# my pvc overflow????



## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

okay well after reading and reading and reading info on the overflows i decided that i wanted to a diy overflow with some minor mods. is was trying to stay away from all the pvc piping in the tank and also trying to hide it but i also wanted something with a more horizontal skimmer (ie. hob overflow). so i decided to somewhat combine both of them. ha ha sorry my picture sucks. not drawn to scale









as you can see its just like any other basic pvc overflow but i took out the inside "U" and added an overflow (corner of tank). and if a power outage were to occur the siphon will break once it gets below the redline of the overflow. i still have a couple of questions also.

1. will it work

2. should i drill various holes in the up tube (inside tank) to break the siphon faster if the power were to go out

3. how much room should i make the overflow for the pvc up tube (will be using 1" pvc) to fit in.

4. once the power does come back on after an outtage would the siphon start automatically

any other advice would help and is very much appreciated thanks


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

I think it will work, just not how you think it will.
Once the tank`s water gets level with the bottom of your weir`s teeth, your siphon will continue to empty whatever water is in the cavity until all it will pull is air.
Then it will not restart.
Adding a siphon break slightly lower than the bottom of the weir teeth will stop the cavity from draining completely, but again, it will not restart on it`s own.
Admire a guy looking to improve old, established designsÃ¢â‚¬Â¦
But this one won`t work.


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

Raising the drain to the sump will adjust the height of the water in the overflow box. Maybe if the water level is above the pvc in the box, you can keep the siphon intact.

Here is a video of a very clean DIY PVC overflow. I haven't tried it, and not sure how the two (one inside the other) pipes inside the tank are bound together...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYIjJxi ... re=related


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Agree with the comments above, you will need to raise that drain or the siphon will break completely.


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## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

thanks for the advice guys. so basically i would need to place the drain wye fitting just above the water line of the tank correct so the overflow will restart.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Nope, place it above the water line of the tank and the tank will overflow.

Place it below the overflow's water line but above the pvc inlet. From the drawing, I would place it in the middle.


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## knotty dreadlocks (Oct 31, 2008)

LSBoost said:


> Nope, place it above the water line of the tank and the tank will overflow.
> 
> Place it below the overflow's water line but above the pvc inlet. From the drawing, I would place it in the middle.


so placing the drain tube in the middle of the overflow water line and the inlet i shouldnt have any problems. the siphon will restart on its own?


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

Here is a video that may help. Very similar to what you had designed above.


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## TriniBrad (Mar 27, 2010)

*** been looking around for a while today and that vid really helps out, thanks jchild40


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

If you're putting one together, take pictures and start a thread! good luck!


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## TriniBrad (Mar 27, 2010)

will do!. some time next week it should be done


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

I took pics of mine, little different that the guy's from the video but not. Eventually I'll start a thread to show mine. I've had it running in the garage since last spring, testing it to make sure that nothing leaks. I think I may make different one with a gate valve, which allows more sensitive adjustments over a ball valve. The only problem is that they are quite a bit more expensive than ball valves!


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