HELP!!! Major Overflow Problem

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 07:00 PM

PLEASE HELP!!!!

This is the second time this happened. My overflows just quit draining. The first time, I turned on the return and the tank overflowed. I stoped it, but there was about 20+ gal of water on the floor. Tonight I was adjusting my tunzes and came to my PC and it overflowed on the floor again. I have never had this happen before. My wife was very cool, but I can not afford for this to happen when I am not here. She will flip her lid if it happens again. My sump is huge and there will be about 250gal on my floor.

When I stoped the flow tonight it took about 10 seconds and pop, it drained.

What is up

Hop · 08-15-2007, 07:02 PM

What type of overflow?

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 07:04 PM

I have an AGA 210 and I got the overflows they make for the tank

Hop · 08-15-2007, 07:06 PM

So the internal megaflows or the open tops with the sponges? Man the only thing I can see going wrong with an internal overflow is an obstruction. Gravity is constant...

Do you have pics in your build thread I can browse through and study?

Hop · 08-15-2007, 07:09 PM

I guess not... Nice sump though, that thing is a monster!

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 07:21 PM

Do you think if the water quickly got over the hole pn the top of the over flow it would air lock?

Hop · 08-15-2007, 07:25 PM

Yes, what are you pushing through the tank flow wise. I saw something about running a large sequence, but I didn'r read the particulars. Does that 210 have the standard dual 1" drains? and if so are you using the 3/4 returns in the overflow as the returns?

After getting the kids fed, I'll read your build thread rather than skim over it. I have a few ideas, pending what the tank has...

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 07:50 PM

I have not added much to my build thread as I was the only one reading it and couldnt ask questions and expect to get answers. for the return I have the two 1" overflows running into a single 2" pipe. That runs into my sump. For the return I have a 1 1/2 inch pipe that carries water to the bottom of the tank where I divide it into two 3/4 returns. I ran the returns a little ristricted for the past few months. Mainly to stop the gurgeling noise it made when it was wide open. A couple weeks ago I opened it up all the way and things were going fine.

Last weekend I shut everything down so to build a spray bar I took out one of the punchouts on each over flow and couldnt put the spray bar in place because it takes a week for the paint to dry. when i turned the system back on, it overflowed. the punch out that i took out is righ in front of the overflow. I am thinking now maybe water if flowing through the punchout on the over flow and going into the breathing hole on my pipe. Thus, stopping air and the drain process.

WOuld it help if I put a piece or tub on the top of the overflow pipe? It looks like it is made for that.

Hop · 08-15-2007, 08:06 PM

OK well what I *think* may be happening is that you are forcing more through your overlows than they can handle. Each of the 1" pipes is only good for about 600gph each. I think you mau be actually working off the siphon effect in your overflows which can add a bit more pulling power.

What do you think your pushing to the tank from that pump? I'm not sure of your headloss etc.

Also, much like I had, you have a serious run of pipe for the drain. Do you have any points where the pipe goes down and then back up, or any long horizontal runs? If yes on either of these, then a vent or two or three would really help.

Like I said without pics, equipment lists and some questions, I'm shooting in the dark. But these are the first two ideas that came to mind from what I found. I think you could dial the flow back to the tank, close to 900-1000gph and be good -or- replumb the return up and over the back of the tank and use the 2 3/4" "returns" as back up drains, a little higher than the standpipes... My guess is that your overflows are not failing to drain, I think they are at their peak and for various reasons, it causing the tank to overflow.

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 08:16 PM

I think you may be right about pushing too much water. I have some very long runs. one that is 20' and another that is about 25. I dont think there are anyups and downs, but there are a lot of flat runs. Can I add a vent in the line with a Studer sitting up in the floor joists? I am going to publish a few photos tomorrow. I have cut the return back.

Hop · 08-15-2007, 08:22 PM

That is what I would do, it's likely the easiest as your not only challenging the pipe diameter, but the linear overflow length at the same time. So when you reach that point, your always on the edge. As far as the vents go, on a long flat run, one about every 10' is great. The bad part is that I'm guessing by the way your sytem looks, adding one will be very difficult. On my 450 build, my vents had to be over 3' tall so that in the event of a power outage, or starting up the system, water could not escape.

Working off the 3-5 times the tank volmue per hour through the sump/overlows, 900 gph would still land you in a good spot and probably eliminate any future flooding

Sorry, no spell check tonight

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 08:55 PM

Yeah, I dont think I can get a vent high enough to not flood. I have about 10" - 12" which still under the tank. I believe that I am doing about 1200 an hour all the way open, so I am turning it back. I could probably add a vent that went up behind the tank, but that is it...

If the tank once in a while gurgles so the over flows can catch up does that mean that I am pushing too much water or that I need a vent.?

Hop · 08-15-2007, 08:58 PM

Nah. just a build up of air and stuff. On my big tank it did it every few hours. On the tank I have now it does it because one of my drains is submerged into the bottom of the fuge and it does it every few minutes. Another reason I need to get this tank swapped out and the wetroom running before my wife kills me

Hop · 08-15-2007, 09:01 PM

And on the headloss from the sequence... I have to say that they are way underrated! I ran all the numbers on my big tank and with all the pipe, turns and twists, a sequence barracuda should have put the 12-1300 GPH I wanted... Wrong, I filled a bucket and timed it out and it was flowing over 2000gph... So the headloss calc on another site doesn't work

and sequences numbers and number crunches are on the conservative side!

russbriscoe · 08-15-2007, 09:03 PM

I hear ya... I will post some pictures of my progress... I am VERY happy with how things are going. My auqascape looks great. I have some draining on my display tank and on my skimmer... I need to get these resolved.

I have added 8 -10 fish and I am getting anxious to add a bunch more fish and coral.