Kessil

Herbie Noise

Jeff Rehling

Jeff Rehling

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So this morning at 4, my son woke me up to report my tank was making noise and woke up my mom who is visiting from Ohio. Turns out the water level in the tank got low even though my ATO was plugged in and working and the water level in the overflow was low and the emergency drain was croaking up a storm.

I fiddled with the gate valve and got it quiet again, but why would that happen? There certainly is evaporation, but the Osmolator has been effective...

Any ideas what might have caused this?
 
So your main drain was pulling water out too fast? Was there a change in your return pump? It seems like that’s the only way for your drain to suddenly be overwhelming your water input.
 
Unless the water spilled out, it has to have been somewhere. I’m guessing the sump. I’d check the return pump and see if something got into or is partially blocking the intake.
 
Well, I'm just wondering what; the emergency drain we can say worked. Normally if something blocks the main drain, that would be the issue. To clear it, open the gate valve all the way; maybe a snail got it's way in? Or maybe the fish wanted to put a show for your mom and could not get her attention so they tossed something in the overflow pipe because they saw Finding Nemo (hey, it worked in the movie)
 
I think this needs a little clarification.

You said the water in the tank was low, water in the sump was low and the emergency drain was making noise.

That’s impossible. For the emergency drain to make noise, the water in the overflow will be pretty high. And for that to happen, the water in the tank should be pretty high as well.

Do you mean to say the water in the tank is high but water in the sump is low?

If so, something probably blocked your main drain line.


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I had a Herbie drain and the only times it would
gurgle is when my main drain would get clogged. I had a drain cover on it that would catch algae and snails and things. I would clean it out about every other month or so. I never had it fully clog; just slow down enough for the overflow to raise to the emergency drain level.
 
If it happens again, look for the following to help diagnose it:

- Bubbles coming out of main drain into sump? (Valve too-open)
- Bubbles coming out of emergency drain into sump? (Valve too-closed)
- Water level in the overflow chamber relative to the main and emergency pipe intakes? (Should be at the emergency drain intake level, but just barely)
- Bubbles in the main tank/low water level in the return chamber part of you sump? (Too little water in the system)

See if you can reproduce it by mal-adjusting the main drain valve, that can also tell you a lot.

And make sure your ATO actually is actually working as expected.
 
it happened again last night. my mom's in the office so I can't get in there as often as i'd like the main has to be clogged.

will dissect it today.

thanks for all the help
 
once I get the critter out, could i temporarily cover the durso 90 degree elbo with a media bag? my wife has no patience for me working on the tank during christmas, but I need to get my return pump back on
 
yes, opened, closed. the gate is on the emergency and it's not clogged. it runs effectively. i have unions and took the emergency apart to verify and then fully opened the gate and dialed it in. about 20 minutes later the return pump chamber was too low and was siphoning. didn't have time to do the main line because my mom is sleeping in there. I'm not experienced like you are, but it has to be a blockage in the main line.
 
This doesn't make sense. Gate should be on the main drain. The emergency (trickle) should not have a gate. Return chamber(in sump where you're punp is?) siphoning? What?
 
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