Tuning Reefer Drain

[>>klong<<]

I just finished filling my Reefer 350 and have the return pump on. I have a question about proper operation of of the drain. I think it is a Herbie drain. FWIW, I replaced the stock diaphragm valve with a gate valve.

Is the idea that you want just the barest trickle going over the emergency drain? I can't see that it is practical to adjust my drain to drain the exact the volume of water being put back into the display by the return pump.

 

[lapin]

I just finished filling my Reefer 350 and have the return pump on. I have a question about proper operation of of the drain. I think it is a Herbie drain. FWIW, I replaced the stock diaphragm valve with a gate valve.

Is the idea that you want just the barest trickle going over the emergency drain? I can't see that it is practical to adjust my drain to drain the exact the volume of water being put back into the display by the return pump.

Yes a trickle is ok

 

[>>klong<<]

Thanks. I was looking at that diagram this morning, but didn't find anything about trickling over the emergency.

 

[ReefDaddyz]

Thanks. I was looking at that diagram this morning, but didn't find anything about trickling over the emergency.

Just filled a Reefer 170 and you want the water level about 1/2 “ from the top of the emergency drain.

 

[Chbix]

Not running the reefer, but have dual herbies in my tank. You want the water just at the rim of the emergency, some people say a trickle others say just below.

 

[schuby]

The emergency drain is usually an inch or two above the primary. You want the water level high enough above the primary so that a siphon forms, without creating a vortex and sucking air: a vortex is noisy and not a full siphon (less flow). The trickle into the emergency is the highest water level with lowest noise. The emergency drain won't usually form a siphon so it will be quite noisy if much water goes into it. You can confirm this with your own experimentation.

Return pump throughput changes over time so you may have to adjust the drain once in a while.