My DIY durso-cum-siphon overflow design

[porc]

Hi,

I came up with this design and thought i'd try it out. Best of all, it's cheap and effective...

sketch of design

[porc]

to make it more compact the pipes are connected as shown below...

[porc]

another view...

[porc]

bottom view...

[porc]

the overflow in action...

notice that i had to lower the "durso" portion of the overflow (as compared to earlier pictures), otherwise the water level would be too high for my liking. I'd want to leave space in the main tank just in case the siphon breaks...

[FuEl]

Hmm..this design had been mentioned b4 sometime ago in the d.i.y section..similar to yours.

[porc]

final picture... the pipe leading to my sump/refugium...

[porc]

Hmm..this design had been mentioned b4 sometime ago in the d.i.y section..similar to yours. 

actually it's a very simple design. I'm sure others would have thought of it too. I'm just happy that it works and just costs me $10+. Only thing now is that it doesn't surface skim, but that can be incorporated too...

Cheers...

[PornStar]

thumbs up fo u dude.

[ervine]

Looks good.. remember to cover the siphone tube intake with a mesh if not it might suck in a fish or two

[19percula]

bro looks gd leh can make for me one a not ah?

[Domino]

Hi!

great work!!

I'm also very interested in this solution. I'm not using a sump currently and might want to upgrade sometime.

Good point you brought up about surface skimming. It's a problem I face too. What solution do you have in mind?

Post pics of your surface skimming upgrade too!!

[patrick123]

Alternatively, you can also use a commercially available product called the I~box. You can check it out under:

http://www.drozarios.com/iaqua/

I don't know how much it cost though. Can someone tell us?

Cheers,

Patrick

[jc85]

Alternatively, you can also use a commercially available product called the I~box. You can check it out under:

http://www.drozarios.com/iaqua/

I don't know how much it cost though. Can someone tell us?

Cheers,

Patrick

Check it out with Ian, he's a sponsor here and has a thread too.

[porc]

I don't know how much it cost though. Can someone tell us?

"it" costs too much...

For those who requested me to help you make, why don't you try it yourself. It's easy... no electrical hazard to worry about... here's the parts list. All 35mm diameter PVC.

1) L-shape elbow X5 = $0.70x5

2) T-joint X1 = $1.20x1

3) End-cap(optional) = $1.50x1

3) straight pipe X2ft = $0.90x2

4) PVC glue = $2.20x1

5) more straight pipe and elbows depending on where you want to route it to

Total cost = $10.20++ save lots of $$$

[porc]

Good point you brought up about surface skimming. It's a problem I face too. What solution do you have in mind? 

Post pics of your surface skimming upgrade too!!

I guess adding a cup-like piece to the intake part would work, but sizing it to accomodate your flowrate may be difficult as you may end up ###### in air... I don't intend to upgrade yet... happy with what I have now... wait till my fingers itchy again

[alvy]

there are 2 concerns:

1. I'm quite sure you don't want your fish to swim in and and sucked into the pipe so I guess you'll be putting some form of sieve right? Now wat happens if a dead fish or a large piece of algae got stuck at the pipe mouth? Of coz we dun think tt will happen, but WAT IF it happens and nobody is at home? will the return pump flood the tank?

2. The way the pipe is ###### in the water from BELOW the water surface, You'll have lots of floating particles and even oil film forming on ur water surface, no able to be channeled to the filtration in your sump. This is a very true concern especially when we feed heavily to our tank inhabitants.

Just my 2 cents..

Alvin

[Limpc]

Agree with Alvy.

If you were to make a search in the DIY section, you can find my version. Problem I had is exactly what Alvy has stated, dirty water surface.

Anyone can explain how the cheap surface skimmer works ? I realise that the flow into the skimmer from the skimmer is quite good.

LimPC

[nutx]

you can simply add a U-shape pipe to the intake portion, so that the water will be suck in from the water surface.

To address Alvy question on 'What happen when the siphon stop',

1. you can either use a float swtich to stop the return pump when the siphon stop,

or

2. have enough allowance in the main tank, so that even when your sump is pump dry, the main tank will not overflow. But you may get a damage pump, is the pump is running dry for a long period!

[alvy]

yes i do agree that you can connect and upturn tube to have water in take from the surface..however, having only a pvc tube to take in water from the surface may be pushing its limit. By limit I do not mean flowrate, but the capacity to take in turbulent water as well as high volume of air before the siphon breaks within the 1st U tube. There's a reason y an internal overflow box was introduced. Not only does it collect overflowed surface water, it also buffers most of the bubbles formed by turbulence as a result of the overflow. A larger reservoir of water within the internal box also helps to prevent accidental siphon breakage due to momental siphon drag when the main pump suddenly stops.

As for installation of float switch and stuff..i can only accept them to be used for auto topup units which in any case of failure results in minute payloads..when a primary problem arises, we should solve the problem by targeting its weakness and solving it either be recreating a better design or not use it at all.. having a secondary intervention to muffle the primary weaknesses simply brings in a new set of problems. ie. in the case of a float switch failure, the main tank can flood! or when your pump run dries you might want to consider introducing a electronic control means which detects the sudden drop in electrical loading of the pump and cuts the pump power.. OR simply skip all the float switches and pump controllers by just attaching a cheap internal overflow box to the original design, making it work like a conventional overflow box which has been proven to work.

my 2 cents..

[charlie]

the overflow in action...

notice that i had to lower the "durso" portion of the overflow (as compared to earlier pictures), otherwise the water level would be too high for my liking. I'd want to leave space in the main tank just in case the siphon breaks...

Wat is the opening for? So far have you tried simulate a return pump fail? Wat will happen then. Will the water be able to continue flow because of this break?Btw well done.

[porc]

Wat is the opening for? So far have you tried simulate a return pump fail? Wat will happen then. Will the water be able to continue flow because of this break?Btw well done.

the main reason for the opening is to break the siphon in the second bend so that it won't be a continuous siphon all the way down to the sump. Simulating for example a power failure, with the opening when the return pump fails the water level will only drop from L1 (water level during operation) to L2 and the siphon around the first bend is still maintained and ready for immediate operation once return pump is restored.

(Note: I forgot to take into account the (L1-L2) difference in my original measurements that's why I had to further lower the "durso" part during installation to lower the main tank levels.)

without the opening, the siphon may be continuous all the way down to your sump and when the return pump fails your main tank will empty all the way down to L3 and the siphon will also break and your sump might overflow. then when your return pump is restored without the siphon being re-established your main tank may overflow... double disaster... unless you leave a lot of empty space in your main and sump...

from what I read in this forum, based on the "durso" design, the opening can also be used to control and lessen the gurgling noise of the overflow. You can still hear the water flowing for my case cause I've not attempted to tune it. I'm satisfied with my noise levels currently.

[ah^siao]

how to start the thing from siphoning the water out?

[charlie]

porc,

Wat make the water to stop at L2 when return pump fail? and can u show me where is the durso pipe and you say abt water flow noise, how to control? Very interested to know.

[porc]

porc,

Wat make the water to stop at L2 when return pump fail? and can u show me where is the durso pipe and you say abt water flow noise, how to control? Very interested to know. 

hi charlie,

I assume that you understand my very first diagram. blue is where water is and white is where air is...

then imagine this. take it first that i am correct that water level is at L2 when the return pump is off. when the return pump is turned on, water is pumped into the main tank and the water level will rise to L3. the additional height of water (L3-L2) in the main tank will push the water to overflow down the pipe. this should cause the main tank level to drop to L2, but don't forget that water is still pumping in, so the tank level remains at L3 and whatever amount of water pumped in will push the same amount to overflow down the pipe. So when the pump stops again, because of the water height difference (L3-L2), water will still continue to overflow but because no more water pumped into the tank, the level will drop until L2, then there is no water level difference and flow will stop. I hope you understand, I don't know how else to explain.

As for the "durso" pipe, it's the circled portion below. I'm no expert. read it from the forum too. but do visit this site http://www.DursoStandpipes.com. Hope it helps.

Cheers,

porc