Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

DunderOZ if you find you are having problems with your NHO collecting air and breaking, you can use a small siphon in your bleed point to your sump. Only a small hose needs to be used so you dont have a large water volume flowing but it should be enough to suck out any air that accumulates.

Thanks rsevs3. With all due respect, I cant see how that can work. Maybe I am just a bit tired.

I thought I would get some interesting responses from this post.

What I think I will do - I am going to remove the nipple and fit a fitting that will allow me to fit a small tube. A small clear tube. Then will place the nipple and cap back on, top of clear tube. I will place graduations on the clear tube and update this post as the air starts to fill it. We can monitor how much air, over time..

Unfortunately it isnt a very good picture, but you can see the clear tube coming out of the top of the upside down T. This would go down to my sump tank and suck any air that was accumulating. It that small siphon broke the bridge would stop working in a matter of hours. Although it was designed to be a venturi style NHO and would suck a lot of air through it. The venturi idea came from TCLynx and the small siphon came from Web4Deb. I just took the ideas and gave htemmy own spin including the taps so i could bleed it up with out removing it.

hey Dunder, it definately works. you need to have the outlet from that lower than the level in your FT's, as rsevs3 said, going into your sump. what happens is you start up a syphon with it thats always flowing water from your U into your sump. if any small air bubbles get unto your U the syphon sucks them out and down into your sump

of course the problem with this is that if you get a big enough bubble to break the syphon in your small tube it will let air back into your U stopping it from working

what i was saying about using a powerhead to suck out air is the same theory but a powered solution that dosnt just rely on syphoning.

Excellent Bro. Cheers for the photo. I understand what you are telling me. Will have a bit of a think about it.

The siphon in the small hose is constant but, as it is only a small hose, only a small amount of water is constantly being drained, taking any air with it.

I have my system on a timer. At night, the pump only comes 'on' every hour. So I need to make sure that the sump does not start to overflow due to constant flow into it, from bleed hose.

I think bleed hose going to bottom of growbed instead, may work in my favour.

Thanks rsevs3. Its a great idea. I love it...

Thanks Dan. I think that, if that much air is in that part of the system, then there is some serious problem. A major leak of one of the fittings. Not just a small, long term accumulation. What do you think??

This is true. Although i found that if you hose is long enough, you will have enough water in it to keep the flow going. My system was designed to suck air into it and it kept running for months. To be honest the only reason i changed to an overflow is because i couldnt afford a decent UPS and with a small aquarium it didnt take long to drain my FT. It moved alot of water. Much more that a bigger overflow.

Not my idea DunderOZ. It was Web4Deb's idea. An excellent one i think.

the problem i see Dunder is that you are replying on everything being perfect. i and people who used to use them in indoor aquariums have found that things often run far from perfect.

your other problem with running the small syphon back to your sump if you turn it off at nite is that its going to over flow.

the suggestion i said about using a small powerhead with an aerator to do the same thing as the small syphon hose into the sump would not only work the same way, but be a lot more foolproof. you leave the powerhead in your big FT just to circulate water and suck out any air as well, tehn if you get a huge bubble or a leak in the U you will know it caus there will be loads of air coming out the powerhead

i dunno, it just seems a lot safer way to do it and not just leave it up to the gods as to if your going to have a HSM or not.

remember if your U fails and your tank overflows your rather expensive sump pump will end up trying tp pump air and overheat and probably die as well. or for people like me who use fish for eating (unlike your carp which you said you werent going to eat, tho id be interested to try one thats been living in clean AP for a while ) we could also end up killing our fish if were away or dont notice for a couple of days.

like i think i said before, thats why people go to the trouble of just running them through the walls, in the end safer and easier. idiot proof which suits me

i have water bridges between three 55 gallon glass tanks, haven't messed with them in months

I think that's the way to go, for me also. At least I wont need to worry about air building up in the bridge pipe and it would suit the design.

Thanks all for your input and concerns. I am a bit wiser now.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO Keep the water bridge!!!!

They are so cool!