Standpipe help

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shluffer

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 1, 2009
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Connecticut
Anyone ever use clear tubing for a standpipe? My standpipes will not be in an overflow (tank is drilled) and this will be more asteticaly pleaseing to the wife. If anyone knows where to get the pipe inexpensively, that would be helpful. I have found schedule 40, but it is expensive. I figure something thinner would work if I can find it.

I plan on building a Durso style standpipe. If I understand them correctly, the idea is to restrict the air in order to keep the water agianst the sides of the pipe, preventing gurgaling. To do this the inlet has to be below the waterline. Has anyone tried using a y instead of a T and elbow? I would think it should work, and take up less space, but I'm not sure.
 
I wouldn't see where it would make to much of a difference as to whether you used a "Y" or a "T", but then again, a picture says a 1000 words.
 
That standpipe design doesn't work all that well. At best, it just muffles the sound. It is treating the syptom rather than curing the disease. If the hole is small enough to silence the gurgling, it creates a syphon and it will gurgle through the 90. If the hole is large enough to not create a syphon, then it allows sound through.

The best solution that I have found that doesn't require valves is to put a piece of airline or larger tube down the pipe to allow the air and water to enter separately. The water then can enter smoothly and forms a natural cap to contain any sound generated lower in the pipe.
 
I agree. wyou should try out Chomper's idea. That will be the next one I do.
 
How far down does the air tube go? If I use this method, does the standpipe itself skim off of the top? This would require many fewer fitting and be much less expensive if I go with clear pipe.

I will have valves on the pipes anyways. Can I just decrease the flow through the valve untill the water level isn't rising and there is no sound?
 
shluffer;2802240; said:
How far down does the air tube go? ....
Click to expand...
1/3 to 2/3 of the way down. At first you will have to play with it to find the best place.

shluffer;2802240; said:
I will have valves on the pipes anyways. Can I just decrease the flow through the valve untill the water level isn't rising and there is no sound?
Click to expand...
This is actually the best way of doing it. Keep one shorter than the other and have that one do 99% of the work. The other will just have a trickle if anything at all. If the main pipe gets a clog, the second one will take over.
 
I'll give this a try.

Durso on his website says that the standpipe needs to be oversized for bulkheads of one inch (he says to use 1.25). should I use his recomended size or am I better off going with 1 inch?

Also, for the air, is air line thick enough, or should I use quarter inch tube? How do you connect the airline so that it doesn't fall out?
 
Another question. The fitting I ended up with to attach the bulkhead to the valves are schedule 80 instead of schedule 40. that reduces the ID by about 9% and should decrease the flow rate. Does it decrease it enough to matter?
 
Sch 80 might be ok. What pump are you using and how high is the water's surface from the top of the pump?
 
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