How do you have your ATO hooked up?

[dmbnpj]

Do you have your RO/DI unit directly in line with the water supply in your home? I am interested in hooking up an ATO system but having trouble figuring it out. I am sick of refilling the sump every day. Any way of doing it where I wont ever have to touch it?

Any pictures to help me out?

Thanks for any help

 

[Elliott]

It's generally not a good idea to top off directly from your RO/DI unit but rather from a separate reservoir, that way in the event of failure you won't flood your system and drop your salinity dangerously low, providing your reservoir is not too large.

I use a 45g tank filled with RO water, pumped into the sump by a JBJ ATO device that uses a float switch in the sump to trigger the pump upon a set water level.

I have to fill the reservoir about once a week

 

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11022288#post11022288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Elliott
It's generally not a good idea to top off directly from your RO/DI unit but rather from a separate reservoir, that way in the event of failure you won't flood your system and drop your salinity dangerously low, providing your reservoir is not too large.

I use a 45g tank filled with RO water, pumped into the sump by a JBJ ATO device that uses a float switch in the sump to trigger the pump upon a set water level.

I have to fill the reservoir about once a week

I'm putting basically the same system, except all my topoff will go through a kalk stirrer.

 

[Elliott]

I know of someone who does that, actually he has a pure RO reservoir and a Kalk stirrer. When the ph drops below a set point the Kalk stirrer is used for top off, when the ph raises above the set point the RO reservoir is used, all controlled by an ACIII, nice way to go.

 

[dmbnpj]

Thanks for the help. Is the pump on the JBJ ATO very loud? I have an ATO on my kalk reactor and when the pump turns on it is obnoxious.

 

[Elliott]

I've used several types, the most reliable is the peristaltic pump but it's loud enough to be heard. I'm currently using a small Eheim submerged pump that's totally quiet but I'm told it may not be too reliable pumping out Kalk at a ph of around 12. Since I have considerable daily evaporation I need a pretty swift pump so the submergible does the trick.

 

[liquidlunch]

Re: How do you have your ATO hooked up?

I have a 15gal RO tank that feeds a kalkreactor by Spectrapure Litermeter. I dose based on my evaporation rate and not pH. Many dose kalk opposite their light schedule to compensate for the pH dip at night. Relying on a pH probe to dose kalk(~pH 12) is something that would make me nervous.
The Litermeter is not cheap($300) but it's worth every penny.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11020824#post11020824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dmbnpj
Do you have your RO/DI unit directly in line with the water supply in your home? I am interested in hooking up an ATO system but having trouble figuring it out. I am sick of refilling the sump every day. Any way of doing it where I wont ever have to touch it?

Any pictures to help me out?

Thanks for any help

 

[rustybucket145]

I have a 40gal poly barrel located outside my sunroom and elevated on blocks (bottom of tank is higher than top of sump). A small hose is ran from the barrel, through the wall into my sump where it is joined with a float valve for livestock watering. Gravity fed, no pumps. I just have to fill up the reservoir once a week with RO/DI and all is good to go.

 

[OliverM3]

I just use a 5g tote sitting directly on my sump with a float valve.
It gives me a week on my 76g

 

[hypertech]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11022527#post11022527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dmbnpj
Thanks for the help. Is the pump on the JBJ ATO very loud? I have an ATO on my kalk reactor and when the pump turns on it is obnoxious.

The JBJ ATO doesn't come with a pump - you plug yours into it. So, it would be as noisy as the pump you are using.

For mine, I have a microjet on it and it is silent.