Bean Animal Drains & Tank Outlets - Open or Screens?

[Rcpilot]

Do you run screens or strainers on your tank outlet bulkheads and/or Bean Animal drain pipes?

Does your emergency dry pipe have a screen?
Wet channel pipe?
Siphon pipe?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jsvand5]

I don’t run screens on any of them but my overflow is well covered and nothing of any significant size could possibly get into any of the pipes.

 

[miPapareef]

No screens for me. I have a shadow overflow that has ~3/8” slots so if it fits through that, then it will go through the pipes and valves. I routinely get 1/4” x 3/8” sized snails going through.

 

[Rcpilot]

Thanks. Running them open saves me about 35--40 bucks on screens.

 

[ca1ore]

No screen on the dry, but screens on the other two drains. Seems like a sensible form of redundancy to me. Not sure what you mean by the tank outlet bulkheads - do you mean the returns? If so, no need to screen them.

 

[Rcpilot]

No screen on the dry, but screens on the other two drains. Seems like a sensible form of redundancy to me. Not sure what you mean by the tank outlet bulkheads - do you mean the returns? If so, no need to screen them.

I have 2 outlet bulkheads that flow to an external box. Then 3 bulkheads out of the box.. bean animal.

 

[ca1ore]

Oh, I see. No, screens for me just on the drains. I have a low profile skim box, so couldn’t screen the pass through bulkheads even if I wanted to - which I don’t.

 

[cracker]

I run mine open. They will clog up eventually & reduce flow so I gotta clean them regular. I'm for to lazy for that !

 

[ca1ore]

Thanks. Running them open saves me about 35--40 bucks on screens.

I make my own out of a male pvc fitting and some gutter guard. Much cheaper and less likely to clog.

 

[Rcpilot]

I make my own out of a male pvc fitting and some gutter guard. Much cheaper and less likely to clog.

Got a pic of that? As you can see from my overflow box pic above, I'm all about DIY

 

[Avkidd75]

I have a question. I want to drill my tank and put a box in the tank to do the bean animal do the main have to be lower then the secondary pipe? or it doesn't matter?

 

[Rcpilot]

3 pipes
All 3 different heights

Highest pipe needs to be below the tank rim... at least 1/2" I'd think. My dry, emergency pipe will be probably be 1/2" below the top lip of the tank. My open channel should be 1/2" or so below that. Siphon will be all the way on the bottom of the box. Hopefully under 4-5 inches of water. Gate valve as far below as I can get it. Hopefully a good 10--12 inches of drop
before it turns a few times and dumps into the sump.

 

[ca1ore]

Here .....

 

[ca1ore]

I have a question. I want to drill my tank and put a box in the tank to do the bean animal do the main have to be lower then the secondary pipe? or it doesn't matter?

Lots of differing philosophies of how to best run a bean. My own is to have the top of emergency between 1 and 1 1/2” below the top rim of the box so that in the event both of the others get blocked there is enough space for adequate head pressure to build (you can also upsize the pipe if you have room). I use a U tube on the secondary with a small air hole in the top radius and have it 2” below the top rim, thus about 1/2” below the emergency. Secondary essentially sets the water level in the external box. Primary is just a strainer/screen screwed into the bulkhead at the bottom of the box.

 

[Rcpilot]

Here .....

Thanks. I like it!!
Zip tied to the fitting?

 

[ca1ore]

Yep, drill a few holes and zip it on. Length means it will take a very long time to clog. Roll of gutter guard from HD will last you a lifetime LOL.