A couple questions about the DIY overflow

[bobblehead27]

I have a 20 long that I'm trying to put I DIY overflow on (mainly just for practice for later for my bigger tank)
My questions are,
1) Does it matter thick wall vs thin wall PVC?
2) this check valve for priming, what does it look like? Cuz it seems from the drawings that it's just a airline hose being put in there and used to suck out the air, but that's not really a check valve from what I know. Can someone explain how to do this, with actual pictures of theirs preferably


There were 2 more questions that I can't remember. Completely forgot as soon as I started writing

 

[BichirKing]

Matteus has experience with this

 

[Oughtsix]

I have a 20 long that I'm trying to put I DIY overflow on (mainly just for practice for later for my bigger tank)
My questions are,
1) Does it matter thick wall vs thin wall PVC?
2) this check valve for priming, what does it look like? Cuz it seems from the drawings that it's just a airline hose being put in there and used to suck out the air, but that's not really a check valve from what I know. Can someone explain how to do this, with actual pictures of theirs preferably


There were 2 more questions that I can't remember. Completely forgot as soon as I started writing

The water pressure is negligible so pipe schedule (THICKNESS) is irrelevant. It just needs to be thick enough not to break.

The check valve is an airline check valve... on my phone so a link isn't easy. I never used a check valve for priming but I can see how it would make priming easier. The check valve allows you to suck the air out of the siphon and not let any air back into the siphon. I think they are about a dollar each on Amazon.

In three years of using a DIY overflow I only had a couple of floods and a few lost primes. I finally worked up the courage to drill my tank and would never go back to a siphon overflow... That was 10 or so years ago.

 

[Oughtsix]

The water pressure is negligible so pipe schedule (THICKNESS) is irrelevant. It just needs to be thick enough not to break.

The check valve is an airline check valve... on my phone so a link isn't easy. I never used a check valve for priming but I can see how it would make priming easier. The check valve allows you to suck the air out of the siphon and not let any air back into the siphon. I think they are about a dollar each on Amazon.

In three years of using a DIY overflow I only had a couple of floods and a few lost primes. I finally worked up the courage to drill my tank and would never go back to a siphon overflow... That was 10 or so years ago.

Schedule 40 pvc is fine. Schedule 20 is good for nothing and pretty hard to even find someone selling it. Schedule 80 is kind of too thick and has a considerably smaller ID... But it would also work fine.

 

[bobblehead27]

Ok is this schedule 40 or 20?


Also is this what you're talking about?
Pawfly 6 Pcs Aquarium Air Pump Check Valves Clear Plastic Fish Tank One Way Non-Return Valve https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWQXRZT/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_YrsJDbMEZQ7QV

So do I just drill a hole in the PVC and silicone/install this with a bit of airline into it?

 

[Oughtsix]

That is schedule 40. It will work just fine. Schedule 20 was all but phased out decades ago. It was popular for lawn sprinklers a long time ago because the base pcv components were a whole lot more expensive back then so schedule 20 was a lot less expensive.... I have a yard full of schedule 20 that I am replacing a couple feet at a time... Lol.


Yep, those are the air check valves and yep, drill a hole and silicone it in. Make sure you have the valve turned the correct way so you can suck air OUT of the pipe but you can't blow air into the pipe.

 

[bobblehead27]

Ok perfect thanks for your help

 

[Matteus]

The water pressure is negligible so pipe schedule (THICKNESS) is irrelevant. It just needs to be thick enough not to break.

The check valve is an airline check valve... on my phone so a link isn't easy. I never used a check valve for priming but I can see how it would make priming easier. The check valve allows you to suck the air out of the siphon and not let any air back into the siphon. I think they are about a dollar each on Amazon.

In three years of using a DIY overflow I only had a couple of floods and a few lost primes. I finally worked up the courage to drill my tank and would never go back to a siphon overflow... That was 10 or so years ago.

Lol. Only a few floods. How relevant are these floods?

Fortunately I pulled the pvc overflow before I had any floods and didn’t burn out my pump. Unfortunately I am not helpful on the front of you making this overflow work. My experience is limited to getting frustrated with the inconsistency of it and now it lives in my basement storage until I can use it for scrap parts on a drilled overflow.

 

[Oughtsix]

Lol. Only a few floods. How relevant are these floods?

Fortunately I pulled the pvc overflow before I had any floods and didn’t burn out my pump. Unfortunately I am not helpful on the front of you making this overflow work. My experience is limited to getting frustrated with the inconsistency of it and now it lives in my basement storage until I can use it for scrap parts on a drilled overflow.

When you loose a siphon on a siphon overflow all of the sump water gets pumped into the main tank and since the siphon isn't returning it to the sump the water over flows the top of the tank..... REALLY sucks! How ever many gallons are usually in your sump during normal operations is now all over your floor... and you probably aren't at home when it happens. I had many people recommend that I just drill my tank... but I am the type that has to try for myself... so I don't spite anyone else for trying it themselves!

I am more than happy to help BobbleHead out the best I can and hopefully he won't have the same problems I had. I do recommend drilling a tank though. It seems very overwhelming... until you actually drill a tank... then it is.... pffft... that was easy!

P.S. I have seen people that put vacuum pumps on the check valve (maybe via a venturi???) so it is constantly removing any air from the siphon... I guess the vacuum pump would pump out small amounts of water when the air was gone... but I don't remember the implementation exactly... you would have to look it up.

 

[Matteus]

When you loose a siphon on a siphon overflow all of the sump water gets pumped into the main tank and since the siphon isn't returning it to the sump the water over flows the top of the tank..... REALLY sucks! How ever many gallons are usually in your sump during normal operations is now all over your floor... and you probably aren't at home when it happens. I had many people recommend that I just drill my tank... but I am the type that has to try for myself... so I don't spite anyone else for trying it themselves!

I am more than happy to help BobbleHead out the best I can and hopefully he won't have the same problems I had. I do recommend drilling a tank though. It seems very overwhelming... until you actually drill a tank... then it is.... pffft... that was easy!

P.S. I have seen people that put vacuum pumps on the check valve (maybe via a venturi???) so it is constantly removing any air from the siphon... I guess the vacuum pump would pump out small amounts of water when the air was gone... but I don't remember the implementation exactly... you would have to look it up.

Sorry to hear about the flood(s).

My tank is in my carpeted living room on the main floor. If I had a flood like that, my wife would not be letting me upgrade to a 300-450 etc. I’m happy with my decision after hearing your story. Thank you for learning that lesson for us.