Good h20 top off device?
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psimitry
New member
My sump has room for my entire ato bladder should the float switch fail (it pulls from a 5g bucket and I have 9g of room in my sump). I'm not really sure where the idea of the return pump splitting open and melting from a topoff system comes from.
A float switch from autotopoff.com, a aqualifter pump, a few feet of airline tubing (both soft and rigid), and a 5 gallon water jug were the best $40 I ever spent on my tank, bar none.
still trying to figure out my sump, ATO tank, and refugium setup.jcarson999
New member
FWIW, I've used one from autotopoff.com for the past couple years and have never had any problems. I'm going to order one for a new system I'm setting up as well.
-jim
-jim
landragon
Premium Member
If you must have cheap, go with a gravity fed design. Use a perfectly sealed container, place it higher than the sump, run a tube down to your sump from it, and place the end of the tube JUST below the surface. Each time the water level drops below the tube end, air enters the container, allowing water out. $10 at the most. Pumps running dry, which is what can happen if ato's fail and are not attended to quickly, can certainly overheat, melt, and split open. And certainly don't hook up a 40 gallon reservoir to a sump that can only hold 6. Unless you have a well planned out stand that can hold 40 gallons safely. If you do get ato.com's offerings, please get a reservoir and low flow pump as opposed to a solenoid plumbed to your ro/di line. Solenoids can fail, hence the five gallons on your floor. Five if you are lucky. And if you do the reservoir method, make sure you take the siphon effect into consideration as it will drain until the end of the hose is above the water line of the reservoir. Either drill a siphon break, or plumb the output to above max fill in the reservoir.
45commando
New member
I used the top off method described by Landragon for years.There are no moving parts,so nothing to fail.A couple of years ago,I upgraded tanks to a 120 & so my evap rate went up considerably.I got tired of having to refill my top off tanks every other day(not to mention if we planned to go away for a few days).So I decided to purchase a Tunze osmolator,it is more expensive than other ATO's,but I think you get what you pay for in this case.The unit adds very small amounts of top off,which I think is more desirable(especially if dosing kalk,as I do).Also the unit has overflow back ups built in.I would definately consider this unit if you can spring for the extra $.HTH.
Roy G. Biv
Premium Member
The cheapest ATO.
Get a 5 gallon jug. Silicone 1/2" tube in the opening. Fill with water. Hang upside down above the sump. Keep the 1/2" tube right at the water line. When the water drops in the sump, it lets air into the tube. Water then comes out of the jug!!!
Get a 5 gallon jug. Silicone 1/2" tube in the opening. Fill with water. Hang upside down above the sump. Keep the 1/2" tube right at the water line. When the water drops in the sump, it lets air into the tube. Water then comes out of the jug!!!
Playa-1
In Memoriam
I've got a controller with a level sensor. So I will be using an inexpensive float valve to control water level in my sump and I will be installing a solenoid in the waterline before the RO/DI that will be controlled by the water level sensor as a safety measure.
A simple solution would be to set up a 5 or 10 gallon reservoir of top-off water above the sump (if you have one). Then run some polyflow tubing to a Plastic reef safe float valve attached to the sump. As the water level drops the float drops and opens the valve to allow your top-off reservoir to gravity fill the sump.
Set your sump up so that it can hold the extra water in case of float valve failure. The only maintenance would be refilling the reservoir on a regular basis. Maybe once a week or so.
There are many ways to set something like this up. Just make sure that it's set up in a way to prevent floods if a valve were to fail.
A simple solution would be to set up a 5 or 10 gallon reservoir of top-off water above the sump (if you have one). Then run some polyflow tubing to a Plastic reef safe float valve attached to the sump. As the water level drops the float drops and opens the valve to allow your top-off reservoir to gravity fill the sump.
Set your sump up so that it can hold the extra water in case of float valve failure. The only maintenance would be refilling the reservoir on a regular basis. Maybe once a week or so.
There are many ways to set something like this up. Just make sure that it's set up in a way to prevent floods if a valve were to fail.
What I have on my tank is called a "power liquid level controller" from Marine Depot for $49. It's cheap, and I've got it hooked up to a Aqua-Lifter pump($12). The nice think about the pump is it's only able to pump 3 gph at the most. I've got it hooked up to a 15 gallon reservoir of Kalkwasser for all my topoff. The pump is connected with airline tubing, and the output has a little ball valve attached at the end so it drips really slowly. Works fantastic for me, and it's reliable and pretty safe.
For those using gravity. I stumbled upon using a 5 gallon red rectangular gas container found at all hardware stores. This works nice with the large sturdy top handle to hang it while still being easily enclosed and sealable. I don't have the fear of a metal handle breaking off a bucket, the bucket tilting and spilling when a top comes off, or the plastic being cheap and breaking.
Zucker26
New member
codeblued, is that container rigid enough to not flex under the negative pressure? I'm using a gravity-fed design as well, and it works flawlessly. The entire system cost me roughly $5 and took about an hour to make. It's seriously idiot-proof and failsafe. All you need is a very rigid container, some silicone sealer, and some rubber tubing. I highly recommend the DIY gravity fed ATO.
45commando
New member
I used the gas tanks & they are perfect,because they don't flex with the change in air pressure.Like I stated in my earlier post,the only reason I stopped using them,is because I upgraded tanks & so had to refill every other day.In my particular setup,I lucked out,in that I was able to use the gas tanks inverted.This meant I could use the existing gas nozzle & so did not have to add a delivery tube.Below are a couple of pics,to better show how mine was set up.Sorry about the quality.Basically the nozzles were at sump water level,so any slight drop,allowed top off to be added,as needed.HTH
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