My sump is so loud!!!

So here is my latest attempt at quieting it down.



I took a suggestion off of another thread I was reading and put a loop at the very bottom for air intake but still let the water pour under the sumps water level.

It seems to be quieter, but not quiet enough. I think I have the parts to try otty's suggestion. I dont have the ribbed tubing to try ravens though. That makes me mad because when I bought my overflow (used) it came attached to ribbed tubing and I thought "this is a stupid idea" and threw them away because I saw everyone using pvc.

I also noticed while working on this that pvc cracks easily after exposure to saltwater. Is this correct?

 

Once you start going into or over the sump you will no longer need to glue the PVC together. Just push it tight and it will be OK, I never glue anything over the sump or fuge just in case I wan to move something. If it leaks, which is very little because there is no pressure, it will just drip into the sump and not on the floor.
Let me know what your results are...

 

I bought some pipe insulation and wrapped it around my tubing to cut down on noise as well. Its not a dramatic difference but it helps.

 

I'm intrigued by this noise issue. I would take another look at the input end of your setup. If you are sucking air bubbles from the overflow, that would create constant noise, just like does in my skimmer and HOB filter if I don't adjust the flow rate.
For that matter, how is the water returning to the tank? You may have mentioned it, but I forget. Some noise may be coming from that end of the apparatus.

 

So I ended up trying the herbie method from reef central. It took some tweaking but I got it to work with fantastic results. The sump and overflow are completely silent and I am not using a stand pipe at all.

After you research the herbie method I have 2 recommendations or tips to know before you start yours:

1) Use a gate valve, not a ball valve like some people say they use. While a ball valve is possible, it will save you a great deal of time and headache to find a gate valve first. Alot of people said they cant find gate valves made of pv anywhere, and that they are all metal. Well, home depot and lowes dont carry them around me but I did find a nice selection at ace hardware. It will be about 5 to 10 bucks for one but it is the heart and soul of silence with your tank.

2) Evaporation will cause noise!! What I mean by this is once you have your valve tweaked perfectly to where you dont have any water noise, a couple days later you will notice that your overflow is starting to get louder and louder to point of making the sucking/gurgling sound that it did before you setup the herbie method. This is due to evaporation or anything else that makes the water level in the sump drop. When the sumps level drops it directly affects the level of water in the overflow when using the herbie method thus causing the noises to change. So when this happens, do not try to adjust the valve, just add more fresh water to the sump. If you do this the level in the overflow above will rise again and the noises will go away.

Tip for searching: You may or may not be able to find the topic under herbie method. If you cant, try searching for S.O.S. or Silent Overflow System.

 

wow long post in Reefcentral. lol!

 

my lfs builds custom baffles for the noise of the water going into the sump.i just put a cup on the end of the pipe to direct the bubbles to the surface.i left an inch between the end of the pipe and the bottom of the cup.the cup is plastic an about 6 inches deep.the top of the cup is about 1 inch under water.it quieted my sump and reduced the bubbles that make it back to the main tank.i hope this makes sence.oh,and how i attached the cup is i drilled 2 holes in the pipe and cup and just ran plastic zip ties through to keep the cup in place.if you don't understand,i'll try an put up a photo later.

 

You had better watch using valves in your OF line to the sump. Make sure you check it everyday because calcium can get built up in the line and other large particles in the tank and cause it to clog....then guess what.....
1. your sumps return chamber is out of water
2. your pump is going to burn up from no water flow
3. your probably going to have water flowing over the edges of the display tank on the floor...:-[
I personally would keep all OF's vavle free unless you have two in your system
My $.02

 

ok i took a picture of my one dollar fix to the same problem you had.actually i did'nt even use i drill to make the holes for the zip ties to hold the cup in place.i pushed a nail through that i heated over a candle to make the perfect size holes through the plastic cup and pipe.don't hold the nail with your fingers if you try this lol.you said you cut your pipe short so if you want to set yours this way you'll need to visit the plumbing section for a extention like i did.its easy to slide the extention over your cut off part then tighten the nut and it stays in place.ok heres the photo
Picture 840 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Lots of good ideas here, Thanks!