the problem is this is only a 34 gal cube tank.. I was trying to do this with as little realestate lost as possible.. I will have to work with what I got because I am not interested in redoing it all again.. I sucks that I did not get the whole concept in the begining or else I might have just done beananimals all the way instead.

Worse comes to worse, I just have to deal with the emergency line handling all the flow in the event of a restart after a power outtage.

I should have it filled with RO/DI by today. So I will start it up and see what happens with the hole.

sigh... I thought I was doing it all right the first time!!!! lol.. oh well..

How can I still do it through the back wall?

As Mark says, you can do the Herbie through the back wall--just turn the elbow upward or remove it. Then adjust your gate valve so the main drain is fully immersed and the emergency drain isn't. I have a similar setup with an internal overflow smaller than yours--can be a bit tricky to maintain the water level, but it works well.

Regards,
Nevin

It should work fine with the hole. Removing the elbow completely will also work but since the primary is so close to the top air may be drawn into the line from the surface which could be noisy, the elbow should eliminate this.

Run it with the elbow and hole and let us know how it works.

Ok, the hole does not work.. I am a bit peeved that I did not do this right!! lol.. Anything else I can do to fix this mess? Or will I just have to suffer with it or re-plumb it?

No matter what I will have to go through the back. The best solution I can think of is to remove the current drain and replace all the 90's with 45's. Or just replace with flex Pipe.

Ideas?

What if I tap a hole in the very first 90 out the back of the tank, run a line to the return pipe inlet, so it sucks out the air? Yes it will kill some of the return flow but very little I would think? Yes/No?

Thanks!!

On you main drain have you tried removing the 90° or having the opening facing the top?

If you have and you finding it sucking air, option is to redrill on the side, just lower down right towards the bottom (immediately below existing main), then place the upturned 90°. The original main drain then could be either plumbed back as another emergency or blanked off.

Can also give up the idea of the Herbie, and run a external Durso. On the main, leave the 90° pointing down, on the outside of the tank have a tee. Cap the top, then drill out for the air (starting will a small bit, or tap for a air valve), the downward leg to the sump.

I removed the 90 from the drain already.. so it is just the bulk head.. I love how silent it is right now, just wish I could get it to restart on its own.

The whole problem is that it will not restart after a power shutoff and almost all the flow goes through the emergency drain. I am sure if left for hours the air would work its way out of the main, but that is just silly.. :D

you realize though depending on how closed the valve is on the primary drain is, the water will back up over the top of the primary.

On my 33g will about 200gph, with everything balanced (surface height steady) the water surface was over 2" above the top of the drain.

Might need also to increase the height of the emergency.

Hmmm, if its actually airlocking, you should be able to drill a small " bleed" hole right above the water line where the drain enters the sump

would that still work if you have the gate valve? should the bleed hole be before or after the gate valve?