Silenting overflow even further

[saltyballs]

So I got the great tip from here to use a ball valve at the end of the overflow box to restrict the flow just enough so that its quiet. This worked great but I couldn't tune it enough to the point where I got the perfect balance of flow and quietness. Either I opened the valve so that there was enough flow so that my tank didn't overflow or I closed it so that its quiet and my tank would overflow! Argh, it was frustrating.

So anyway as I was taking some stuff apart in the sump to clean it I decided I would put a small amount of vaseline on the moving parts of the ball part of the valve. Does anything think that could be harmful? I hope not but I sort of already did it. It was a small amount and I feel like that stuff is pretty non toxic all the way around. Anyway, now the valve moves very smoothly and I can get the flow to the perfect amount very easily now so that it's quiet and i get enough flow.

Hope this helps someone out with a troubling valve..................and hopefully i don't get a weird problem down the road with the vaseline :?

[bmb527]

It sounds like a neat fix, but, Vaseline is petroleum based, so I wonder if it could poison your water. I hope not, for your sake. Tell us how it turns out.
Bill

[saltyballs]

ok, so i posted that i started putting vaseline on the ball valve on 3/11. i haven't run into any problems with it and would still insist that it is helping me get the ball valve to the exact flow rate that allows for perfect silence and the water to be at the level i want. i don't have a protein skimmer yet still and my tank is still doing pretty good. i'm waiting on a friend to pay me back some money i loaned him, then i can get one.

[phistio]

the vaseline shouldn't pose as a problem...

i use it on the nipples of all of my flexible hosing, and i've not yet encountered a problem.

nice job! :wink:

[squaregrouper]

Vaseline is not water soluble, it should not pose a problem... The ball valve itself could pose a problem. I have a feeling that once you get an "equalibrium" you will come home to an overflowed tank.
I have had good luck putting a piece of rigid tubing down the overflow allowing the air to be slowly purged, rather than "burping" its way out