ATO design revisited!

BobDaMann

New member
Click on any thumbnail to enlarge </span><br /><br />Well I finally got my aqua lift pump in a few days ago.<br /><br /> It came in right before I went to Ruidoso, NM so it was the perfect time to test it, but I wasn't able to spend much time and did a really crappy job of getting it set-up(I used plastic zip-ties and Ziploc bags). So I had some time today and wanted to clean up my messy sump and clean up the area around my tank. <br /><br />Before Picture: Messy Sump! - Notice the ballast are right next to the sump! BAD IDEA- time to move<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=Messy.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_Messy.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />Happy Ballast:<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=Ballast.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_Ballast.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />My first task of the day was drill a hole in the side of the stand to let the tube run through.<br /><br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=DrillHole.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_DrillHole.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />After that was completed I needed a way to keep the line out of my way and since I am not big on buying things if I don't have to I just looked around the house until I found a "Picture Hanging" kit. I figured that surely this would work for my needs. As you can see they bend very easily so I was able to bang one into a snug fit with the airline tubing<br /><br />"Picture Hanger"<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=HangTheTube.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_HangTheTube.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />Installed<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=HangingTubing.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_HangingTubing.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />
 
Split- Too many pictures

Split- Too many pictures

After all of this was completed I decided to tackle rewiring the ATO switch and I wanted a water proof housing, but I didn't want to spend any money on a project box. So once again I went scavenging through the house trying to think of something to use as a water tight project box. I started with a tuberware container but realized that was a little to cumbersome and silly looking. Of course I have left over PVC piping so I drilled a hole in the top of two end caps and ran my extension wire through the hole in each end cap, then drilled a hole in the middle of a small PVC pipe to run the wire that come from the float switch.<br /><br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=CapCordHand.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_CapCordHand.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=ElectricalTap.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_ElectricalTap.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />Now I have completed the housing for it so I gave it a test run and then ran to the store to buy some silicone to seal up the all the holes. Here is a picture of the completed project. Right now it is resting on top of a coffee cup while I allow the silicone time to set, but it will eventually be mounted right underneath the fish tank, out of the way. <br /><br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=UpCloseSeal.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_UpCloseSeal.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here is a picture of the ATO res. It is just a 5 gal water jug, but I am getting ready to move and once I do so I will get a bigger container that doesn't need constant filling. <br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=TempSetup.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_TempSetup.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />ATO in sump- If you click on this photo you can see that the ATO top-off tube drops right into the PVC pipe and the water drains down it, right over the float switch.<br /><br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=CleanerSump.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_CleanerSump.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />Pictures from the last thread about the construction of the switch bracket. <br /><br />Float Switch in PVC Tee:<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=switchMounted.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_switchMounted.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />How it hangs on the lip of the tank:<br /><a href="http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/?action=view&current=hanging.jpg" class="postlink"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/BobDaMann/th_hanging.jpg" alt="Image" /></a><br /><br />I am sure no one really needed to know any of the above information, but I like to post my personal victories lol</div>
 
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