Covering a 125G Stand

[Sisterlimonpot]

After thinking about that a little bit longer... that isn't going to work either... so the other idea I have is to set it up on a timer and have the ATO come on 3 or 4 times a day. and the rest of the time it will be off.

Any better ideas???

 

[Rhodes19]

Sisterlimonpot,

Are you loosing that much water through evaporation for it to turn on very 3-5 minutes or is water motion in the tank making it turn on? I don't have an ATO yet but that was the first thought that came to mind.

 

[Zooid]

If you had two float switches and a relay, you could use one to start the fill solenoid and the other to stop the fill.
Most likely it's the motion of the water that is causing the chatter. If you could create an area around the switch that is calm, that might help enough.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15251512#post15251512 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zooid
If you had two float switches and a relay, you could use one to start the fill solenoid and the other to stop the fill.
Most likely it's the motion of the water that is causing the chatter. If you could create an area around the switch that is calm, that might help enough.

I do have 2 float switches and a relay but your going to have to ewxplain that one to me please. I've been racking my brain for hours trying to figure it out.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Heres how I have it wired up right now:

One switch is 3/8" higher than the other one. The way I have it set up now doesn't work.....

I can turn the floats around on the shaft to where when the float is up it's either on or off and vise versa. So please, someone solve this puzzle for me......

 

[Zooid]

I'll try to draw up a schematic for you. Gimme a few minutes

 

[Zooid]

check out my gallery, I had to post the drawing in there.
let me know if you need an explanation.

Gale

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15252655#post15252655 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zooid
check out my gallery, I had to post the drawing in there.
let me know if you need an explanation.

Gale

If you would please. I'm having a hard time understanding it.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Do I need 2 relays for this set up? Plus the solinoid that I have?

 

[Zooid]

PM sent

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Alright Gale, Thanks to your PM's and pateints , I had an eureka moment and the light bulb went on, I think I understand it now.

is this right????

Now that I got it I can understand your schematic.

 

[Zooid]

That is exactly right. That should work very well for you. Good job figuring that out

 

[dtech]

That looks like alot of extra wiring to me, I did the DIY ATO that Melev has on his site, I added a second float switch as a fail safe agains overflow incase of a snail or something, total cost was $9 Cord from wally world amd 2 float switches from ebay, I used a spare pump I had laying around, and it took 15 minutes to build and instal. plus no extra wiring solenoids, low voltage adapters etc. Have built 5 so far for me and others all work great and have been being used for over a year. Just my thoughts though.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15254183#post15254183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zooid
That is exactly right. That should work very well for you. Good job figuring that out

Zooid,
Awesome thanks, I broke out the soldering gun and shrink wrap this morning and made all the necessary changes and tested it a couple times and it works like a champ. THANKS for your help!!!!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15254183#post15254183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dtech
That looks like alot of extra wiring to me, I did the DIY ATO that Melev has on his site, I added a second float switch as a fail safe agains overflow incase of a snail or something, total cost was $9 Cord from wally world amd 2 float switches from ebay, I used a spare pump I had laying around, and it took 15 minutes to build and instal. plus no extra wiring solenoids, low voltage adapters etc. Have built 5 so far for me and others all work great and have been being used for over a year. Just my thoughts though.

dtech,
That's how I had it set up the first time, with just a single float and the second float was added in series with the intent to expand the range of tolerance that would be allowed before the pump kicked on and turned off (basically a high and a low to keep from having the solenoid kick on and off every 3-5 minutes due to water turbulence like Rhodes19 and Zooid suggested). But not realizing that I just set up a second fail safe like you described.

I don’t have a failsafe, I guess in essence if 1 switch failed the system wouldn't work and worse care scenario it would pump the entire contents of my ATO reservoir into the tank (but if you see my sorry excuse for a reservoir "above" it's only 2 gallons so it isn't going to dilute my system.

 

[Zooid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15255111#post15255111 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sisterlimonpot
Zooid,
Awesome thanks, I broke out the soldering gun and shrink wrap this morning and made all the necessary changes and tested it a couple times and it works like a champ. THANKS for your help!!!!

Excellent. Glad that worked out for you. I keep forgetting that my schematics are a little odd. We use different symbols and I draw my schematics like ladder rungs. I've worked far too long in industrial controls hehe.

 

[dtech]

I use the 2 switches at about a 1.5" difference, also I don't use a solenoid at all, The float switch is wired into the power for the pump Via a modified extension cord, If I gold the lower switch down to activate the circuit the second will open the circuit if the water gets too high. I hope this is readable sorry I'm not a good drawer,

Can you let me know why use a solenoid? I just want to learn more ways, etc.

 

[Zooid]

Dtech,
That's the way a lot of people do it. It works great. I have been bit by 120VAC in my tank before so I'm just really nervous about putting homemade 120VAC circuits into my tank. Using the 12VDC adapter makes me feel a little safer.
Gale

 

[dtech]

Ah ok I understand that, I do use titanium grounding probes, 1 in the display, and 1 in the sump. I have had fish get cooked from a failled pump and a bad heater, so I understand. T
Thanks for the info.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

+1 it's that sense of surety, knowing that you won't have 120 in your tank. A solenoid uses low voltage to control high voltage (far away from water) through an electromagnet, and because of the low voltage it will also give the float switches a lot longer life span. kinda the same reason why I chose to do it this way with the 2 float switches (after the fact)... to prolong the life of the solenoid. If it kept clicking on and off every 3 minutes it would wear out in no time. Today it only came on only 3-4 times.

 

[dtech]

Yeah I work on copiers and have them all over throughout them, I always try to stay simple as I can on my stuff, too many years building cars got me wantin to do stuff easier old age comin on maybe
I got a question about wood stuff for you Sister, I jave an AGA black pine stand and canopy and I hope to cover them with something nicer that I can stain to match, Is that 1/4" birch stuff at like HD any good for that or should I look for a better tgicker wood etc.