water overflowing in worm bucket

[ptech]

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as seen in the drawing in the above link, the water in the five gallon bucket which the coiled copper sits in is overflowing...in otherwords, the cold water being pumped into it from below is not exiting through the exit hose fast enough to keep up so the bucket over fills.

Is the solution as simple as making the exit house a larger diameter? currently both hoses are the same diameter? or what would you suggest please ?
kind thanks,
Eddie

[Monkeyman88]

Either that, or put a T with a valve in the water line so that you can slow the flow going in.

[Copper Thumper]

Are you draining into another bucket?


Sometimes mine "hydralocks" when the drain hose into the catch bucket gets below the waterline.

If your draining onto the ground outside then leave it be as it really doesn't matter, if your draining onto another container look to see if the same thing is happening. Sometimes putting a pinhole in the hose on the topside fixes it where the hose can "breathe" (siphon). If not make the drain hole and line bigger.

[ptech]

the copper coil and the main pot are at the same level about table high. Below everything (about three feet below on the ground) is a large 30 gallon tub with a water pump in it that pumps the cooler water up into the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket. The second hose (the one on top) that drains out of the 5 gallon bucket (to prevent the five gallon bucket from overflowing) pours the water back into the 30 gallon tub so it's a closed loop system. The water that returns into the 30 gallon bucket is cooled by a manual method.

[Copper Thumper]

I would try checking the level of the drain hose to the level of water in the catch barrel....


If not an issue...increase the drain size including hose.

[MoonBreath]

I'd either seal the bucket to make it a closed system to force the return thru the same size as intake size, a gate valve on bottom intake also ...Orrr, make your return line at the top 1".
Let us know.

[Soft batch]

My drain vapor locked, so I drilled a hole and soldered a 1/4" vent on line top of the 90 taller than bucket. If building, install an open top T instead of a 90.

[skow69]

I'm thinking that every device I've ever seen that has a pressurized supply line and unpressurized return line uses bigger hose or tubing for the return. It has to because in two equal size pipes, the one under pressure will obviously move more fluid per time unit because it is pressurized and the other one isn't. So the unpressurized line has to be bigger to carry the same amount of fluid. Check hvac, refrigeration, hydraulic motors, engine lubrication, any pressurized lubrication system, etc. So start by making the return line twice the size of the supply line to comply with industry standards, and then go for creative solutions beyond that if necessary.

[ptech]

thank you all very kindly....i appreciate it much