Automated water changes with dosing pumps?
- Thread starter shiftline
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shiftline
New member
Automated water changes with dosing pumps?
I ordered 2 of theses to replace the ones in the dosing pump. Hopefully it works
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Replacement-...242?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item19f8b8122a
Now for the dual dosing pump. If the pump is in the storage room with 20' of line on the intake to one side and 20' on the output on the other. Would I have to account for the liquid in the tube? Would it likely stay primed and keep water in the lines so it stays balanced?
I ordered 2 of theses to replace the ones in the dosing pump. Hopefully it works
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Replacement-...242?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item19f8b8122a
Now for the dual dosing pump. If the pump is in the storage room with 20' of line on the intake to one side and 20' on the output on the other. Would I have to account for the liquid in the tube? Would it likely stay primed and keep water in the lines so it stays balanced?
Last edited:
laga77
New member
Peristaltic pumps stay primed and the water does not run out of the tubes.. Once everything is in place you will run the pumps to fill all lines. Then, to calibrate, you time how long it takes to pump a specified amount of water on each line. If one line is longer than the other the pump rate is different. This is why you need pumps that can be calibrated. If not, then over time you would start to pump more one way than another. My fill line is 30 feet long. The drain line is 5 feet long.
For long term use, I would use 1/4" RO tube. The airline tuning will need to be replaced periodically as it will get brittle and crack. Having tubing that will not need to be replaced allows for a more permanent installation. Just for testing, airline tubing is fine though.
For my AWC I use a run of RO tubing that rises 8ft (to a drop ceiling), then runs 50ft through the ceiling and then finally drains into a laundry tub.
Dennis
If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, look in the sprinkler department. They sell hose barbs meant for feeder lines (essentially 1/4" poly tube). It takes a bit of effort to push them into the RO tube, but they will fit. Heating the RO tube under running hot water helps to make it easier.
Just keep in mind that once you get them seated in the RO tube, should you wish to remove a connector at a future date, you will be cutting the end of the tube off. The RO tube usually starts to stretch before the barb lets go.
At Lowes they are the Rainbird brand. I can't remember what brand HD carries. They both work fine.
Dennis
Tried this and it does not work very long. The barbs leak a tiny bit and they cracked the tube after about a week. (irrigation line is much softer than the clear RO tubing and for irrigation no one cares about a tiny leak......)
You'll need to use hose barb to push fit connector. where you get these will ultimately depend on the size tubing in the pump. I'm still assuming it is around 1/4" outer by 1/8" inner diameter so those hose barbs will have to be ordered.
I picked up fittings for similar setups on masterflex pumps from www.usplastics.com. 1/8" hose barb with male pipe threads and a JG fitting with female threading to make the transition. I looked all over locally for the barbs but never found small enough ones.
When I get my pump in I'll let you know if the same fittings work and post the links to the parts needed.
+1 on RO line.
My setup pumps significantly different lengths and heights on each run and stays dead even on flow rates regardless of where I swapped the lines around. My longest run is about 40' with 12' of total lift from reservoir to display. Shortest run is around 30' and only 5' drop from display sump into frag tank. Third run on my setup is somewhere in the middle. Pump channels moved the exact same volume no matter which line they were attached to.
I've not found the answer for sure anywhere but by the looks of it I'd guess it is a conductivity based sensor that operates by contact with the water. So the over flow sensor stays dry and shuts things off and sounds the alarm if it senses water level too high. about the best safety I think you'll get on your setup (has a built in 10min timer also that will shut the system off until restarted if the pump runs longer than 10min). I believe the optical sensors have similar safety cut off but not sure they'd work as it kind of looks like the collar on the fluval edge tank is not completely clear?
LOL! That might be what I meant to say, I'll have to go look at what I ordered again.
if you are referring to the actual hose within the dosing head, that depends on the head. Some heads are able to accept a range of sizes, others are intended for a single diameter only.
Those Santoprene hoses that you linked, should last a long time. Though they sound like they would be a small flow rate, I would wait to test them as you only have a nano tank (if I remember right), so you may not require a high flow rate.
Oh, and any flexible hose will work, but the lifespan will be much shorter if not intended for use in peristaltic pumps. The correct hoses can be pricey (E.g. Pharmed)
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Dennis
Last edited:
shiftline
New member
So I have learned the pump I ordered has 4mm ID. X 6mm OD. Should the new hose match that size? Does it matter? If so I need to order a new hose and so far I can only find large quantity... http://www.innovativeaquatics.com has small chunks but doesn't list the hoses diameters
Depending on cost, large quantities might not be a bad thing (as long as they fit of course :rollface
. You will need to change the tubing on a periodic basis.
If you are in the states, some places you can look for tubing are: Amazon (cheap) and APT (good).
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=peristaltic+tubing++tygon&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aperistaltic+tubing++tygon
http://aptinstruments.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AI&Category_Code=T1
I recently ordered in 25' of silicone 1/8" x 3/16" from Amazon for some new dosing heads I am building. In my case I used silicone, so the 25' will wear faster than Tygon, but I still expect the roll to last several years.
Dennis
. You will need to change the tubing on a periodic basis.If you are in the states, some places you can look for tubing are: Amazon (cheap) and APT (good).
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=peristaltic+tubing++tygon&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aperistaltic+tubing++tygon
http://aptinstruments.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AI&Category_Code=T1
I recently ordered in 25' of silicone 1/8" x 3/16" from Amazon for some new dosing heads I am building. In my case I used silicone, so the 25' will wear faster than Tygon, but I still expect the roll to last several years.
Dennis
