auto top off and waste water disposal

[dudeguy]

I have two separate questions:

1) What are you using for water top off methods?

I currently have a 6 gallon water jug that I use to drip kalk water into my sump. I find it difficult to get the drip rate right because it won't maintain a constant rate. If I get the drip rate too fast, the jug empties overnight. If I get it too slow, it stops dripping after 30mins. I use plastic airline tubing to drip with one of those plastic thumbscrew valves on the end to regulate the drip rate.

2) Do you have a clever way of disposing of your waste water after water changes?

When I bought my house the home inspector recommended against dumping it down the drain. He said the salt might kill the bacteria that breaks down the solid waste in the septic tank. I'd like to avoid screwing up the septic system. This is obviously not a problem for those with city sewer.

 

[yeame]

try a bigger hose than air line with a valve
my waste water goes down the road

 

[spotfin]

Most of my waste water goes down the floor drain in the furnace/utility room. Once in awhile the waste water from my stingray tank goes onto Angela's garden.

 

[D-Rod]

My waste water goes into a hole 3 ft long trench on my property to kill the roots of my neighbors poplar tree whose roots have ruined my lawn and cracked my 3 yr old patio slab

 

[Naturebatslast]

You can by a semi automated topoff system pretty cheap, 40-50bucks=freedom from topping your tank off manually. The gravity feed your using can screw with your salinity if not done right. Maybe an upgrade to your system could be the using a john guest valve to control the drip rate.

 

[Hedonist]

I like the way the Vino man thinks... I like Vino and I sometimes use my kalk waste to kill weeds! (I assdume you were talking kalk waste, however I often use my FW fish systems waste for my indoor and outdoor plants....... I think they REALLY l ike it!

I have invested in a Liter Meter to deliver jus t he right amount of kalk top-off...... I hope to get a few other pumps to hook up to it to auto fill a few other things.......I use the kalk waste to dump on plants I donot desire

Denise

 

[Driftwood]

I super glued an airline valve about a half inch above the bottom of a gallon jug. I fill that with limewater and let it drip about one drip a second. About once a week I rinse the whole deal out with vinegar and hot water, I let the solution drip out with the valve all the way open. The airline valve can get clogged once and a while, I just give it a good flick or two and it starts dripping again.

This has been working for me for a few months now. I have plans to setup an auto top off in the future. I will probably premix the limewater in the auto top off container...

 

[dudeguy]

yeame: How do you get your waste water to the road. Buckets?

Naturebatslast, could you point me to the $50 auto topoff you mentioned? I might be interested in that.

Hedonist, I'm actually wondering about disposal of dirty saltwater after water changes. I really wondering about where people dump it, and how they get it there.

Driftwood, sounds like we basically do the same thing for topoff.

 

[sammie]

We have a septic system and have been putting water change water down the drain for years with no problem. Consider you have 2500-3000 gal septic tank and your adding 40-50 gal per month for a water change from my 210. Gets pretty diluted.

 

[Driftwood]

I just dump my water out the front door. Doesn't effect my driveway any...

 

[nickyblase]

I have septic as well, and dump it down the drain - I could be wrong, but my logic is that all the soap and shampoo that we use that isn't bio-degradeable is probably a little more toxic to beneficial bacteria than dirty salt water with some additives in it.

 

[yeame]

hose down the driveway or I dump it on the lawn depends which tank I am cleaning. winter salt does way more damage than some saltwater from the tank plus I have a dirt driveway ca and salt keep the dust down.

 

[jessiesgrrl]

I live in town, so down the drain it goes to the treatment plant, with all the rest of the poo...

Laurie