Ditch DIY Overflow for True Overflow? PF-Nano

I have the PF-1000 on my 55 and it has been running flawlessly for 4+ months, with hundreds of start-stops in between. I have a float in the tank side of the overflow box just in case it ever did lose suction, but so far it has never activated.

For noise, it definitely is on the noisy side, but part of that may be I have relatively small amount of flow going through (2) 1" lines, when 1 would be enough. I plan to make a DIY cover at some point, but it has not been as issue to date.

 

Sorry I assumed your Herbie was drilled and not the style you showed in the picture. So my opinion void. Never had either

J

 

No worries, I might try to make a muffler and see how that goes.

 

Great video

 

I decided to keep my current overflow and modify so its silent.

Thanks everyone or the help.

 

That is in no way a Herbie overflow.

First, since it is a "overflow" you can't purge the air out. That is why it isn't quiet. Herbie has one totally submerged line that eliminates any air. You throttle that line to keep it submerged and eliminate the introduction of air.

Second.... since you throttle the overflow with valve to "back up" the tank to keep it submerged, you introduce the possibility of overflowing the tank. Herbie uses the second hole of a predrilled tank for an emergency drain that is open to the sump and has no valve on it. It is free flowing and should handle the full flow of the pump.

What you have is a throttled overflow with no protection from overflowing the tank and you have a overflow that traps air and can't be purged making it noisy.

 

Thanks for the info, I thought it was called Herbie because the directions I found online called it a Herbie.

 

Ya, you would have to look the true Herbie... it's in my sig if you see it.

A true Herbie is 100% silent because there is no air. While it uses the same principles found in the Bean Animal overflow... they came about independently of each other. But my point is Herbie uses the holes of a predrilled tank to build a silent safe overflow. So you start from there. Of course you can modify it and what not, but there are principles key to it.

Your overflow is like a regular over flow type that seems to have a way of dealing with air... hence the noise and the modification you had to make. Which is totally fine... I'm not saying it isn't.

Just trying to help you out with what you have there. Glad you got it to work well for you.

 

Thanks for the info, ill look more into it when I start my new tank.

 

Herbie really is a great setup. If you have a drilled tank it is easy. Even if I was doing a custom setup I would still do a Herbie with equal size pipes over a Bean. Bean is overkill. Works the same and nothing wrong... certainly 99.99999% failsafe... Herbie is good enough for the real world though.