treesprite April 27, 2009 Share April 27, 2009 I'm posting pics of the "rough draft" version which, for the most part, has pieces that were already cut just odd in my box of PVC odds & ends (does having such a box make me a tank nerd?), and has elbows which I will replace with bent PVC. I'll be painting the final version black. I'll probably need like 3 of these if I want to keep from having to restrict my 1587gph return pump (I may only put a flow valve on one of them as the others would be redundant). This works like a charm - I lifted it out of the water a few inches and waited until there was no more water dripping, then put it back under and it immediately started up again Project uses all 1" PVC. There is a hole drilled at the top center of where the overflow hangs over the edge of the tank for priming - in it is a short piece of hard tubing with a piece of airline attatched with a valve. This is very easy to prime just sucking out the air from the open valve for several seconds (close valve before removal from mouth). FINAL VERSION PICS TO COME IN NEAR FUTURE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal1110 April 27, 2009 Share April 27, 2009 Wow very cool, much too complicated for me though =D Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam75 April 27, 2009 Share April 27, 2009 Holy MS paint Baman! Very cool idea. I like that it's not your typical "hose and bucket" type overflow. -Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze98 April 27, 2009 Share April 27, 2009 neat project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 27, 2009 Share April 27, 2009 Nice work on the PVC u-bend at the top of your overflow, Forrest. Nice implementation overall. I've seen pictures of similarly implemented overflows using gray pipe as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 27, 2009 Author Share April 27, 2009 Thanks for the compliments I had looked really hard on the net for a decent enough diagram with pics of the real thing plus expnations - some had no picture or diagram, some I couldn't tell what was what, and some the explanations didn't make sense. I did, however, get an idea of how the work. The first version I made actually was something I saw a picture of - I had a very difficult time trying to get it primed, and when I did, the flow was very low. Then I made the version pictured above which is way better. My PVC bending isn't going so well it seems. I think I'm just going to use both bends and elbows depending on the spot. Having the overhang piece a bent pipe instead of PVC pieces makes it easier to prime (tried both ways). I'm wondering just how long I can make the intake part - I would like to have a lot of length to keep good surface flow in the tank .... all the examples I saw basically just had a hole which does nothing for keeping the top of the water clear of any and everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze98 April 28, 2009 Share April 28, 2009 I found this when I was thinking about doing my own diy overflow.....I have the plans at home somewhere if you want them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k April 28, 2009 Share April 28, 2009 I commend you on finding ways to do things differently, but honestly that thing is really ugly. I love DIY projects but only if they have professional looking results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 30, 2009 Author Share April 30, 2009 Some black paint will make a difference. Also they can be made shorter, or the pipe could go down then go all the way acrss the bottom before coming back up so that there is only one tube seen in each corner of the tank (if only using one unit... I'll be using at least 2). I had too much trouble with my bending - I'm going to go for just using bent pipe for the part that hangs over the tank. I was trying various designs out and at one point had one that had 100% flow coming out of the pipe - what a beautiful sight that wasy.... unfortuneately there was something wrong (couldn't figure it out) that kept the thing from holding it's prime so I went back to the drawing board - can't get another good flow like that no matter what I do. Right now I have a design that has 2 of the PVC overflows connected by a long intake that goes all the way across the tank to almost total surface skimming. It's very odd because one of the joined units gives more flow than the other one when they are made exactly the same, and it's teh onw with the longest way to go to get to the sump (sump is next to DT not below it). I'm going to keep fiddling with it until I get better flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite May 3, 2009 Author Share May 3, 2009 I'm getting frustrated. I can't duplicate whatever it was that gave me the amazing flow that I had in the one attempt, and because I took that one apart trying to figure something else out, I have nothing to remind me. Best I can do now is half flow, when in that one time I had full force as much as the pipe could handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkey October 29, 2009 Share October 29, 2009 Hi This looks very good. might have ago at building one myself. To the people that made one of them. How did you get on with it. Did it work fine for you ? Or did any of you find a better way of doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak October 29, 2009 Share October 29, 2009 make it black and add some spinin rims and you got your self some awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkey October 29, 2009 Share October 29, 2009 make it black and add some spinin rims and you got your self some awesome! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 29, 2009 Author Share October 29, 2009 Had I decided to use them permanently, I'd have definitely painted them black.... no rims though! The flow through them is very low. They are great for moving water to a sump or fuge in a tank that is relying only on powerheads in the tank for flow, with a very small return pump. However, for a tank that uses a larger return pump to have non-powerhead flow, these PVC overflows are nowhere near adequate. If I had not drilled my clown tank, I would have considered using one of these. In my 65 I would have had to use several of them in order to not have to use powerheads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav November 2, 2009 Share November 2, 2009 I dont understand the purpose / goal. Nor do I see how the flow will start again when the power comes back on. I'm not saying it wont, or doesn't work.... just that I don't "get it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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