Herbie drain is a pain

[input80]

Check your pump, might be varying flow? I had the same issue with the level changing every couple of hours. Changed out the (seemingly failing) pump & haven't had a problem since.

[Potatohead]

Originally Posted by input80

Check your pump, might be varying flow? I had the same issue with the level changing every couple of hours. Changed out the (seemingly failing) pump & haven't had a problem since.

Been thinking about this the last hour or so and I think what may be happening, is if the pump is getting periods of slightly higher voltage, (which likely happens depending on other loads on the circuit) it will increase flow very slightly. This of course is a problem because the drain isn't set up for the extra flow so water accumulates in the overflow. It has even gotten to the point where the DT level is rising. It then also gets exacerbated because the ATO keeps topping off before it actually should be.

So, if I get a ball valve on the return side and set it at or slightly lower than the current return rate, it should be more stable... In theory . At the very least it eliminates another variable.

[albert_dao]

Are you able to raise the water so that you get a tiny trickle into the emergency drain? Cut it down a bit if need be.

[mihaivapler]

Originally Posted by Potatohead

Been thinking about this the last hour or so and I think what may be happening, is if the pump is getting periods of slightly higher voltage, (which likely happens depending on other loads on the circuit) it will increase flow very slightly. This of course is a problem because the drain isn't set up for the extra flow so water accumulates in the overflow. It has even gotten to the point where the DT level is rising. It then also gets exacerbated because the ATO keeps topping off before it actually should be.

If you have a DC pump then that's the problem.Some of them don't keep a constant voltage which result's in more or less flow(happens to me with jebao12000)What i did is i tuned the gate valve that is just flowing a tiny bit in the emergency drain and when start to push more water it goes down on the emergency,usually doesn't last for long and go back in level.

[Potatohead]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Are you able to raise the water so that you get a tiny trickle into the emergency drain? Cut it down a bit if need be.

This is an option I'm trying to avoid, but in the end I may not have another choice. The emergency drain is actually drilled into the side of the tank higher up than the drain hole (for space reasons) and I can't really lower it. If I run it with a trickle in the emergency, it will work but it raises the level in the DT higher than I want it to be. I set it all up so that it would just start draining before the tank overflowed, but all in all we're only talking about 1.5" difference in height.

Originally Posted by mihaivapler

If you have a DC pump then that's the problem.Some of them don't keep a constant voltage which result's in more or less flow(happens to me with jebao12000)What i did is i tuned the gate valve that is just flowing a tiny bit in the emergency drain and when start to push more water it goes down on the emergency,usually doesn't last for long and go back in level.

It's an AC pump (Tunze 1073.02) so I don't know if the flow would really vary or not, I know turning them down with a restriction will reduce their power consumption but I don't know if more power means more flow. We're talking about not much water over a long period of time though, my whole system is only like 38 gallons so it only takes about 1/2 gallon to really make a big difference. 1/2 gallon over 3 - 4 days isn't much change in flow. Maybe the issue is lack of water volume and I just have to live with it, but I hope not.

[mihaivapler]

Originally Posted by Potatohead

This is an option I'm trying to avoid, but in the end I may not have another choice. The emergency drain is actually drilled into the side of the tank higher up than the drain hole (for space reasons) and I can't really lower it. If I run it with a trickle in the emergency, it will work but it raises the level in the DT higher than I want it to be. I set it all up so that it would just start draining before the tank overflowed, but all in all we're only talking about 1.5" difference in height.



It's an AC pump (Tunze 1073.02) so I don't know if the flow would really vary or not, I know turning them down with a restriction will reduce their power consumption but I don't know if more power means more flow. We're talking about not much water over a long period of time though, my whole system is only like 38 gallons so it only takes about 1/2 gallon to really make a big difference. 1/2 gallon over 3 - 4 days isn't much change in flow. Maybe the issue is lack of water volume and I just have to live with it, but I hope not.

I would adjust the valve so just a little bit of water going down your emergency drain,just enough that will not create a splash or any noise.also what else you can do it you have the space i would shorten the emergency drain and put a 45 elbow so in this way the water doesn't drop in the pipe creating that noise..

[Potatohead]

Originally Posted by mihaivapler

I would adjust the valve so just a little bit of water going down your emergency drain,just enough that will not create a splash or any noise.also what else you can do it you have the space i would shorten the emergency drain and put a 45 elbow so in this way the water doesn't drop in the pipe creating that noise..

The emergency is already on a 90° angle, the drain is going straight out the bottom with a standpipe and the emergency drain is drilled into the side about 1.5" above the top of the standpipe. It's just a bulkhead in the side of the overflow. I have the drain standpipe not far from the bottom of the weir teeth to keep the overflow quiet. It's easy enough to set it up so I have a small trickle down the emergency drain. I would have to extend the plumbing because I left it short of the sump water level on purpose so I could hear it if water was ever going through it. If I extend the emergency drain below the water level of the sump, is the water going to back up the drain or will it actually work its way into the sump? I guess it would be fine as long as it's not straight up and down.

[Potatohead]

http://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-...method-basics/

That article says to run both the siphon and emergency lines under water into the sump, which allows it to go full siphon if it has to. Makes sense I guess. I just hope I can do it without bringing the DT level too high, I'll monkey around with it tonight.

[Tyfighter]

I had the same problem with mine always having to be adjusted, I just thought that was how it was going to be. Then one day I went to close my drain line and the ball valve was jammed. I removed the valve (Double union valves for the win!) and a there was a shell jammed in it. I replaced the valve and I haven't had a problem since.