Internal overflow level

[monica83]

Is it normal for the water level in my internal overflow to go up and down about 1 1/2 inches constantly?? It never stays at the same level.

 

[Zissou]

By constantly you mean every few seconds, minutes or hours? It should be pretty level, mine seems to fluctuate now and then, but I'd be concerned if it did it too much. I would check for blockage.

 

[monica83]

It's every few seconds. It's a brand new tank with nothing in it but water. Im testing it out.

 

[Bifferwine]

My overflow box used to do the same thing. I'm not sure why though. As long as nothing is overflowing, I think you're okay.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Are you trying to push too much water through the overflow?

Think of how a toilet works. It dumps a ton of water and fills up almost to the top, once it reaches a certain spot, it creates a syphon that sucks the water down really fast. Then when it gets below another point, the syphon breaks and the water in the overflow starts to build up again.

 

[sen5241b]

Had a refugium do that once. You probably have suction in a tube or pipe that prevents flow until the pressure builds beyond a threshold and then water moves. If there is no flooding don't worry, otherwise use a wider tube or pipe.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

It's probably because the actual overflow gph is not exactly matching the actual gph of the return pump. Its causing more water to want to overflow and can't keep up with it. Then it hits that certain point where it all of a sudden rushes through and gets back to the normal level. My hob overflow does the same thing and its just fine. You can try to throttle back the retun pump a bit if you have a ball valve in the plumbing or leave it be if its not flooding.

 

[Reefrookie]

I think you nailed it Dave!

You need a valve on the line to help adjust the flow

 

[bfg112]

You don't need less return flow. Your standpipe should have a little vent in the top to allow air into the drain pipe.

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