Hang on the back overflow problem

[newguyintown81]

I have a problem with my older eshoops hang on the back overflow. This is the second time that it has almost over flowed my tank. Air bobbles keep filling up in it. I have now restarted it with only a small bobble left in it. I could not drill the tank because it has tempered glass. So I am stuck with this.

Can I drill a hole in the tube and add a fitting to put a lifter pump on it? Or do I just buy a CPR unit with the lifter pump?

Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Mical]

Sounds like your return pump is - clogged/or partially plugged up, getting tired or is too small for the overflow. I have 2 tanks, both with HOB overflows and all I have to initially is prime them w/an Aqualifter pump and they're off and running. No bubbles, no siphon loss if power goes out and they work just fine. I do about every 6 months clean both the HOB overflows and return pumps and have zero issues.

 

[Snoopy 67]

The flow through the overflow box has to be strong enough to "flush" the bubbles out.

 

[theMeat]

CPR is a much better safer option.

 

[Snoopy 67]

CPR requires an Aqualifter pump to purge bubbles.

 

[theMeat]

CPR requires an Aqualifter pump to purge bubbles.

Have run them for years with no lifter pump without issue. Nice to have the option of adding the lifter, and having the lifter self prime the siphon is nice too

 

[Greg Goby]

You can definitely drill a hole in the top of the tube. I did so with a normal drill bit at a low speed and it went well. I placed some airline tubing just slightly into the hole and then glued it into place. I stuck a gardening micro irrigation stopper in the opposite end of about a foot of tubing, but you could of course use anything to close the free end. It is quite important that it stays snugly closed, or else the siphon will break.
Now if I were to see bubbles (or when I take it out to clean it and need to recycle the siphon) I just pop out the stopper, put my turkey baster to the open end of the tubing, and suck out all the air in one go... very convenient. I haven't had issues with bubbles collecting in mine though I could see how that is possible if there are alot of bubbles moving around in the tank. I have seen large bubbles get pushed through the tube by the force of the water so perhaps increasing flow to max out the siphon's flow rate might help. I'm thinking that excess air in my U-tube might actually collect in my foot long piece of airline tubing instead, since the hole is drilled at the highest point of the tube. Best of luck.