help with durso standpipe!!!!!!

thefatman · 04-05-2003, 04:58 PM

ok need some help from you experts!!!!

i wanted to spend some time and build a durso standpipe, because this never ending sound of a draining bathtub in my bedroom is killing me when i try to go to sleep!

here's my problem, all of the plans i have seen on durso's have the pipe coming out of the back or side of the overflow box. but my overflow box has the pipe coming out of the bottom. so, will the durso work if i have it come out the bottom, and then curve upward (i've included a diagram)

i really don't feel comfortable capping off the bottom drain hole and drilling a new hole in the back. especially since the overflow is only a week old.

also, using a durso, would i then NOT use my prefilter sponge that is currently inside the overflow box? any ideas.. suggestions? please help !

i wanted to do this today, sorry for the late notice, but any help would be greatly appreciated. my sleep depends on it!!!

sorry for the crdue drawing, was in a hurry.

thefatman · 04-05-2003, 05:08 PM

or would this design be better?

http://home.att.net/~rstockman/overflow.htm

ShirleyM · 04-05-2003, 06:38 PM

We use the one you linked in your 2nd post. Easier to build with our space allowance, and works great.

~ Shirley

thefatman · 04-05-2003, 07:09 PM

cool, i jsut ran down to lowes and picked up the parts.. $4.30 with tax, and that was wit ha 5' piece of 1" pvc because it was the smallest they had!

does it make your drainage considerably less noisy? i'm getting ready to put mine altogether now and we'll see how it goes.

i'm thinking i might use the other piece of pvc and pick up some caps and elbows to try the idea you have with the pvc behind the rocks with hoels drilled in it etc.. i think it soudns liek a great idea for some lower water movement, and preventing a buildup of detritus behind the rock.

i'll let ya know how this project goes. thanks again shirley!

ShirleyM · 04-05-2003, 07:29 PM

You're most welcome! Yes, It turned Niagara Falls into a quiet creek.

And the behind-the-rock pipes are still working after 4 yrs!

Shirley

thefatman · 04-05-2003, 08:56 PM

uh oh!!! ok. got the pipe built now i have a problem. my tank is filling faster than it's draining!!! luckily i was watching close or i'd havea had one serious overflow!!

i THINK that the problem lies in the holes i drilled in the pvc for drainage. i drilled 12 1/4" holes through the pipe. should i maybe cut some bigger holes? or connect some hoels together to make sort of rectangular openings to allow more water flow. or should i just limit the output on my pump? i sort of hate the idea of spending money on a high output pump and then throttling it back though.

ShirleyM · 04-05-2003, 09:16 PM

Cut bigger holes. That happened to us, too. Forgot about that.

CaymanLoversII · 04-06-2003, 12:18 AM

Jay -

Cut large rectangles out of the side of the pipe that goes up inside the large part of the Durso.

Have you installed an air intake in the top of you Durso? I did and it helps. First, drill a small (1/8") hole in the top of the Durso cap. If that doesn't work try drilling a 1/4" hole in the top cap and then insert some air tubing about 18" long which goes down the return hose to the sump. Insert it almost all the way and then start slowly pulling it back up out the top of the Durso. At some point it allows enough air in the outflow hose so you are not sucking air up through the Durso. (Mine reaches down about 6".) When you find that "sweet spot" you can cut the little hose off but leave it long enough so if water spurts back out it the water goes back into your overflow box.

Nest issue - amount of flow. This past week I posted a question about my Quiet One pump overheating and how I had to restrict the flow. I did what you said, enlarged the slots in my overflow box, then opened the valve 100% on the return side of the Quiet One (which increased the water flow) and guess what? The noise in my overflow went away because enough water is now flowing out of the tank and into the overflow to keep the water level up in the outside overflow box. By the way, I use two U-tubes in my overflow.

Summary - enlarge the holes in the inside pipe of your Durso, install an air intake hose in the top of the Durso and increase your flow through the overflow box system.

Hope all that helps!

Geoff · 04-06-2003, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by thefatman
cool, i jsut ran down to lowes and picked up the parts.. $4.30 with tax, and that was wit ha 5' piece of 1" pvc because it was the smallest they had!
i'm thinking i might use the other piece of pvc and pick up some caps and elbows to try the idea you have with the pvc behind the rocks with hoels drilled in it etc..

and this is how every reefer gets their own fully stocked plumbing closet.

G~

thefatman · 04-06-2003, 12:55 AM

lol geoff!! i know, i'm already thinking of what other cool stuff i go build out of some cheap pvc!!! i know one thing i'd like to do is plumb everything in pvc. right now my drain line to the sump/wet/dry is 1 1/2" flexible tubing, and that makes quite a bit of noise in itself as the water "ripples" down the bumps in the tube. do you guys and ladies use pvc all the way to the sump? instead of this flex stuff?

sjirley and caymenlover, i "connected the dots" on the holes i had drilled. did it on both sides, and two levels. (i'll have pics shortly) that certainly helped with water flow, i was able to open the pump all the way again with no problems.

as for the pipe. it's considerably less noisy, but still noisy. alot of the noise is coming from the flexible drain tube. that doesn't bother me, sounds like a stream. what bothers me is the "bathtub drain sound" that's caused by that vortex in there. i still here, not as loud, but still loud enough! i'm goign to try your fixes.

here is how i topped off the durso. instead of drilling a hole in the top of the durso, i drilled a hole in the side of the end cap, through the pipe. (i saw this recommended on richards website as well) the hole is probably slightly larger than 1/8" this way if the hole is too big, yo ujsut rotate the cap, and it makes the hole smaller, or go back to make the hole bigger.

i think my next step is to pick up some airline, and stick in through the hole i made and down into the pipe and see what happens. my next thought is to go ahead and try to find a needle valve like richard had mentioned.

i know the idea is sound, because if i blow air into the hole i created in the end cap, the water level raises slightly and the noise goes away as long as i'm blowing air in. now i just need to dig up some airline around here somewhere. with 7 fw tanks i've got to have some around here someplace!!!

thefatman · 04-06-2003, 03:33 AM

well i think i'm done for the night. still no luck. but i couldn't find any airline lying around either. i just played with adjusting the size on the hole.

when i pay real close attention, i dont actually hear any of the air that i heard before, so i think the pipe is doing it's job fine. i think my problem lies in the 1 1/2" flexible drain pipe.

you think that if myabe i plumb everthing in using 1" pvc and ells instead of the flexible line, that the sound will go away? or maybe even just a pice of 1" clear tubing? i'm convinced that's where the sound is coming from. because i have a 3/4" return line coming from the pump, but a 1 1/2" drain tube with "speed bumps" inside it.

btw: i posted pics of the completed project in the diy section of my site.

thanks again everyone.

thefatman · 04-06-2003, 04:49 PM

well i went to the LFS and lowes today. picked up all sorts of stuff just because it was there in my face, scremaing "BUY ME BUY ME"

i'm going to remove my flexible drain line today and replace it with 3/4" straight pvc down to the wet dry.

also picked up 3 feet of airline tubing so i can find the sweet spot if the noise continues. and also picked up an airvalve for a cool 40 cents to put on the end of the airline, if for nothing else, than to clean up the install a bit.

should have fun today.

btw: geoff, i bought all sorts of pvc stuff!! ells, t's, adapters, reducers, couplers, pipe, even picked up a tube cutter

Casey · 04-06-2003, 05:51 PM

I have mine pvced to the sump to thats how I like it.

Ammck · 04-06-2003, 11:00 PM

Jay,
Keep us posted. im going to starting changing mine as well.
The noise is getting to me too..

Alex

thefatman · 04-06-2003, 11:04 PM

oh it's ....... going..... lol

read this thread to see my new predicament:

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...threadid=16790

it certainly LOOKS better. and was much quieter.. but i need to increse the pvc size i think.. ( iwent with 3/4" but it cant seem to keep up)

i'm convinced that after another trip to lowes this WILL be QUIET and will only cost all of about 10 bucks total.

i'll keep ya posted. complete with pics. sometime tomorrow when its done.