DIY over flow box.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
ar0wan;4788057;4788057 said:
and since you're gonna buy
you might as well buy the best

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Those are purtty but not too great IMO. They run on the Toms Aqua Lifter pump, which is as reliable as a catholic condom. They clog and crap out too easily, resulting in the kevinfleming syndrome lol
 
on a side note though...I am just terrified now of anything that could clog and while you are snoring away in the other room.....hundreds of gallon of tank water flowing away through your house.
 
kevinfleming21;4788094;4788094 said:
on a side note though...I am just terrified now of anything that could clog and while you are snoring away in the other room.....hundreds of gallon of tank water flowing away through your house.
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Hahah, actually, it happened to me too with a CPR unit. Even with the Toms prefilter unit, it still clogged. Luckily I caught it before it started to spill over the tank :eek: From now on, strictly drilled for me!
 
Yeah, when mine over flowed I did not even hear it due to the TV.....My mother in law was at the computer in the OTHER room and started yelling about the carpet being soaked. Went through the wall and flooded two rooms.....only drilled for me too!
 
kevinfleming21;4788115; said:
Yeah, when mine over flowed I did not even hear it due to the TV.....My mother in law was at the computer in the OTHER room and started yelling about the carpet being soaked. Went through the wall and flooded two rooms.....only drilled for me too!
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I don't understand how these HOB units can empty your tank. You should have a 1/8" hole drilled in the Utube just below the desired water line. That way if the water line drops too low it breaks the siphon. Regardless of any other malfunction. Your return pump will run out of water and should make enough noise at that point to alert you to an issue. In addition to that. The Hob unit basically creates a set waterline point. As long as your return isn't more then what the HOB can handle then you should be fine.

As for clogging of the Hob unit. Replace or Modify the plumbing so that all waste can easily flow through to the sump where it belongs anyway. No type of Screen, Mesh or Plastic diffuser should be used in the hob. Heck my Emperor 400s little plastic Diffusers have been modified to allow for more water flow so that my Os poop doesn't just sit on the diffuser and actually gets taken into the filter. I just used an exacto to remove every other piece of plastic. Then used reamer to open up the holes on the spray bar a little more.

Anyone that uses one of these systems and ends up with Gallons of water on the floor needs to research siphons and sumps a little more IMHO.

Just my 2c

Mike
 
Mavrick813;4788132; said:
I don't understand how these HOB units can empty your tank. You should have a 1/8" hole drilled in the Utube just below the desired water line. That way if the water line drops too low it breaks the siphon. Regardless of any other malfunction. Your return pump will run out of water and should make enough noise at that point to alert you to an issue. In addition to that. The Hob unit basically creates a set waterline point. As long as your return isn't more then what the HOB can handle then you should be fine.
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You're right, you don't understand. The Toms Aqua Lifter pump is not bullet proof, and is prone to failure. This causes the siphon to break. Then they stop sending water down to the sump, meanwhile the pump is still pumping to the tank. If you have enough water in the sump, then you get water on the floor. As for the pump making noise, that's great and all, if you're at home 24hrs a day. Some of us do have a life that involves leaving the house every now and then :)

EDIT: and nobody said anything about them 'emptying' your tank
 
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