My DIY overflow build

[jbird69]

I decided to replace my existing overflow, which I built with 1/8" acrylic, with a 1/4" acrylic.

HD didnt have a sheet of 1/4" acrylic big enough to build a continuous unit, so I had to do it in two parts, an inner and outer box. I think Im gonna be happy with this cause I can take out the inner box for cleaning without disturbing the outer box.
Heres what I started with.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06301.jpg
I made my inner box 6"L X 3"D X 2 1/2"W
I used my table saw for all the cutting and heated and bent the acrylic with a heat gun.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06302.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06303.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06304.jpg

I cut side walls and cut slots to match the front and glued them on with acrylic solvent.
I painted the front and left side with the same paint I used on the back of my glass tank. I left the right side clear so I can see into it from the right side of the tank. Sometimes I get a lot of hair algae growing in there and it will be nice to see whats going on.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06306.jpg

This is the outside box. I made it 9"L X 8"D X 3 1/2"W. It fits tightly between the back of the tank and the wall. I put a baffle in to devide the u-tubes from the drain area to elliminate syphon breaks. I put a lip on the top edge to hang on my tank rim. The inside box has a larger lip that fits tightly over the top of this one (see the picture above).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06307-1.jpg

stand by for post #2...

[jbird69]

Okay..
Here are the parts for my DIY bulkhead...pretty ghetto huh?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06308-1.jpg

here it is installed through a 1 3/8" hole cut in the bottom of the drain chamber.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06309-1.jpg

Water test.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06310-1.jpg

Heres the drain system. I encorperate a gate valve. I know some of you dont like this idea, but it is what I use to dial in silent operation. My old settup had a ball valve in the sump end of the drain line...What a nightmare!!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06312-1.jpg

Here is the whole unit in the orientation it will be installed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/DSC06313-1.jpg
The last thing was to drop to u-tubes in.
And here is a short clip of the unit doing its thing. Insalled and successful!!!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/th_MOV06315.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/?action=view&current=MOV06315.flv)

Thanks for looking!

[Anteverius]

Nice work. How many GPH do you have going through the overflow? I am planning a 75 gallon tank and am curious of how big the overflow should be. Also, why was it a problem having the ball valve at the sump end of the drain line? Again, just trying to plan for my future setup.

[jbird69]

I have about 400gph (head loss accounted for) This is just enough to push large bubbles all the way thru the utubes. and it seems to be too much flow for just 1 utube. I dont know about the dimentions of an overflow for a 75. What I have here would probably work. You can look at commercially available models for specs.

Have you ever tried to turn a ball valve? They are really hard to turn, it takes 2 hands...they are just notoriously sticky. And add to that it was behind my skimmer, so I had to reach around it with both arms. Once I got it dialed in I didnt have to fuss with it, but fine tuning a ball valve is nearly impossible. The gate valve is SOOOOO much easier to turn and the location I have it is very convenient.

[Anteverius]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14733203#post14733203 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbird69
I have about 400gph (head loss accounted for) This is just enough to push large bubbles all the way thru the utubes. and it seems to be too much flow for just 1 utube. I dont know about the dimentions of an overflow for a 75. What I have here would probably work. You can look at commercially available models for specs.

Have you ever tried to turn a ball valve? They are really hard to turn, it takes 2 hands...they are just notoriously sticky. And add to that it was behind my skimmer, so I had to reach around it with both arms. Once I got it dialed in I didnt have to fuss with it, but fine tuning a ball valve is nearly impossible. The gate valve is SOOOOO much easier to turn and the location I have it is very convenient.

Yeah, thats what i figured one of the problems could be. I was at Lowes today getting some things and checked out a ball valve. It was incredibly hard to turn. I thought I was going to break it. I guess I will check out using a gate valve. Thanks for the info.

[BrassMonkey]

eek, nice job building it but id be afraid to have that in my house.

[jbird69]

I was really nervous about the first one I built. I watched it like a hawk for the first week. I finally gave in and started trusting it. I ran it for 8 months straight without so much as one single stray drop of water.
It was built with 1/8" acrylic and just seemed a bit flimsy. This one is a beast with the 1/4" acrylic. I think this will be more permanant than the first.

[james3370]

nice skilz....only change i'd make would be to swap the "chambers" in the rear box therefore having the gate valve closer to the edge of the tank & that more easier to reach

[jbird69]

hey, thanks James. I actually was originally gonna do it that way, but the gate valve wouldve protruded out from behind the tank and been an eye sore. I thought it would be inconvenient how I did it, but it isnt at all. I can easily adjust it and it isnt visible unless you look for it. I cant believe how nice the gate valve is, I can adjust it in micro increments. Ive got a soft, quiet roll of water over the baffle that drops about a half inch and its dead silent. I love it! I had to put a foam block in my old one to dampen the noise of the spill.
I will never by another ball valve again.

[Rocketboy52]

Looks sweet!

[jbird69]

Well I had a little set back. it sprouted a very small leak at the last plumbing junction where the last threaded pvc joint connects to the grey flex hose nipple. I had wrapped it with teflon tape but it still leaked...like a drop every 5 minutes. I think anywhere you have a male connection inserted into a female against the flow direction, it takes some doing to get it water tight.
I took it off, wrapped it better with teflon and slipped a rubber gasket over the threads to pinch between the two fittings.
I think we're all dry now.

[james3370]

put some thread dope on it.....with thread tape there is a fine line between too little & it leaks & too much & it busts the fitting

[jlaudiofreak]

nice job looks realy good
my only problem with it is the gate valve. I would not have anything restricting the drain. IF some how the gate valve got cloged up then you flood the room.

[stugray]

jbird69,

Good acrylic skills.

However I have a couple of comments:

1 - the way you made the lips that hang over the edge of the tank, you will not be able to remove the inner box without the outer box falling off the tank.

2 - Some of the joints in the pic have a few voids in them. Next time you need tighter ( smmother) joints, or use weldon 16.

And I agree with the ballvalve comments.

If I ever do a tank again, I will not use a single ball valve.
They stick when left in one position for too long, and you risk breaking things when you really need to turn them later.

I broke a brand new pump volute once because it required a pipe wrench to turn the damn valve.
I also have a couple of ball valves with the valve handle 'tabs' completely broken off because they were so hard to turn.

Stu

[jbird69]

Stugray

Thanks for the comments.

To answer #1 The box cannot fall because of how tightly it fits between the tank and the wall, its physically impossible. I built it to fit exactly in there. If somehow I moved the tank forward, it certainly could fall, you are correct in your observation...good eye!

Youre right about the joints, there are some small voids. The solvent I used is really "hot". it melts one surface to the other and its applied with a small brush. I kept daubing it in those areas and eventually they fused shut. I water tested the unit with just the solvent weld and in 1 hr full of water, it remained bone dry. Since I like to overdo things. I smeared a nice bead of clear silicone along all the joints and let it cure before puting it into action.

as for the gate valve....I know, I know! They beat the heck out of ball valves tho.
I did add a critter cover to the inside box and the only thing that can get in will have to fit thru the slots. Which, in theory will fit down the drain with room to spare.

[HOBrien]

Would this work for a tank of 200gallons though or would I need to have two down pipes?

[lordofthereef]

Pretty crafty. I am wondering though if the "DIY bulkhead" is actually watertight? Does it have any creep?

[jbird69]

Would this work for a tank of 200gallons though or would I need to have two down pipes?

Man thats a lot of water volumn to be squeezing an external overflow into 2". The more I thought about this, with 1/4" acrylic your inside box is only going to be 1 1/2". Thats aweful tight. You might be able to make an elongated version with more than one drain like you mentioned. Theres no way youre gonna get a traditional bulkhead in there so youll have to do something like I did. Fittings for 1" pipe should just fit into your 1 1/2" space. I would definitly put a gate valve on the return pump to dial it in and make sure it drains and slowly dial it up til your happy. In theory it should work if you can fit the fittings in the overflow box.

Pretty crafty. I am wondering though if the "DIY bulkhead" is actually watertight? Does it have any creep?

There is none. I check it periodically and it is bone dry. Its not ideal Ill admit, but it worked for my project with the limited space.

[Bonta]

Nice box ! :)
How did you calculate the gph ?

[lakee911]

Looks good. Next time you might want to bend up your pieces and then recut them on the table saw so they're square again. Bending them distorts the profile.

I hope this isn't your only drain and that there is an emergency drain. :) I'd hate for that to clog and overflow.

Jason

[jbird69]

Nice box ! :)
How did you calculate the gph ?
I cant remember where I read it but I knew a 1" drain would be enough to run at least double the GPH I have. The double U tube is for redundancy.



I hope this isn't your only drain and that there is an emergency drain. :) I'd hate for that to clog and overflow.

Jason

It Is. I really dont see the difference between mine and a market product in that regard. I have an acrylic lid with slots in it on the inner box and I have some mesh-mod stuff on a peice of egg crate in the drain section of the outer box. It would take defying physics for something big enough to clog the drain to get in there.

Ive had it running since I built it. It has never once lost its siphon either.

I have left it on 4 different week vacations since its been running. I trust this thing completely at this point.

It is ugly and I agree with your suggestions on how to cut and build it. The method I used was for minimal glued seams.

I am designing a 120g custom acrylic corner tank right now. Cant wait to have an internal overflow just for asthetics.

[kcress]

I run a water sensor. If the water reaches that point the pump shuts down. You can always use one of those and then the drain can clog whenever it wants without a drop of water being spilled. The sensor never touches the water until there's a problem so it's not even visible.

Funny about gate valves verse ball valves. Years ago everyone switched to ball valves because gate valves failed so often! Now you guys are saying the opposite.

Gate valves have an Achilles Heal in that often the gate is hooked to the shaft with a puny connection. The gate hangs up and the connection breaks - you're done for.

There are two rules to follow with gate valves.
1) Never open them fully and leave them that way. Open them all the way then close them a bit.

2) Always proceed to open them a little more before ever trying to close them any. This is because the puny little link does nothing during opening and a stuck gate won't stress it in the opening direction. Once the gate is proven to be moving then change to closing. (This is the reason you never leave a gate valve all the way open. It allows you to un-stick the gate in the opening direction.)

[jbird69]

Thanks kcress. Good info. My gate valve is dialed in pretty well. I rarely have to touch it. When I do a major equipment cleaning I will open it up all the way and then dial it back down to the sweet spot just to break loose any build up and make sure it still turns. I will not open it up all the way from now on.