Drain Issues!

[JD'sReef]

Does anyone have there sump on a different floor then their show tank?
My question is as follows;
-I have a "durso stand pipe" with a small ball valve on the top rather then the drilled hole, this lets me adjust the level of watter in the overflow box without tuching the return line.
The 3/4 PVC goes from the first floor through a series of turns into the sump, which is located in the basement.
The issue is that the watter level in the overflow box within my tank fluctuates. It is only about 6Millimeters, but enough to sound like a quiet bath tub draining when it surges back down. If I close the drain line in the basement a fraction of an inch, that quiets the system down a bit; however, that creates a rucas in my mind. I feel the drain line should be fully open, but with all the 90 degree turns in my drain line, should I have some back pressure (restriction)?
Kind of a hard picture to paint, but any sugestions would be killer.
Thanks,
J.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't know if it helps at all but the only time my Durso ever varied the water level back and forth was when there was something restricting it. (In my case, usually snails or algae...)

I've also read it a few times that a couple 45's are quite a bit better than a single 90. - If its possible.

 

[jandree22]

I believe I read that Gate Valves are better suited to fine tuning than ball valves... if you wanted to try swaping that out on your durso. Shouldn't make a big difference, if any at all, but maybe worth a try if you're desperate.

I would NOT restrict flow in your drain at all... closing a ball valve invites stuff to start growing or get caught up there and blocking flow. That being said, I will be installing ball valves on the very bottom of my basement sump plumbing to close if need be, but will not be gluing them to the rest of the line, so I can routinely inspect that they're clean. Just my $.02 with that.

As far as 2 45* vs 1 90*, I too thought that was the case, multiple 45's were better than one 90*. However I'm almost positive they addressed this in TRA Vol. 3 and they debunked that, stating a single 90 was less head loss. The Reefs.org/pumps calculator actually backs up this claim too, surprisingly. I find that hard to believe, but they're the experts I suppose! I actually looked for 'sweeps', that have smooth bends, but couldn't find any in less than 1 1/2" PVC

 

[JD'sReef]

Yeah, I increased the return flow while keeping all the valves wide open and that seemed to stop the surge. It is a bit louder, but you got to give and take in the hobby. What is a hobby without trying something new.
Thanks for thinking,
J.

 

[jandree22]

you could try foam pipe insulation if that's the source of your noise

 

[JD'sReef]

Thanks Joel, I had not thought of that. The thing is that my pipes run right into the wall so there is no real room for insulation.
I will play around soon and keep you all posted.
Till then...
J.