Easy quiet overflows!!!!! "The silencer"

[barnacle bill]

If you have in-tank overflows. 1. cut a piece of acrylic to fit the top of your overflow box(es) 2. Make a standpipe that is close to where the water comes into the overflow box to prevent waterfall effect. 3. cut a 3-4" piece of pvc long enough to go past the standpipe 2-4" 4. silicone it to the bottom of the cover centering it over the standpipe. 5. drill a 1/4" hole in the lid to prevent the siphon from starting around the "silencer." enjoy your quiet overflows. No adjustment needed, no huge long process, very low cost! No chance of overflows, no valves! I run my overflow pvc pipes under the water level in the sump.

[xrunner1234]

Any pics?

[barnacle bill]

I don't have a digital camera, but i think it is such an easy build that you probably don't need them, but if people have a difficult time i will try and get pics.

[pm_devin]

Does the 3-4" length of pvc go into the standpipe?

[pm_devin]

I have an 1-1/2 stand pipe does it matter what size pvc?

[TrojanScott]

I don't get what you're doing here..... but I'm interested to see a pic. I'm in the process of doing something similar. I have a standpipe, and an acrylic cover for the overflow. As it is now, with the standpipe low in the overflow, it creates a flushing effect, (as the dursostandpipe says it may do. ) My next project is to have the standpipe at normal height, then cut the acrylic cover to cover the standpipe, but with the hole up top so the top of the standpipe can clear the water level. I refuse to have a snail or something get lodged in my standpipe, and flood my cherry wood floors!

Please post a pic, would like to know if I'm on the same page.

[barnacle bill]

A 3-4" pipe will not go in a 11/2 inch drain it goes around. I will try and get pics.

[pm_devin]

Ok I yhought you meant 3 to 4 inches in length. Diameter should be 3 to 4 inches extending 2 to 4 inches past the top of the stand pipe?
Thanks,
Pat

[sjm817]

Sounds like a Stockman with the bell attached to a lid instead of the standpipe.

[TrojanScott]

I'm seriously trying to figure out what you did, I'm having trouble understanding the way you worded it. I think I'm doing the same thing, except maybe cutting out a step? I plan on just taking a drill, drilling a big enough hole so the top of the stand pipe goes through, and that would be that.

[AquaDiva]

HUH???

It's late....I'm gonna need a pic. Can this be drawn up by someone who understands?

BTW...interested in anything that helps prevents floods.

Originally posted by barnacle bill
If you have in-tank overflows. 1. cut a piece of acrylic to fit the top of your overflow box(es) 2. Make a standpipe that is close to where the water comes into the overflow box to prevent waterfall effect. 3. cut a 3-4" piece of pvc long enough to go past the standpipe 2-4" 4. silicone it to the bottom of the cover centering it over the standpipe. 5. drill a 1/4" hole in the lid to prevent the siphon from starting around the "silencer." enjoy your quiet overflows. No adjustment needed, no huge long process, very low cost! No chance of overflows, no valves! I run my overflow pvc pipes under the water level in the sump.

[barnacle bill]

Yes that is correct so that it is under the water level and you must drill the hole in the top for it to work.

[barnacle bill]

Yes it is like a stockman with the bell attached to the lid but way easier.

[nick18tjetta]

I was going to make some elaborate design, about a year ago, to silence my overflow. While deciding what to do I slid a "T" fitting over one of the pipes in the box to see if it was the right size and it was instatly silenced. So i slide a "T" over the other pipe and called it a day.

Nick

[pm_devin]

oops!

[barnacle bill]

The t did not work for me, your trying to cover the place where the siphon takes place so your using a 4" pipe siliconed to a lid that goes around the standpipe (just pvc nothin special) so that when you put the lid on the 4" pipe surrounds the standpipe and is underneath the waterline. Again you have to drill the hole in the lid.

[TrojanScott]

Okay, I think I undertand.... But, wouldn't you be able to do the same thing if the top of your durso was say an inch or two higher than where the cover went, and you just drilled a big enough hole on the cover to have the top of the pipe go through it?

I get what you're doing, I think....

[TrojanScott]

Also, the hole in the lid, wouldn't that be a pain to have it be the right size? (for the water level?) It's easy to replace a .90 end cap, but another piece of acrylic cut to match my overflow is another matter.

[barnacle bill]

Don't use the durso, only the pvc pipe that comes up from the drain inside the overflow box, Make it long enough so that it is 1-2" below the "teeth" on your overflow box. The 4" pipe siliconed to the lid fits around the pipe that comes up from the bottom of the box but does not touch it. You only want the hole in the lid big enough to stop the siphon that will be created around the larger pipe, you want the siphon to only occur on the smaller drain pipe. The smaller you can keep the hole the less noise. 1/4" worked for me. I may have confused you by calling the drain pipe a standpipe. it is not a durso just a pipe.

[reefdood]

Easier than a stockman? A stockman is very easy to begin with. I'd love to see your version in action though.

[barnacle bill]

It is the same thing but you don't attach the larger pipe to the smaller one but instead to the lid. With the stockman you have to buy several plumbing parts and use a dremel blah blah blah. Your parts list for this is 1. a piece of pvc extending from the bottom of your overflow box. 2. a piece of acrylic for the lid 3. a small section of 3 or 4" pipe. thats it!

[TrojanScott]

Oh, now I understand. Well, if my way doesn't work, I'll give yours a shot.

[barnacle bill]

bump

[northbay-reefer]

ok am getting a headache ... can you please post a picture ???

[newmoon]

a BUMP after one week and still no pictures??
Get a disposable camera!