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 What kind of drain system are you running? Any clogs in the drains? This sounds more like a drain issue than a return one. Unless your pump is going bad and starting to ramp up and down. Which would be unusual IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Do you have the drain lines submerged? Are you having a toilet surge type effect? If so then you may not be getting enough air in there which causes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 I'm doing the herbie drain. drain pipes are about 1" submerged. No clogs at all. I was just wondering since the drain can take a lot more than my pump puts out if a bigger pump and opening the drain a little more would possibly fix the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Do you have 2 submerged drains? I seem to recall reading that running two of them made it tough to balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 yeah, both the main and emergency drains are submerged about an inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 probably a dumb quesiton, but why is there a gate valve on the drain? it is only going to flow as much water as the return puts into the tank, so what is there to adjust? if you do slow it down so that it can't flow as much water as the retun pump then it will back up and go through the backup overflow. if i'm thinking of it right, it will slowly back up which explains the running for a while then going into the overflow. then you adjust it, let all the water out of it, so it takes a while to build back up to the backup overflow. depending on how "too slow" it is change how long it takes to overflow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 My understanding of the system is that the emergency drain remains above the water until the main can't handle it and submerges the emergency. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 The drains are larger than the return so it can handle much more water than the pump can pump so it has to be dialed back. This way it matches the amount of water coming into the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 So I read this and I see what you are trying to do. http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/ maybe it'll help you more than me since you are more familiar with it. It seems that your value may need to be opened a little more. Or maybe you have tees on your return running other things that are messing your flow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 That's a great article. I've got mine set up almost exactly as they describe. I don't have an extension on my main drain...just the filter stuck in the bulkhead. The overflow has worked flawlessly over the past day and a half. I'm working from home today and it's not made a single noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 filter? could it be that as the filter gets clogged the flow slows down and sends more into the emergency pipe? just ignore this if i am thinking of the wrong "bulkhead". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 it happens with the filter on or off. and still so far today not a single noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 ok, i'm out of ideas then. hope it keeps working for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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