TexasTodd
Wed, 25th May 2005, 09:31 AM
:sick
Here's story that is a little bit funny now and wasn't yesterday.
I've slowly been getting my new 215g system up and ready.
All the pipes are cut and such.
Over the weekend I primed and glued the main lines. I tested "above the true union valves" for two days with out any leaks.
Then I tested below the valves --ie the rest of the lines. I had two small drips one on each main line.
So, I let the drips fall on a towel for a couple of days until I was pretty sure they were empty.
So yesterday at about 5pm I made doubly sure that all vavles to the tank (which now is 2/3 full of saltwater and most of my rock) were all OFF. They were.
Out comes the sawzaw as the area was too tight to get a hacksaw in to.
AS I ZIP THROUGH THE 1.5" PIPE WATER STARTS GOINE EVERYWHERE! :blink :wacko :angry
How fast can you think in a situation like this? First I grab a towel thinking there was just some water in the lines. Then it quickly become evident that it is NOT just water in the line.
I double check all three true union valves. The water comes even faster when each valve is turned on. Do I have bad valves? Then the lightbulb goes on. I have two return lines coming up through the overflow right above where I'm at. The overflows are NOT filled and the water in the tank is NOT up to the top of the overflows either. BUT, there are two lines up, over the overflows edge about 3" above and then down in to the tank.
These two lines had yet to be primed or filled with water. I rip one apart and plug the other with my hand as fast as I can. The water stops after about 15 seconds!
Total elapsed time was less than 60 seconds from start to finnish but the 215g tank lost 2.5 vertical inches internally to the water discharge.
Man, I had every towel we own out cleaning up. Thank God we had Pete tile the room last week. :roll
So, what happened is there was enough water left in the 1.5" lower lines that when I cut it there was enough suction created to pull water up and over the overflow through the two plumbed but previously empty lines. It was all gravity from there!
Todd
Here's story that is a little bit funny now and wasn't yesterday.
I've slowly been getting my new 215g system up and ready.
All the pipes are cut and such.
Over the weekend I primed and glued the main lines. I tested "above the true union valves" for two days with out any leaks.
Then I tested below the valves --ie the rest of the lines. I had two small drips one on each main line.
So, I let the drips fall on a towel for a couple of days until I was pretty sure they were empty.
So yesterday at about 5pm I made doubly sure that all vavles to the tank (which now is 2/3 full of saltwater and most of my rock) were all OFF. They were.
Out comes the sawzaw as the area was too tight to get a hacksaw in to.
AS I ZIP THROUGH THE 1.5" PIPE WATER STARTS GOINE EVERYWHERE! :blink :wacko :angry
How fast can you think in a situation like this? First I grab a towel thinking there was just some water in the lines. Then it quickly become evident that it is NOT just water in the line.
I double check all three true union valves. The water comes even faster when each valve is turned on. Do I have bad valves? Then the lightbulb goes on. I have two return lines coming up through the overflow right above where I'm at. The overflows are NOT filled and the water in the tank is NOT up to the top of the overflows either. BUT, there are two lines up, over the overflows edge about 3" above and then down in to the tank.
These two lines had yet to be primed or filled with water. I rip one apart and plug the other with my hand as fast as I can. The water stops after about 15 seconds!
Total elapsed time was less than 60 seconds from start to finnish but the 215g tank lost 2.5 vertical inches internally to the water discharge.
Man, I had every towel we own out cleaning up. Thank God we had Pete tile the room last week. :roll
So, what happened is there was enough water left in the 1.5" lower lines that when I cut it there was enough suction created to pull water up and over the overflow through the two plumbed but previously empty lines. It was all gravity from there!
Todd