Bulk Head Question

[Canadian]

I prefer the BeanAnimal overflow which is basically a Herbie with an extra hole/pipe:

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/s...ow-system.aspx

You can apply the same principles in the BeanAnimal for a bottom drilled tank or, as in my case, an external permanently mounted overflow box (not a siphon overflow).

[golf nut]

All of these systems ave a multitude of ways to doing them, you can actually do a Beananimal or herbie style through just one bulkhead if you have the tools to do it and the ability to figure it all out.

Pick which one you feel comfortable with, learn how it works first before you mess with it.

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Mr OM

All of these systems ave a multitude of ways to doing them, you can actually do a Beananimal or herbie style through just one bulkhead if you have the tools to do it and the ability to figure it all out.

Pick which one you feel comfortable with, learn how it works first before you mess with it.

Doing this through one bulkhead would be a bad idea. The reason for the redundancy is to avoid potential disaster. For example, my BeanAnimal overflow saved my a$$ the other day: I had several nassarius snails apparently climb into my overflow and die in the main siphon pipe. If I had one bulkhead and they managed to get lodged in the pipe somewhere at a point either just before the bulkhead (presumably where the network of siphons and emergency drains converge to enter a single bulkhead in your proposed one-bulkhead suggestion) or in the pipe on the other side of the bulkhead the redundancy of the extra overflows would have been moot and I would have had a wet floor.

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by Canadian

Doing this through one bulkhead would be a bad idea. The reason for the redundancy is to avoid potential disaster. For example, my BeanAnimal overflow saved my a$$ the other day: I had several nassarius snails apparently climb into my overflow and die in the main siphon pipe. If I had one bulkhead and they managed to get lodged in the pipe somewhere at a point either just before the bulkhead (presumably where the network of siphons and emergency drains converge to enter a single bulkhead in your proposed one-bulkhead suggestion) or in the pipe on the other side of the bulkhead the redundancy of the extra overflows would have been moot and I would have had a wet floor.

I think you have misunderstood exactly what I mean, I have no intention of running all the pipes into one drain, all feeds go independently to the sump, I think I know how to keep the floor dry, Beans super safe system was designed for precisely that reason, although a Herbie is good, the extra fail safe is enough to keep his marriage from coming to a wet end.

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Mr OM

I think you have misunderstood exactly what I mean, I have no intention of running all the pipes into one drain, all feeds go independently to the sump, I think I know how to keep the floor dry, Beans super safe system was designed for precisely that reason, although a Herbie is good, the extra fail safe is enough to keep his marriage from coming to a wet end.

Could you explain or, preferably, show a diagram displaying how you would plumb a BeanAnimal overflow with a single bulkhead? That certainly would have been easier to do when I was building my tank and external overflow.

[golf nut]

This is one of many permutations, it is not easy to build unless you have the proper equipment and have reasonably accurate flow factors. Size is dependent on return pump numbers, but typically most systems fit into a similar category.



Light blue is typical water level for siphon system.
Dark blue is open channel.
Red is safety

Accepting the fact that the diameter of the red pipe is adequate enough for capacity of the return pump.

[Canadian]

Ah I see how that would work. Certainly a compact and elegant solution. I don't know that many hobbyists would have the practical means to make that but it looks great in theory.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Mr OM

This is one of many permutations, it is not easy to build unless you have the proper equipment and have reasonably accurate flow factors. Size is dependent on return pump numbers, but typically most systems fit into a similar category.



Light blue is typical water level for siphon system.
Dark blue is open channel.
Red is safety

Accepting the fact that the diameter of the red pipe is adequate enough for capacity of the return pump.

In the drawing you've provided Is there three drains in one? I've done this style of overflow before but only combined two drains into one:


The tools required are minor and the only modification required is to the bushing which just needs the internal edge ground off so the 1.25" pipe can be slipped all the way through and glued in place.

Does your design differ from this one? As far as I remember this design was really only practical if a 2" bulkhead could be used. The 2" pipe combined with a 1.25" pipe match up almost perfectly if sch40 is used. This is because the area of the 1.25" pipe slightly smaller than the area of the 2" pipe minus the space taken up by the 1.25" pipe but the larger area has more friction resulting from more surface area. Therefore the primary cannot exceed the secondary in flow meaning your limitation is simply the 1.25" pipe and you can size your return to match that.

The one problem with this design is it simply isn't practical and makes very little sense to pursue it too far. The only time I have used this design is when I drilled a tank on site which had thick glass and drilling another hole would be more work and headache than introducing such a complicated design. In all other cases you're better off drilling a second hole. For example if you're planning a custom build adding the extra hole is minor and if you're not planning a custom build and you only have one drain hole chances are you won't be able to get a 2" bulkhead in there anyway.

I've also done another style of a single hole herbie, it was simply a single stockman stand pipe plumbed in the usual way. the difference was that at the base of the standpipe it could rotate within a couple, a large hole was drilled in the coupling and through the pipe of the standpipe so the two holes could line up. This would add a kind of gate valve to the standpipe itself and the idea was you would be able to adjust the valve so most of the water entered the lower part of the standpipe at full siphon and only a small amount went through the top. Now this of course didn't add the security of a second drain but simply made for a quieter standpipe.