Top Off system

[Barry N.]

Any one using a auto top off system and if so, tell me about it.

Thanks

[jeff967]

Hi Barry,
mine is about as "getto" as it can get.
5$ float valve
3$ john quest bulkhead
50gl rubbermaid
and some graivety
not very hi tec but has ben set it and forget it for years.
Jeff

[Barry N.]

Just a regular float valve and where can I get that bulk head you are referring too?

[Markk96]

Just a regular float valve and where can I get that bulk head you are referring too?

Here you go.


http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...&Category_Code=

[Barry N.]

Thanks!

[Markk96]

Thanks!

Barry

I mean to post this one.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...&Category_Code=

I also have one of these in my line so I can shut my flow off If I need. Sometimes I have found that this was a good idea.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...&Category_Code=

[jeff967]

Barry,
us plastics, bulkhead part# 58175 valve part# 23078
Jeff

[golfish]

Barry,
I've been using a pretty good system for a few years now. I use a Liter meter controlled by a Sipedone float switch. I use the vacuum switch that came with the LM for backup. I have a 35 ga RO\DI holding drum out in the garage. The good thing about the LM and other peristalic pumps is that they can pump and draw water a long way.

I also have a fun little tool (picture below) I use to top off my holding drum. I can walk away from my tank and never have to worry about top off. All I have to do is replace the cartridges in the RO\DI when needed and replace the Calcium Hydroxide in my kalk reactor every few weeks.

The timer pictured below is just a hose bib timmer. You screw it on to the hose bib, attach your RO unit and set the time. Its about 20.00 at HD or Lowes.

[Barry N.]

Am confussed but I may call you so you can explain it to me.

[Papa Doug]

Mark,
Does that mean your ro just makes water at specific times or is their some type of demand system in your holding tank?

Is the Litermeter vacuum switch to prevent the over addition of water? I have been thinking of getting another Osmolator as I sold my other one. But dosing pumps look interesting. Problem is the Litermeter is about $490 Canadian.

[golfish]

Mark,
Does that mean your ro just makes water at specific times or is their some type of demand system in your holding tank?

Is the Litermeter vacuum switch to prevent the over addition of water? I have been thinking of getting another Osmolator as I sold my other one. But dosing pumps look interesting. Problem is the Litermeter is about $490 Canadian.

Doug,
The drum is filled just using that timer. I just have it set to run 6 hrs every Sat. Another good thing about the timer is that I can set it to fill my water change drum. Just turn the 3way valve on the RO\DI unit so water is diverted to the WC drum, then just set the timer for what ever tim eit takes to fill the drum. This one only goes up to 360 minutes, that's about 20-25 gals. Everybody with an RO\DI should have one of these. I don't know about you but I used to overfill my WC drum all the time.

The LM vacuum switch is used just in case my Sipedone switch fails and my Liter meter fails. The LM can set to pump X amount of gals per day. I set it to pump just a little more then evap, so if everything fails it will take weeks to overfill the sump.

I know a guy back east that bought a bunch of the pump pictured below off ebay (a few years ago) He paid 6.00 each for them. The guys that I gave mine to like them very much. They didn't add any kind of speed contol on them but I would think that along with 2 float switches would work great (ReefFanatic makes a good 2 switch top off system for around 90.00)

I'm posting this picture as an example. I have no way of knowing where to get these pumps anymore.

[Barry N.]

Mark, when are you coming down to set this up for me ?

[golfish]

Barry,
I'm headed to Yellowstone on Monday for two weeks. When I get back I would be more then happy to come down and setup your top off system. Maybe I can come home with a nice clam

[Barry N.]

Maybe I can come home with a nice clam

Sure that can be arranged.

[Barry N.]

Mark or anyone.

This is what I have been doing with my 4 tanks.

Check levels twice daily and manually add RO top off to tanks.

This is my problem.

When I ship clams and let's say I use 3 gallons of saltwater to fill bags and before I did this I checked to see the levels in my tanks so when I used this 3 gallons of water I would then have to add 3 gallons of mixed saltwater to get it back to the level it was.

So if I have 2 drums, one for mixed saltwater and one for RO topoff water how would could I use these floats. Any ideas????

[kevinpo]

Hi Barry,
I have two different top-off systems.
The first one I've been using on my home tanks since '01 never had a problem yet. I evaporate 12-15 gallons a day so I have a RO/DI with a auto-shutoff diaphragm. The output from it goes to a NO (normally closed) solenoid valve that is powered by a electronic float switch. When the switch drops the solenoid opens and the RO/DI unit begins to operate. I put a ball valve feeding the RO/DI unit and closed it to provide only a trickle of water. I did this for 2 reasons. First to keep water flowing through the RO/DI unit almost all the time. Second in case the switch sticks open for some reason it would be days before I had a significant drop in salinity or a flood.

The second system is one I use at the store to fill my 2 - 165 gal storage tanks. It uses a simple mechanical float switch. I drilled the top of the tank and mounted the switch through the wall. They have a quick disconnect fitting that when you push the collar in it releases the feed tube which I can then move to another tank.

I will post some pictures of them tonight.

Regards,
Kevin

[kevinpo]

Here are the pictures of the mechanical float switch:

HTH,
Kevin

[golfish]

Barry,
I don't see how you can use one to top off saltwater and one for fresh water unless you had some kind of salinity contoller ($$$$$$$$$ if they even make one) I'd just do the fresh water auto top off and keep a drum of saltwater made up. Take out 3 gals put in 3 gals....

send me a clam put in a clam

[Barry N.]

send me a clam put in a clam

What if I ship you a 3" clam and I replace it will a 5" clam.

That is what I thought but thought it was worth passing it by you as Sherry suggested it.

[Barry N.]

Mark or anyone.

Sherry ask would it work if we ran a line from the RO bucket and one from the Salt bucket that leads to a "T" and when we are shipping clams, turn off the RO with a valve and then the salt water would empty into the sump when the water level get lower when shipping clams then of course we would have to remember to shut the valve off to the saltwater and turn back in the RO water for top off.

Any thoughts.