surge device

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:59 am

Here are some very basic plans of a surge device that I just made for my tank. I only used 1" PVC and should have used 2". I think I will add another one with the 2" pipe on it and run both during the day and only the 1" at night.

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:30 pm

Do you think it's going to sound like a toliet flushing?

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:37 pm

if you put a lid on it with a hole for the pvc intake it doesnt make a sound at all. with out a lid it does though.

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:51 pm

OK, I didn't think of it before. I think that kind of a surge device is a great idea. It's cheap and it looks very effective.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:21 pm

The Carlson surge device allows a lot of bubbles to get back to the tank and they are hard to get really quiet. I have seen a person using a Fluidmaster toilet valve that was quiet and had no bubbles. It took two of the floats to work correctly though. You have to cap off the vent or overflow on it to stop the bubbles and I think that is why it needs two floats (there is some vacuum on the valve because of the water in the pipes. I have been looking at designs and I think I am going to start testing out some soon.

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 6:14 pm

this one does have very few bubbles and only at the start of the siphon. My tank is in my living room and I can't even hear it running. The lights on my 50 gal make more noise than the surge on my 120. It cost me about $30 to build. I had a spare rio 1100 that I hooked up to the intake from the tank to see if it would work and just left it on. I was going to try the toilet flapper method but it looked like too many parts to possibly fail. this has NO moving parts so I figured less of a chance to fail. I am going to add an overflow pipe on my next one ( just above the "u" in the siphon tube) JUST in case the siphon doesn't start. I don't think it will but I don't need a floor full of water.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 6:36 pm

dave3112 wrote:I am going to add an overflow pipe on my next one ( just above the "u" in the siphon tube) JUST in case the siphon doesn't start. I don't think it will but I don't need a floor full of water.

I thought of that after I left to go back to work. That would be a good idea. You never know when a rouge snail might stop up your pipes.

Sounds like it's working good. Do you have any pictures of it or the flow that it creates?

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 8:57 pm

I am redoing it with 2" pipe, because I didn't seal the bottom of the bucket well the first time and it sprung a leak, I wan't 2" to begin with. SO I will post pick tomorrow when I redo it.

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 5:16 pm

Here is a picture of the updated surged device and wave it makes.

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 5:33 pm

here is a full tank shot also

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 6:57 pm

How long does it take to surge? How long in between surges? Approx how many gallons is going into the tank?

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:34 pm

3 surges a minute, approx 4 1/2 gallons go into the bucket 3 1/2 to 4 gallons go into the tank. Approx extra 800 gph flow

dave3112 · Post by **dave3112** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:37 pm

With the 2" pipe down to the 1 1/2" I get more bubbles, but as soon as the surge is done the bubbles are gone. (most of them stay on the top)