Auto top off system help.

beefcake

beefcake

New member
I would like to make an auto top off system for my tank. All of the topoff systems I seem to see have a setup where their resivoir is the same level as the tank or fuge. In my case I have my ro/di water in my basement and would like to setup something that will feed my tank from my ro/di bucket downstairs. Has anyone done this before?
 
IMO, a reef filler is the same thing as putting a valve on your RO/DI unit and running it straight into your tank. All you do is adjust the drip rate to match your evaporation rate.

You need to us a float switch that is connected to a high powered pump. Put the float switch in your sump and connect it to your pump in you resivoir in the basement. When the water level drops, it trips the float switch which then powers the pump and pumps water back into your sump. You just need to get a big enough pump to handle the head pressure. Put a one way flow valve on the top off line so that the water won't rush back into your resivoir after the pump shuts off. Go to www.autotopoff.com for float switches.
 
Why not run the RO/DI output directly into your tank? I have this set-up running for 18 months and very happy with the results. There is a pressure switch as the primary switch and a float valve as the back up.

M2C

Jim Mc
 
Actually what if I simply routed my ro/di line to my fuge upstairs (about 4 1/2 feet higher then my ro/di unit) and then put an adjustable valve on the end of the line to adjust my driprate ? Would this do the trick ?
 
Running the RO/DI line straight into your sump and using a valve to adjust the drip will work. The only problem is that you will constantly be adjusting the drip. Evaporation rates do change pending humidity levels, temp, etc. If you want a good way to run your RO/DI unit that's fail safe you can do what I do. I run my RO/DI line straight to my sump. My float switch is attached to a solenoid that when powered by the float switch triggering, opens the RO/DI line and allows water in. Above the main float switch, there is a back up sitch that is reversed. So if the main float switch is stuck in the on position, the back off will be triggered and shut the solenoid off. On top of that, the system is plugged into my RK2 controller. So, it is powered three times a day for 1 minute each time. Again, if the float switch gets stuck or the solenoid gets stuck open, only a certaing amout of water is allowed into the sump each day. You wouldn't have to get a controller. A simple timer would do.
 
Kaiser Tang, are you using the orange/red solenoids from mcmastercar/autotopoff.com? I have mine setup very similar to yours and I wanted to know if the backup/overflow solenoid that is always on/open is hot to the touch? Mine is and I was concerned but I too have had it running about a year with no problems.
 
I actually have two float switches. One as the main switch and one as the backup. I only have one solenoid. It is always off (closed) unless triggered by the float switch and then powered on (open). So, its never on long enough to get hot. I think I know what your talking about though. Correct me if I am wrong, but you use the same setup, but two solenoids. Where the backup switch is connected to the backup solenoid. The backup solenoid is first on your RO/DI line, therefore is always powered on (open) to let the water through. If the main float switch and/or solenoid would get stuck on, then the backup float switch would float/trigger and shut the backup solenoid off (closed). In any case, the backup solenoid is always on therefore it get's hot. Is that right?

I was going to do what I described, but thought that the solenoid always powered on would get too hot. I tried to contact the guy at autotopoff.com to find out if the solenoid being too hot would be a problem. He never replied back. So, I decided to only go with one solenoid and hook the system up to the controller to give my self the additional protection.
 
Here is the solenoid that I use. It does get hot quickly.

solenoid.jpg
 
or you could set it up using kent float valves like this one i use on mine i ran my ro unit directly to it untill i added a kalk reactor.
10772465060017.JPG
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7436783#post7436783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kaiser Tang
I actually have two float switches. One as the main switch and one as the backup. I only have one solenoid. It is always off (closed) unless triggered by the float switch and then powered on (open). So, its never on long enough to get hot. I think I know what your talking about though. Correct me if I am wrong, but you use the same setup, but two solenoids. Where the backup switch is connected to the backup solenoid. The backup solenoid is first on your RO/DI line, therefore is always powered on (open) to let the water through. If the main float switch and/or solenoid would get stuck on, then the backup float switch would float/trigger and shut the backup solenoid off (closed). In any case, the backup solenoid is always on therefore it get's hot. Is that right?
Click to expand...

I couldn't have explained it better myself. It is hot and been running for close to a year without any problems. I have a aquatronica which I have set up to turn off my main return pump if it detects a dramatic change in the salinity in the sump which is my last failsafe. That ensures that if the solenoids get stuck on and my ro just fills up my sump that it won't reach my display and will just empty out of the emergency overflow hole and drain outside.

Thanks for the input.

Clint
 
Ok, I have a line running to my fuge with a valve on the end. The problem is that the pressure is way too much for the little plastic valve I'm using. What else might I use instead ? This is what I have now ...

th_s_21381_26728D.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7428817#post7428817 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kaiser Tang
IMO, a reef filler is the same thing as putting a valve on your RO/DI unit and running it straight into your tank. All you do is adjust the drip rate to match your evaporation rate.

You need to us a float switch that is connected to a high powered pump. Put the float switch in your sump and connect it to your pump in you resivoir in the basement. When the water level drops, it trips the float switch which then powers the pump and pumps water back into your sump. You just need to get a big enough pump to handle the head pressure. Put a one way flow valve on the top off line so that the water won't rush back into your resivoir after the pump shuts off. Go to www.autotopoff.com for float switches.
Click to expand...

Agree on point 2, but first point doesn't work too well in practice as evap changes with temp and climatic conditions, and can/doea lead to floods....
 
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