Auto top-off from a basement reservoir ?

[wojo]

hey, i'm getting tired of hauling buckets to top off my sump every two days i really need to automate it, i think it's time. problem is my tank is in my living room and my RO reservoir is in my basement.

can one run a line from a basement to pump the water into the sump? will the pump be able to work with gravity around 12-15 feet vertical on the horizontal distance of around 15 feet?

should the pump be in the sump or the RO tank, suck or push which is better. i would prefer to have a pump in the sump cuz that would eliminate running cables down to the basement just the water line.

what do you guys think, someone must've done it before

thanks

 

[Jagermeister]

You absolutely can run a line from the basement up to your sump. In fact, there's a lot of people with their display tanks on the first floor and their sumps in the basement.

Use the head loss calc here on reef central to determine what pump you need. You're not going to need a lot of flow for a topoff. You can probably get away with a smaller magdive pump, just check the specs.

Most pumps you're going to find do a far better job pushing the water rather than sucking it. So I think you'll definitely want the pump in your ro container. Do you not have an electrical outlet in the basement?

Also, one more thing, be sure to have the ro water discharge into your sump ABOVE the sump water line. If you have your discharge hose below the sump water line, once the topoff pump shuts off you'll siphon your entire tank down into your ro container.

hth

 

[Sparky0028]

wojo

I have a Spectrapure Litter Meter for my top off. It pushs my ro water through my kalk reactor to the other side of my basement about 25 feet away. The pumps specs say it will push water up 16 feet and draw water up 5 feet. I know it will work because I try it to push water up to my second floor tank.
I have since installed a reef filler pump for the second floor tank because all the dist. were out of the lite meter pumps.

HTH
Rich

 

[wojo]

cool, i do have a putlet close to my RO reservoir so i can place the pump in it like you guys suggest. i just need to run cables from the floating sensor on my sump down to the basement along with the water line...

what would you recommend as far as shutoff sensor?

also can i use maxijet 600 to push water up or its too weak?

 

[Jagermeister]

The max pumping height of a maxijet 600 is only 4.3 feet so it won't work for your application.

This thread has a good discussion about float switches for an auto topoff system.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75412&hl=auto+topoff

hth

 

[wojo]

Sparky0028,

is that what you have? it says it includes the pump:

https://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=SP1095

 

[Sparky0028]

Wojo
I have this unit, and yes it has a pump included. I was trying to add an addition pump for a second tank. Go to
www.premiumaquatics.com and look under top off

With this pump you do not need a float swtich. You calibrate the pump and set it to match your evaporation. I have been using this unit for about two years and never had any problems.

Here is a link to the manufacture. www.spectrapure.com

Rich

 

[wojo]

but it says its a Control Module its only $39, does that mean i also need this controller (https://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=SP1071) $339 ? wow

or that $39 is all i need, the picture doesnt really show it all i guess?

thanks

 

[Jagermeister]

I think the right price is $339. I was thinking that was a pretty good device for $39 and then did a google search on it. A couple of other places are selling them in the $330 range.

 

[douggiestyle]

scrap the resevoir. or keep it. but dont use it to fill your tank.

this method is far more simple and inexpensive as well as reliable and safe.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=748089

although some may disagree. i think its because its new.

 

[douggiestyle]

ehiem makes something similar for $90.
i think my design is better.

 

[wojo]

interesting douggiestyle, your post gave me an idea, since there is a pressure in the RO unit that is connected to the resevoir i could put in the Y connector on that line and run it up to my living room then put a floating valve just like the one i have in my resevoir in my sump (http://www.tsunamiaquatic.com/catalog/item/2474344/1989127.htm)

there should be enough pressure coming out of RO unit to push the water up to next floor...

what do you guys think? no elecronic switches, pure and simple...

 

[brian3]

Litermeter for me as well for evaporation from the basement. I also do automatic water changes with a second one pummping up to the main tank then overflows out the sump and into the drain at about 1 gallon per hour or whatever rate I want.

 

[wojo]

brian3, Litermeter is the $340 piece of equipment or the $39 ?

 

[brian3]

Unfortunately $340.....

 

[douggiestyle]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6545872#post6545872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wojo
interesting douggiestyle, your post gave me an idea, since there is a pressure in the RO unit that is connected to the resevoir i could put in the Y connector on that line and run it up to my living room then put a floating valve just like the one i have in my resevoir in my sump (http://www.tsunamiaquatic.com/catalog/item/2474344/1989127.htm)

there should be enough pressure coming out of RO unit to push the water up to next floor...

what do you guys think? no elecronic switches, pure and simple...

absolutely. if you run the ro/di water through a kalk reactor make sure it can withstand the pressure. also if you are filling the resevoir make sure you dont get backflow from the kalk reactor to the resevoir. you can solve this with a speedfit check valve

 

[jpeavytx]

I'm about to build a new house and wanted to put an inwall tank, but too many variables kept me from doing so.

I'm going to put the tank in my study. Will have my RO hooked up in the garage. What are the chances I can have an auto topoff pump in my workshop and pump all the way to the study?

Workshop.............10' wall
Across to Study....32'

 

[brian3]

The new Litermeter III ( improved pump) can lift 25 feet and push 60 feet so it would not be a problem.