Difference between 1.5" and 2" drain in overflow

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by fishytime

Herbie......

Once you've had Herbie...... you'll never go back.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by findingnemo1

Christy i'll talk to Craig tonite and see what we had on there. Cause that tank was in my living room in Sherwood park and i never heard it. And i know we did have a reducer on it as we'll.

You guys had 1.25" pipe on there. Its hell finding that stuff around here but oddly enough the 1.5" is pretty popular so I went with that. 2" just seemed like overkill to me but my original plans for the dart included a few elbows and PVC. I ended up switching to spaflex and reduced the elbows to just what is in the wavy sea so much more flow than I'd planned on I guess.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Durso standpipes should be one size bigger than the drain to work properly, so if you're using 1.5" pipe for the drain, your durso standpipe should be 2". This should fix your problem.

FYI many plumbing stores will sell PVC pipe by the foot.

Unfortunately we don't have many plumbing stores. We have Home Hardware. Home Depot doesn't sell it (they only sell the type for irrigation, tons of holes in it) and I'm not sure about Rona, they seem more like a "I need to hang a picture, do you have nails and an apartment sized hammer?" type of store, either that or we have a mini-Rona

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

Once you've had Herbie...... you'll never go back.

I'm of the understanding that in order to do a Herbie overflow you need two holes drilled. The overflow box doesn't have the space and the tank is already running so that ship has sailed.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by christyf5

Unfortunately we don't have many plumbing stores. We have Home Hardware. Home Depot doesn't sell it (they only sell the type for irrigation, tons of holes in it) and I'm not sure about Rona, they seem more like a "I need to hang a picture, do you have nails and an apartment sized hammer?" type of store, either that or we have a mini-Rona

Well either way you should be using a 2" standpipe to match your 1.5" drain. You could always use 2" ABS which may be easier to find in your area, it also typically comes in 4 foot lengths.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by christyf5

I'm of the understanding that in order to do a Herbie overflow you need two holes drilled. The overflow box doesn't have the space and the tank is already running so that ship has sailed.

You can do a herbie with a single large hole (2") but if you're having issues finding parts for a 2" standpipe then building a single drain herbie will be a much greater challenge. Here's a drawing for reference, if it's really something you want I could probably build it for you and ship it to you.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Well either way you should be using a 2" standpipe to match your 1.5" drain. You could always use 2" ABS which may be easier to find in your area, it also typically comes in 4 foot lengths.

Oh I always thought ABS was bad?

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by christyf5

Oh I always thought ABS was bad?

No, that's a common myth. ABS is completely potable and safe for aquariums. ABS is used in drains because it has a higher resistance to chemicals. Also most of the plastic parts already in your aquarium like pumps and magnet cleaners are made from ABS.

[christyf5]

Oh! Well thats great info!

So I'm at a bit of a loss with the photo you posted of the single herbie. Why does it have 1.25" pipe in it? Does the 1.25" pipe go all the way through, how is it affixed in the 2" pipe? And whats going on with the gate valve?

Sorry for all the questions, apparently I need more caffeine

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by christyf5

So I'm at a bit of a loss with the photo you posted of the single herbie. Why does it have 1.25" pipe in it? Does the 1.25" pipe go all the way through, how is it affixed in the 2" pipe? And whats going on with the gate valve?

The 1.25" pipe goes all the way through (it's one piece) and acts as the secondary or back up drain. It's supported inside the 2" pipe by the bushing.

The primary drain is created by the 2" pipe. Water flows in between the 2" and 1.25" pipe and then through the gate valve. The gate valve is used to match the flow rate to the return pump and adjust the water level in the overflow box to just below the top of the 1.25" pipe. It's just like a standard herbie but the back up drain is inside the primary.

Make sense?