how to set emergency drain height in overflow

[reef tank 2.0]

I need help. I am struggling to get my overflow pipes secured into place. Mainly due to not knowing what height to make the emergency drain pipe. I don't have the luxury of setting that height based off my water level. I am starting this tank at ground zero, so I have nothing to work with. I don;t know how to determine what height the water level will be in order to set the emergency drain pipe.

Can anyone assist me in determining this height? Once I get the height set, I can secure the bulkhead into place and continue the plumbing downward.
Here is a picture of my weir. the bottom of it also meets the glass inside the overflow. Im taking the picture at a slight angle looking down, but the weir and glass are identical in height

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I assume you are running a Herbie setup? If so, you will have one drain that is a full siphon that will be a few inches shorter than the teeth on your overflow. The height of the water in the overflow will be adjusted with a valve (preferable a gate valve) on that siphon drain pipe under your tank. You will adjust it so that only a slight trickle runs down the emergency drain. The height of that pipe should also be shorter than the weir teeth but taller than the main drain.

 

[bblumberg]

The emergency drain height should be set at the height you never want to exceed. You did not mention whether this is a Bean Animal overflow, a Herbie or something else. That would matter.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

herbie yes, i read that the main drain should be about 6" from the top of the emergency. i get that, but the emergency height is my starting point.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I need help. I am struggling to get my overflow pipes secured into place. Mainly due to not knowing what height to make the emergency drain pipe. I don't have the luxury of setting that height based off my water level. I am starting this tank at ground zero, so I have nothing to work with. I don;t know how to determine what height the water level will be in order to set the emergency drain pipe.

Can anyone assist me in determining this height? Once I get the height set, I can secure the bulkhead into place and continue the plumbing downward.
Here is a picture of my weir. the bottom of it also meets the glass inside the overflow. Im taking the picture at a slight angle looking down, but the weir and glass are identical in height

Also, you can always shorten the emergency drain (or replace it with a longer pipe if too short) after the tank is running. You want the inside of the bulkheads inside your overflow to be "slip" and then just push the drain pipes down into the bulkhead... You don't want to be gluing these pipes.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

i don't plan on gluing them. i have them pushed in hard though. pretty hard to get out

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

herbie yes, i read that the main drain should be about 6" from the top of the emergency. i get that, but the emergency height is my starting point.

Read my post again. You will be setting the water height with the valve on the main drain.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

the way that i have to have my tank plumbed, i don't have the ability to place a union directly below the bulkhead. the unions are actually a little down stream

I don't understand what you mean.

 

[FishOkay]

Obviously your water level in the overflow will at a minimum be same height as your main drain so your emergency drain will be higher than that. Get it as high as possible so you can tune your overflow level to sit just below the emergency and itl be quieter.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

I don't understand what you mean.

sorry, i edited that comment after i posted it..

 

[reef tank 2.0]

ok, so maybe i'm overthinking this. so if i set the pipe height at say 1/2" from bottom of weir, i can fine tune the level once water is running via the gate valve, did i understand that right?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

ok, so maybe i'm overthinking this. so if i set the pipe height at say 1/2" from bottom of weir, i can fine tune the level once water is running via the gate valve, did i understand that right?

Yes. Here's a link to one of many explanations...https://gmacreef.com/herbie-overflow-reef-tank-plumbing-method-basics/

And a pic from the article to visualize what I described in my first post.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

thank you......Thought it was more difficult than that.....i will proceed and depend on my valve later on.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

As described in the link/pic, you don't want the main drain too low because when you do stop the return pump, the overflow will drain into the sump until the water level in the overflow reaches that drain.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

thank you......Thought it was more difficult than that.....i will proceed and depend on my valve later on.

A Bean Animal adds a second layer of safety (2 emerg drains), but I love the Herbie design. Very easy to dial in to be completely silent

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The emergency drain height should be set at the height you never want to exceed. You did not mention whether this is a Bean Animal overflow, a Herbie or something else. That would matter.

Not exactly. when water begins running down the emergency drain, it makes noise and alerts you that something is blocking your main drain (most of the time for me it's some algae caught on the drain strainer/cover). It can also signal a problem with the return pump since a variation in that flow will also affect the overflow balance.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Just FYI, using one of these on the emergency drain makes it real easy to fine tune that height. (If you have the depth to install it.)