Overflow rework plan, NEED opinion

[streetunity]

i want to change my over flow design for a few reasons... number one, it's ugly, i haven't been a fan of it since the day i picked up the tank. number two, i want to draw water from the middle and bottom of the tank as well.

currently its a 90 degree pipe elbow stick way into the tank and it really draws your eye to the white pipe..



i'd like to replace the pipe with something slighty lower profile, and i'd like to paint it before i install it, currently there are 3 bulkheads in the rear of the tank which are connected to a common larger pipe for transfer to the sump. i would like to replace each of the elbows with a pipe that goes to the bottom of the tank that's drilled to pick up debris from all levels of the tank. with a pipe inside it that connects to the bulk heads so that it actually pulls from all levels (see below) i figured i'll need a syphon break, so i've planned for that. i just want to know if my design is properly designed so that it will function correctly, or if there's anything i've missed / overlooked. i also prefer this design as it will allow me to raise the water level of the tank a bit.


(picture shows current and desired setup)
thanks in advance

Brian

 

[Longshot]

Your picture on the right is pretty much what I'm using with great success. Just realized that if your pump shuts off the water level drops to the bottom of the drilled hole rather than end of the pipe.

I don't have drilled tanks so my overflows are the 7 elbow PVC contraptions. I arranged the pipes so that the bottom of the exit pipe (outside of the tank) is only about 2 inches below the water level. When my pump shuts off the sump is still able to handle the amount of water.

 

[streetunity]

i had designed it with a pipe inside a pipe, that was siphonless, shouldn't the water level stop here if the pump died?

 

[Longshot]

We are on the same page so I must not be seeing something on the current overflow.

Here is what I'm getting at. Unfortunately photobucket over did it on the compression, but based on what I see in the picture, when the pump shuts off the water level only falls down to the top of the elbow. If you were to replace it with a T it would do like you've recognized. Can your sump handle the amount of water shown by the red arrow?

 

[streetunity]

yeah sump can handle it, plus there's a built in over flow in my sump that dumps to waste water in case of catastrophe, and also to prepare for my automatic W/C drip system.

when you say elbow replace by a T is that to break syphon? that's what the small tube i have installed in the back of the elbow going up above the intended water line was for, will that not work?

 

[Longshot]

Ok, your good then.

Based on the picture it looks like you are pulling the elbow off on the inside and replacing it with a T that has one branch go to the bottom and the other go to the top. I was just afraid that you hadn't thought about the taller column of water by lowering the overflow point and that if/when the pump turns off you won't be draining just the top sliver of water and instead it will drain a few inches down. Just make sure that the lower intake is restrictive enough that the top intake is still necessary. If the downward facing intake can out flow your pump your water level will become lower. Not sure if that is an issue for you but it usually bugs me to see the water line.

 

[streetunity]

sorry double post --removed--

 

[streetunity]

the outer pipe red is capped and will no longer draw off the top of the water line... the blue pipe will be located inside and not capped at the bottom so that water pressure will cause a vacuuming effect, and draw waste from top middle and bottom sections of tank, water flow is represented by yellow arrows.



is the cap on the red pipe required, or will it work as i intend with out the cap at the top? i figured with the cap there the forces will be much greater on pulling from all levels, instead of just gravity doing its job

 

[Longshot]

That'll work as long as the outer pipe leaves enough clearance for the little pipe and water to move through. Personally, I'd just drill holes in the main pipe (since PVC is cheap and easy to work with) and not worry about the big cover pipe. One of my first DIY filter systems was set up that way and it worked just fine. You can take the intake pipe, cover it in pond foam then take a drill and punch through everything. Then it just looks like a rock...or get a long pilot bit, a big paddle bit and try drilling lengthwise down a large stick or stump, then drill the intake holes.

 

[Longshot]

Here is what I'm describing since the words by themselves are kinda confusing. This is pretty much the design I'm using.

I would not rely on a downward facing only because if it gets clogged (trust me, it happens) you have a huge mess.