Sump bubbles

[Reefermatt3]

I went on a whim and ordered a tank with a built in overflow... I went to plum it and come to find out I get mad bubbles!

1 inch drain pvc with 2 45s and a union.

Can someone tell me why this is happening?

 

[psirex]

Air intake at the pump or trapped in the line?

 

[Reeferdood]

You need to vent the plumbing. Pull the drains up out of the water...

 

[FLAdaboy]

It's your return pump. You might need to play around with things. What kind of pump is it??

 

[jaws789832]

Is that going into the display?, or into the sump? If its going into the display then the problem lies in either sump design or return pump too strong. If its the pump you can install a valve on the return line and gate it down to slow the flow so it doesnt suck in air, if its sump design you will need to baffle the sump to make a bubble trap so no bubbles are getting into the return chamber. If that is your drain line into your sump, you can what kind of drain is it herbie, bean animal, durso). There are ways to eliminate the problem but on each one it will be a little different.

 

[Reefermatt3]

You need to vent the plumbing. Pull the drains up out of the water...

Tried that thanks tho!

 

[Reefermatt3]

It's your return pump. You might need to play around with things. What kind of pump is it??

It's the drain, it goes into the sump.

 

[Reefermatt3]

Is that going into the display?, or into the sump? If its going into the display then the problem lies in either sump design or return pump too strong. If its the pump you can install a valve on the return line and gate it down to slow the flow so it doesnt suck in air, if its sump design you will need to baffle the sump to make a bubble trap so no bubbles are getting into the return chamber. If that is your drain line into your sump, you can what kind of drain is it herbie, bean animal, durso). There are ways to eliminate the problem but on each one it will be a little different.

Thanks for replying, it's going into the sump. And I have a Durso set up at the moment...

 

[jaws789832]

So you just have 1 drain line in your tank, 1 hole (bulkhead through the tank glass)? Couple of other questions on this. Does the water level in the overflow fluctuate (go up and down), or is it just a constant level with constant bubbling? Is your plumbing hard piped all the way or is there soft line in it? If hard does it level off or is there constant slope into the drain? If soft is there any dips in the soft line (basically it needs to constantly slope downward with no dips to keep the air and water flowing into the drain)? Do you have a air hole on the top of the durso (in the overflow) to vent the air and keep a constant waterflow. You can first try shortening the pipe into the sump to where its just below the water line. Also adjusting the vent hole at the top can sometimes help (to get the perfect amount of air to enter and or exit)

 

[Reefermatt3]

So you just have 1 drain line in your tank, 1 hole (bulkhead through the tank glass)? Couple of other questions on this. Does the water level in the overflow fluctuate (go up and down), or is it just a constant level with constant bubbling? Is your plumbing hard piped all the way or is there soft line in it? If hard does it level off or is there constant slope into the drain? If soft is there any dips in the soft line (basically it needs to constantly slope downward with no dips to keep the air and water flowing into the drain)? Do you have a air hole on the top of the durso (in the overflow) to vent the air and keep a constant waterflow. You can first try shortening the pipe into the sump to where its just below the water line. Also adjusting the vent hole at the top can sometimes help (to get the perfect amount of air to enter and or exit)

Thanks for the help Jaws! 1 drain through bottom of tank. Hard piped, constant flow/ level in overflow. It's always sloped, and there is an air hole in the top on the durso.

 

[FLAdaboy]

Put a diffuser down there. You can take some rock rubble and put it in a basket under the pipe. It will diffuse most of the bubbles. Or, you can put a filter sock down there. You may have micro bubbles with both options but your baffles should take care of that.

 

[Reeferdood]

The exit portion of the drain should not be underwater. Also, you really should lower the water level in the sump to allow for ullage should you get a power failure.
What size is the plumbing on the drain?

 

[Reefermatt3]

Put a diffuser down there. You can take some rock rubble and put it in a basket under the pipe. It will diffuse most of the bubbles. Or, you can put a filter sock down there. You may have micro bubbles with both options but your baffles should take care of that.

I'll try that and see if it helps.

 

[Reefermatt3]

The exit portion of the drain should not be underwater. Also, you really should lower the water level in the sump to allow for ullage should you get a power failure.
What size is the plumbing on the drain?

I've heard mixed opinions on under water or above water and when I had a hob overflow it was fine underwater. The sump is five when the power trips I have a few inches to spare because the size of my return chamber.

 

[justingraham]

Did u use silicone to connect the pvc together?
And why don't u put the heater in the sump?

 

[Reefermatt3]

Did u use silicone to connect the pvc together?
And why don't u put the heater in the sump?

Nope used PVC glue and it is, that is my old heater I was using two days ago when I was gluing the pvc.

 

[justingraham]

And is the water above the 180 degree intake pvc? It looks like it's almost at the air line that u put in.

 

[justingraham]

Wait a second u just glued the pipes recently?

 

[Reeferdood]

I've heard mixed opinions on under water or above water and when I had a hob overflow it was fine underwater. The sump is five when the power trips I have a few inches to spare because the size of my return chamber.

Sounds like you have it figured out then...
The only other thing that comes to mind is that you are overdriving your plumbing, try to back it off...

 

[Reefermatt3]

Sounds like you have it figured out then...
The only other thing that comes to mind is that you are overdriving your plumbing, try to back it off...

I only have 200-250 gallons going through.