***How-To*** Automatic Water Change

[kidney514]

OK here is a tutorial on how to do a Automatic Water Change also know as AWC.

Hardware requires:
Profilux Plus II
1 sensor splitter
2 level sensor
3 pumps.

First install both sensor in the desired locations

1st sensor should at the level that you desire to keep your aquarium.
2nd sensor need to be install lower than the first sensor.

HINT: The second sensor is what will stop the pump from discarding water the old water from your aquarium to the drain.

Suggestion: Get a bucket that matches what you want to change, then fill it up with the pump you just install. Pump manually (plug in wall) the old water out that will allow you to know 3 very important thing will come out of this exercise.
1st the amout being change
2nd the time it takes to remove the quantity you want, so that you can set your "max on-time" to avoid disasters.
3rd It will indicate where to install your 2nd sensor, when installing the second sensor, set your profilux in diagnostic mode under the level menu.
Here is how to get to the diagnostic menu.

then

and then

Now if you have done it according to my suggestion the sensors should read like this: 1- 2- 3-.

Part 2 coming in a theater near you......

 

[kidney514]

Part 2 Programming it all

Part 2 Programming it all

Now let start doing to programmation for the profilux side.

1st lets do the programmable logic for the AWC.
You will need to create to 2 programmable logic, for this purpose.
One is used for the day-to-day "Automatic Top-Off" aka ATO.
the other one is used only the case off a water change

Programmable Logic 1
Input 1 = Water 1
Input 2 = Water change (inverted)
Function AND

Programmable Logic 2
Input 1 = Water 1
Input 2 = Water change
Function AND

Programmable logic part is done.

 

[kidney514]

Level Menu

Level Menu

Now in this menu we need to configure the level sensor function.

Level 1 need to be set to 'ATO & Water Change'
And level 2 NEEDS to be set 'not enabled' otherwise the AWC will not work.

The max on-time is a very important feature to configure it avoid disasters.
If you have followed my suggestion in post 1 you will now know how much time it take to purge your old water from your tanks and set this as your max on-time (add 1 minutes)
As seen in the picture below, it takes about 3 minutes to purge my old water from my system.

*** OPTIONAL CONFIG ***

You can have a Timer start your AWC, all you need to do is to select 'Event start' in the timer windows and your AWC will be done according to that schedule.
Mine is set to Timer 8 and it does it on saturday and sunday @ 8 pm

 

[Harry_Fish]

How do you prevent an overflow if the topoff pump gets stuck on?

 

[kidney514]

Max on-time......... Your configure it to 1 min and increase until you get no more alarms. We are talking about the ATO Right?

 

[kidney514]

Next the socket definition

Next the socket definition

Next the socket definitions

Now you have to set the appropriate socket with the right definitions.

For instance my socket are the following.

Socket15 is for my ATO

Socket16 is to pump water into the drain.

socket 21 is to pump fresh salt water back into the aquarium

Voila that should cover the AWC subject.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

This is great Lorin thanks so much for taking the time to do this for everyone. I think "we all" have a lot to learn from you in regards to ATO and AWC etc.

Keep it coming, thanks again

 

[Tony Romano]

Are sensors in main tank?

 

[Tony Romano]

Here is what I am thinking.

ATO Romano Draft 1

Sump is normally at 40% full (Normal ATO) Level sensor 1

Step 1 power off main return pump, sump fills to ~90% (Timer on digital socket)

Step 2 pump off water to normal ATO (Level 1 sensor inverted on different Digital socket?)

Step 3 Fill with new salt water to same level as 90% (Second level sensor on ATO setting, with very short time limit.)

Step 4 main pump on.

Any gaping holes here?

 

[kidney514]

If you are planning to use the AWC then Yes, If you stop the main pump the level will go above the 1st sensor, and when the refill occurs, it will stop at the 1st sensor, you will sort in fresh salt water.

 

[MantisWrangler]

I am new to the profilux fan club and am still working out the configuration of various aspects of my set up. The AWC setup I had imagined would include 2 profilux dosing pumps: 1 to pump an established amount of water out of the sump and down the drain, the other to pump fresh saltwater back into the sump. This would be done on a daily basis to avoid any major water changes, say 3-4g per day. Maybe someone can point out the flaws in my plan.

 

[MantisWrangler]

Another thing I was wondering about was how to rig up my RO feed (which is pressurized) through the controller.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

The only flaw i see to this is the amount if gallons you are pushing through the doser a day, to accomplish this the doser would have to be on for 4.3 hours a day solid per dosing cycle (cycle = water in, and water out)

It would be cheaper and less time consuming to use a small power head for this on both sides.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

In regards to RO feed for top off (not AWC as you need a mixed salt solution) then there are a variety of solenoids on the market that would be connected to a power bar socket and set to react accordingly.

AWC water needs to come from a pre salt mixed container.

 

[MantisWrangler]

For the fresh water top off I would need a level sensor in the sump, which would lead to the controller, this would then somehow trigger the release of the fresh water. It's this last bit of equipment that I'm not sure about.

BTW thanks for the info on AWC. Using power heads does make more sense.

 

[Tony Romano]

Put the valve before RO unit, call 415-425-9779 or use

http://www.fishbowl-innovations.com/product/solenoid

Fishbowl Innovations

AC Solenoid Valve

 

[MantisWrangler]

Thanks, that unit looks perfect.

 

[Tony Romano]

It comes in handy with makeup water as well, get 2d sensor.

 

[jc16]

if i do use a powerhead for this application i will have some problems. my sump is on the floor and wouldn't the powerheads creat a siphon since my resevoir is taller than the sump? any ways to stop the siphon form happening? i always planned to use powerheads for awc and for top off but just figured about the siphon part today!! what can i do help!!

 

[jc16]

and the second problem would be the water level in my sump, i have a 150g sump if i want to change out 3 or 4 gallons out each day i don't think i would even notice the difference in water levels could i not use the second sensor and just program the profilux to turn off the sensor and turn on the pump for the ammount of time it will take me to drain out the desired amount of water. Then fill it back up with another pump that is turned on for a period of time it will take to fill it back to the same level?