How do you start a pvc overflow?

[arkmann]

Sorry for jacking the photo from the diy thread.

Anyways I constructed my overflow at the exact way as it was pictured above. I have been sucking on an air line attached to the air check valve but the overflow would still not start.

If you look at the photo, an arrow is pointing on the start of the first "U." The start of the "U" is not glued with pvc pipe. It has to be that way because the pvc was assembled inside the tank. Should I glue them together?

I'm gonna try suciking on the air line again and see your responses in a bit.

Thanks.

 

[rallysman]

submerse the entire thing (if you can). then suck the air out.
I've also plugged the return and filled the vent tube. Sometimes they're tricky to start, but once they're full of water they're awesome. If all else fails keep sucking LOL. You just have to remove a lot of air when they're empty.

 

[arkmann]

submerse the entire thing (if you can). then suck the air out.
I've also plugged the return and filled the vent tube. Sometimes they're tricky to start, but once they're full of water they're awesome. If all else fails keep sucking LOL. You just have to remove a lot of air when they're empty.

Let me try filling up the vent tube and see what happens.

 

[arkmann]

That worked! Thanks a lot!!!

 

[rallysman]

That worked! Thanks a lot!!!

Now that I think about it, it would be really hard to start without filling the vent. If you didn't put water in the bottom of the outside loop you would just be pulling air in from the empty side. I've done it before but I've never thought about it lol.

 

[chesterthehero]

also... once you get those check valves wet once or twice they tend to quit working... binder clips and some small tubing is the best thing for this..

and sealing the bottom elbow would be a good idea.. if its not sealed it "could" suck water through it which "could" drain yer tank if yer pump quits/loses power..

 

[rallysman]

also... once you get those check valves wet once or twice they tend to quit working... binder clips and some small tubing is the best thing for this..

and sealing the bottom elbow would be a good idea.. if its not sealed it "could" suck water through it which "could" drain yer tank if yer pump quits/loses power..

Goo point on the sealing, but I've never had an issue with spring loaded check valves, only the "duckbill" ones.

 

[chesterthehero]

really.. ive gone through every brand i can get my hands on and never had one last more than 2... uhh.... "suck sessions".....

a better way (which i plan to do myself next time i mess with stuff) is to use one of the line connectors to the overflow.. then some tube THEN the checkvalve... that way you can pull the checkvalve out to start the flow/suck out bubble then just replace the valve

 

[arkmann]

also... once you get those check valves wet once or twice they tend to quit working... binder clips and some small tubing is the best thing for this..

and sealing the bottom elbow would be a good idea.. if its not sealed it "could" suck water through it which "could" drain yer tank if yer pump quits/loses power..

Good point although I tend to doubt it because I have a hard time just removing it from the connection but as a precaution, I will heed your advice.

Oh and one more thing. The water line in my sump is high, too high in my opinion. I would say that the pump is not able to catch up with the overflow. What would you do to lower the water line? Should I drain it from the sump or from the tank itself???

By the way the pvc is 1.24" in diameter and I have a Quiet One HH. I forgot the number but jlnguyen should know what it is 'coz its was previously his.

 

[arkmann]

Or maybe I should just put a rock under the overflow.

I am worrying about this because I have a 30G wet/dry and at the moment, I would say that about 12 gallons is occupied by water. The intake tube is about 1.5" under the water line. Now I don't know if 1.5" of water in a 60x18x21" is more than 18" gallons but I would rather be on the safe side and decrease the amount of water that would drain in my sump just in case the pump shuts down.