ATO how many people dont use

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11319888#post11319888 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kellyjn
Sorry for the newbie question.

Why don't people just put a simple float valve (like Kent float valve) in the sump and than hook directly to their RO/DI water filter? Bad idea?

Latazyo..... can you post a picture of this reservior? I'm not picturing the container you are speaking of. I'd love to get some kind of system put in place in the future.
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If its hooked up to the ro and the switch did get stuck you would have an endless flow of water on your floor, with a reservoir its limited to flooding you with the number of gallons you have in there.

9 gallons on my floor is better than infinite gallons
 
yeah there are arguments in favor of both methods

levon covered the reservoir

argument in favor of hooking your rodi up to it: if the reservoir method failed, it would add the entire amount of water to your tank very quickly, at least if the RODI method failed it would be very slow...however as he mentioned it could potentially go on for days (obviously only a problem if you're out of town) but the reservoir method could happen within minutes

we're really stretching it with the what-ifs here....threads like this are what lead to severe reef paranoia
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11319772#post11319772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
anything can fail

your screws could fail and dump your MH into your tank and kill it too Much less likely to happen and when I had a fixture fall in it only killed the circuit breaker

I think one reason people have failure is by:
1. not using backup switches the backup switch usually sticks first as it never moves unless the primary fails. Salt creep and buildup attacks the backup plan first.
2. not using a relay to handle the larger pumps good advice for the pumps but them not coming on is rarely a problem with disaster unless it isn't noticed for a long time.
3. using gravity feed w/ solenoids that salt builds up on salt builds up on everything, Murphy's Law
4. not using snail guards on their float switches always a good idea, snails can be a problem and sometimes they can get past a snail guard.

also if you're that worried about disaster you could just make sure to have a small amount of RO in your reservoir...that way if the setup fails (which it wont) (Until it does) then you will only put a little bit extra in and won't crash (this solution is obviously not viable for vacations)

but so far mine has been running for over a year without ever having a single problem
Click to expand...

I believe it was Borneman lost his entire personal collection to a faulty ATO. It is still Russian Roulette any way you set it up. Of course the manual topoff can have issues as well but they aren't as severe and probably won't flood your home or drop your salinity to the point of killing livestock.

To each his own and everyone's experience will vary. :D
 
The biggest problem I have with a manual fill (and why I want to go to a ATO) is my sump was built that it can only loose 5 gallons before my pump runs dry and I have already burned up one mag pump by being out of the house when It did it, as well as for some reason the bubbles it shot into the tank killed a kenya tree (I know no real loss)
 
I won't be chancing my 1000 gallon plus system to an auto-topoff...those with much smaller tanks and stakes may do well to use them, but I have read too many great tank death threads due to an auto-topoff issue. Go ahead and be cocky;)
 
I use an auto top off and have never had a problem with it. I have probably been using it for about 2 years. On my unit it does come directly from the RO/DI unit.
 
Dave brings up a good point considering the tank size and its tolerance to evaporation

it also depends on the person and your devotion

the chances of me remembering to check my water levels daily are slim, so I need the automation

does this handicap me and make me vulnerable to failure? definitely, but I dont have a choice, nor do I mind the automation
 
Automation is ok, but remember to keep the system clean. Once a month clean and check the relays. Trust me, the backup is the first to stick.
 
I have a float valve in my sump and drip feed the sump with a twenty gallon tank that sits above and behind the sump. I typically only keep five gallons in the twenty gallon tank. I feel pretty safe with this solution.
 
i do the same thing with a kent float valve. it has to be cleaned once in a while. i don't keep much water in the gravity feed container. works well for me no problems YET
 
What about hooking the float switches in series and setting them at the same level. Both switches will be constantly in use and get exercised. This way both of the are required to go low to start the flow and once one is lifted the flow will stop.

Nothing is 100% but may help reduce the risk with regular cleaning.
 
I don't trust float valves, so I set up a pretty safe auto top off... I got a dosing pump to slowly add water. A timer controls the dosing pump. The dosing pump pulls water out of a tub rather than some unlimited water supply.

The one time I bypassed the timer and forgot all about it, I overflowed about 10 gallons of water in the basement. No big deal. Salinity did drop a little, but it dropped very slowly. Had the tub not run dry, it would have kept going and going and going...

Once a month I add about 20 gallons to the tub. It works very well.
 
I have enough excess space in my sump that if the twenty gallons all flowed in it wouldn't overflow. Would have some salinity issues is all.
 
you can also put your ATO pump on a timer so that it only can run for about 5 minutes each day

that way there is no way of accident either and even though its only filling once/day, that is no different than pouring it in manually once per day
 
I love this. Timers fail and what happens if it fails while on? :D I am starting to feel like I put Baby in the corner. :D Nothing is safer than manual topoff, I would love it for an automatic one to be created that is failproof but I guess I am a skeptic.
 
My ex wives would not agree with that...they won. lol

The thing with ATO's is they work great right up until they don't, and when they don't that little 300.00 device can cost you thousands of dollars in livestock.
 
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