Auto top off

[jamesgang]

Got a small problem. My ATO water sits higher than my sump. How can I have my ATO water remain where it is, (due to limited space) and have it fill into my sump without it continuing to siphon after the pump has shut off?
I currently have it pump into my over flow and it takes a while for the top off water to make it all the way to the side of the sump where the sensors are. I can post pics to clarify if needed.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Don't use the pumop, just use a float valve instead and let gravity works for you

 

[jkreefer]

How Tom mentioned is how i have mine set up also.

 

[jamesgang]

I would but everything is up and running and in a tight spot. It would be a pain to stop it, breakit all down with weight in the tank and all the rock in the sump. It's working so so right now just wanted to see if there was a way to change the system I already have.

I've thought about having my top off water actually drain into a larger diameter line, above the top off container, so there would be no siphoning effect once the pump shut off.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Jamesgang, you can also use a selonoid and connect it inline with the pump, so when the pump stop, the selonoid will also stop the water from flowing. Mike is using one of those so he can show you how it works.

 

[sulcata1619]

Solenoid cost $5 on Ebay. I love mine.

 

[sulcata1619]

do you have a level switch that turns the pump on? If so use it to open a solenoid.

 

[corndogg]

Like mike says...solenoid is your best bet.

If you have a ball/gate valve on your overflow, you can open it up to increase the flow so it drains to the sump faster.

How much is it over-filling by this delay? If it is only a little, I wouldn't even worry about it. My wave box is only on during lighted periods and when it kicks on in the morning the water level rises about two inches in the sump. The topoff doesn't turn on until the halides have been on for a few hours. Then, at night when the wavebox is off, the topoff has to make up for the excess water from that morning...it probably tops off a half gallon at once. I've never had any problems with stability of the specific gravity if that's what you're concerned with.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Another simple thing you can do is mount the pump higher than the water reservior

 

[corndogg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10813363#post10813363 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by northbay-reefer
Another simple thing you can do is mount the pump higher than the water reservior

?????Please explain this one?????

How can you mount the pump that pumps your top off water higher than the water itself? Doesn't it need to be inside the reservior?

 

[northbay-reefer]

depending on the type of pump that you are using, if it is the type that uses a tube and a wheel turing I think its called paristic pump or something like that, those pump you will be able to have it above the water line because it is just creating a vacum. I have used thos pump to collect water samples before and had it mounted 20 feet above the creek bed and it was able to collect the water samples with no problem because that is what it was designed for.

 

[jamesgang]

How bout I take a photo and draw it up.

 

[corndogg]

If it was a peristaltic pump then it wouldn't siphon when the pump shuts off. If they did, then hospitals couldn't use them for precision dosing of medicines. When the drum stops turning it blocks anymore liquid from coming out.

I used one for a while for my old calcium reactor. But they're not the easiest for auto top-off