Bean animal help (1 Viewer)

[reefer]

I have read and learned as much as I can about the bean animal overflow and I set it up as best I could. My problem I'm having now is that the drain that has the hole in the top for air to get through is making a whistling noise that sounds like wind blowing. How do I get the noise to go away

 

[billw]

How much flow do you have going down that pipe? It should only be a trickle.

 

[d2mini]

You have an airline in it, right?
I use a quick release John Guest fitting screwed into the top of the cap. The air line loops from that fitting to the highest point you want water to rise in your overflow.
This open channel is your last line of defense with the Bean Animal setup.

 

[Reefahholic]

Exactly what d2 said...The drain that you're referring to is your "Open Channel Stand Pipe." This drain serves a dual purpose. First, it's really a secondary drain that handles what your main/primary drain doesn't (which btw.. is very little). It's called an Open Channel because unlike your main drain, it's exposed to air. This air is what keeps this drain from becoming a full siphon. Again, like d2 mentioned, this is why you want your air line just above your tanks normal operating level so that this drain "is not" a full siphon unless your primary drain gets clogged. If this were to happen.....obviously the water will rise in the overflow box, submerge the air line, and turn your Open Channel into a full siphon which basically takes the place of your main drain until the clog is resolved and keeps your wife's new carpet dry! You actual "last line of defense" would be your third drain or EMERGENCY DRAIN. This drain is just a "up turned" elbow or in my case a pipe that's open about 1-2" below the top of your overflow box. Another fail safe that keeps the carpet dry and the wife happy. I did a little video a while back about the bean animal overflow. I'll find and post it below.

 

[klondike4001]

Can we see a picture of your setup? If installed and operating correctly hardly any water should be in the secondary pipe.

 

[d2mini]

Exactly what d2 said...The drain that you're referring to is your "Open Channel Stand Pipe." This drain serves a dual purpose. First, it's really a secondary drain that handles what your main/primary drain doesn't (which btw.. is very little). It's called an Open Channel because unlike your main drain, it's exposed to air. This air is what keeps this drain from becoming a full siphon. Again, like d2 mentioned, this is why you want your air line just above your tanks normal operating level so that this drain "is not" a full siphon unless your primary drain gets clogged. If this were to happen.....obviously the water will rise in the overflow box, submerge the air line, and turn your Open Channel into a full siphon which basically takes the place of your main drain until the clog is resolved and keeps your wife's new carpet dry! You actual "last line of defense" would be your third drain or EMERGENCY DRAIN. This drain is just a "up turned" elbow or in my case a pipe that's open about 1-2" below the top of your overflow box. Another fail safe that keeps the carpet dry and the wife happy. I did a little video a while back about the bean animal overflow. I'll find and post it below.

Not to split hairs or whatever but it's the other way around.
Go here and scroll down to "Fail Safe Features"
BeanAnimal's Bar and Grill - Silent and Fail-Safe Overflow System

If the main drain clogs, water rises and starts to flow down the upturned elbow. If the water gets high enough, that drain will turn into a siphon.
If that drain clogs, too... THEN the water will rise high enough to cover the airline opening and turn your open channel into a siphon.
The open channel's airline should be at the max operating height in your overflow and is your last line of defense.

 

[Reefahholic]

We just run it a little different. I like the open channel functioning as my second line of defense. And then the ER drain as basically a dump drain. If ur running the ER at a lower position, it would be your second line of defense like you said and your open channel is your last line or ER.

 

[Reefahholic]

It's been so long since I've ran it the other way, I might try it again and see if I like it better. I remember switching a while back for some reason but I don't remember why. I wanna say it was because of the water always splashing in my sump on start up. If I bring the ER drain down a bit, then I won't hear it.

Are you running urs underwater or just above the waterline?

I run both my open channel and main drain no more than 1 inch below the water line, otherwise you will have siphone issues.


If your not purging air fast enough or continue to have bubbles with ur main drain after start up, you can drill some 1/4" holes just above the waterline to help purge air.

 

[d2mini]

I think it's designed the way it is to prevent startup issues.
The upturned elbow will take up the slack (without turning into a siphon) until a siphon is achieved in the primary drain.
They way you have it setup can cause the airline to start sucking water on startup.

And yes, i have my drains in the sump about an inch below the water line.
If they aren't submerged they won't be able to start a siphon, and if they are too deep, this also may cause issues getting a siphon started because it's harder for the system to purge the air in the pipe.

 

[reefer]

You have an airline in it, right?
I use a quick release John Guest fitting screwed into the top of the cap. The air line loops from that fitting to the highest point you want water to rise in your overflow.
This open channel is your last line of defense with the Bean Animal setup.

I do not have an airline it's literally just a hole. If I stick my finger near the hole the noise stops. Where can I get that fitting?

 

[reefer]

How much flow do you have going down that pipe? It should only be a trickle.

I think I may have something wrong because I have most of my flow coming down that pipe

 

[klondike4001]

Lowes or home Depot in the plumbing section.

 

[klondike4001]

Is the valve on your full syphon closed?

 

[reefer]

Is the valve on your full syphon closed?

It's partially closed. Looks just like d2 picture above. Is it possible to have the full siphon too much lower than the partial siphon. If I open my full siphon valve all the way it's drains the overflow box to the point where the partial siphon is not submerged and it starts doing the flushing sound

 

[klondike4001]

You need to adjust until you find that sweet spot, but at least from what you've described it needs to be opened a bit more.

 

[billw]

I think I may have something wrong because I have most of my flow coming down that pipe

That is a problem starting i.e. you're not getting enough pressure on the siphon channel to purge the air. I had the same problem when the DC pump I was using lost efficiency. Are both of your elbows at the same level? Open channel shouldn't be lower but at the same level as your siphon. Try starting it with the siphon valve open (I'm assuming your emergency channel will not let your box overflow). Once it's started, close the siphon valve just enough to keep it from draining the overflow box. Then test it to see if it starts properly there. If not, your emergency pipe may be too low (taking water too early).

You should fix the siphon trip as Dennis described also to prevent problems in the future. Good luck!

 

[reefer]

That is a problem starting i.e. you're not getting enough pressure on the siphon channel to purge the air. I had the same problem when the DC pump I was using lost efficiency. Are both of your elbows at the same level? Open channel shouldn't be lower but at the same level as your siphon. Try starting it with the siphon valve open (I'm assuming your emergency channel will not let your box overflow). Once it's started, close the siphon valve just enough to keep it from draining the overflow box. Then test it to see if it starts properly there. If not, your emergency pipe may be too low (taking water too early).

You should fix the siphon trip as Dennis described also to prevent problems in the future. Good luck!

I'm a little confused now. So the full siphon and the partial siphon should be the same height?

 

[Reefahholic]

I'm a little confused now. So the full siphon and the partial siphon should be the same height?

They can be on the same horizontal plane, but running ur main drain a 1/4 to 1/2" lower will insure it will start the siphon first. A lot of people drill the main lower or open channel higher. What I've found is that keeping them all on the same horizontal plane looks better, and instead of drilling a hole off center, just cut one of ur down turned elbows. This does the exact same thing.

 

[EvenFurther]

Under normal operating conditions a standard BA has 1 tuned siphon drain, 1 open channel taking a slight overflow trickle the main siphon doesn't handle, and 1 emergency.

There is no partial siphon. The open channel has the ability to become a siphon if the water rises to the set point of the air line.

 

[reefer]

They can be on the same horizontal plane, but running ur main drain a 1/4 to 1/2" lower will insure it will start the siphon first. A lot of people drill the main lower or open channel higher. What I've found is that keeping them all on the same horizontal plane looks better, and instead of drilling a hole off center, just cut one of ur down turned elbows. This does the exact same thing.

My holes are drilled in the bottom not the back. My main drain is about 3 inches lower than the other one.