Ideas to program all of this float switches? Help Please

[MrBishopM1]

:worried: I have a 210 with the over flow of each side going into one of two 20 long sub tanks (right side deep sand bed and left side base rock) and a 75 as my main sump on the floor. The sump has on the bottom right side a electronic valve for water draining when I need to do a water changes and on that same side at the top I have a built in drain just in case of overflow. I have two more tanks both with overflow drains plumbed into them a 20 high for my RODI water going into it through a float valve and the last tank is a 55 for salt water changes.

I have five float switches in all that need programing with an Apex unit and all hooked up to a I/O BB, one for the main sump so the top-off doesn't over fill. One in the RODI tank so the pumps don't run dry. Two for the water change tank, one so the pumps don't run dry and the other at the top to stop the feeding pump from over filling.

 

[MrBishopM1]

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Switch1 OPEN Then ON
If Switch1 CLOSED Then OFF
If Switch3 OPEN Then ON
If Switch3 CLOSED Then OFF
Min Time 000:00 Then OFF

why when my water level goes lower than my float does the pump not turn off?

 

[slief]

I think because switch 3 is overriding switch one.
You could simplify things by trying this:

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Switch1 OPEN Then ON
If Switch1 CLOSED Then OFF
Min Time 000:00 Then OFF

Since you dont have a min time in, you could omit that line.

You would have to do that for each valve/outlet. One for left and one for right.

You should go to Kens page here and look at how he has his. He uses virtual outlets in conjunction with the real outlets and its very useful. I followed his lead when I programmed my ATO. A virtual outlet for add water and a real outlet called top off that only turns on when add water is on.
I would create a virtual outlet for the left side and then one for the right side. Like ValveLT and ValveRT. Then a real outlet for each valve that says that when ValveRT is OFF then OFF or when ValveLT is on than on.
It would look like this:
The real outlet would look like this:
If Outlet ValveLT = ON Then ON
If Outlet ValveLT = OFF Then OFF



What valves are you using? I was looking at some the other day thinking how cool it would be to have electronic ball valves but 2" ones are waaaayy to expensive!

 

[MrBishopM1]

If you go to your Lowe's and pick up a sprinkler valve and the power plug it cost me around $15. Thats if you want to to auto water changes.

Ok so of my fresh water RODI tank thats is going to fill my sump for topoff and RODI tank is going to refill my saltwater mixing tank, what will the code look like for that? I have two pumps in my RODI tank, one for the sump topoff and one for the saltwater mixing tank. I have one float switch at the bottom of the freshwater RODI tank that I would like to stop either pump when the water gets to low and also I have two float switches, one at the top water level of the sump and one for the top level of the saltwater mixing tank. This way over my head!!

 

[slief]

If you go to your Lowe's and pick up a sprinkler valve and the power plug it cost me around $15. Thats if you want to to auto water changes.

Ok so of my fresh water RODI tank thats is going to fill my sump for topoff and RODI tank is going to refill my saltwater mixing tank, what will the code look like for that? I have two pumps in my RODI tank, one for the sump topoff and one for the saltwater mixing tank. I have one float switch at the bottom of the freshwater RODI tank that I would like to stop either pump when the water gets to low and also I have two float switches, one at the top water level of the sump and one for the top level of the saltwater mixing tank. This way over my head!!

Ever had a sprinkler valve leak? A few months back, one stuck in my back yard and a neighbor called me to tell me water was running non stop from my street drain. Probably cost me a few hundred gallons if not more. Maybe even much more.

I'm set up for auto water changes but I'm using a litermeter. It will only do up to 25G a day if I'm not mistake, but the small increments are automated and the water volume is controlled precisely. A little in, a little out on and off all day every day. The apex and a float sensor act as the failsafe and the nice thing is that the water exchange is minimal enough that it doesnt effect the top off floats. A conductivity probe acts a failsafe of the ATO. If the salinity drops lower than a set parameter, the ATO outlet shuts down. If the salinity exceeds a certain level the Litermeter shuts down. If the waterlevel exceeds a certain level in the sump, the ATO and the litermeter shut down.

Now I would certainly consider using a sprinkler valve for a drain line that is normally open provided that there was absolutely no metal in it. Not even stainless. I however have 110v solenoids to put between my ATO and my tank as well as my litermeter and my tank. Those will be plugged into outlets and used as an additional failsafe. I need to get another EB8 before I plug those in as I am pretty much out of outlets on 3 EB8's.

As to your question.
Read this thread that I started last week and read Kens response. It should help. I went the virtual outlet route which is complicated to explain but simplifies programming. I would suggest reading up a bit in the "Unofficial Apex Manual" as it covers everything you would ever want to figure out (and more) with programming examples included.

 

[MrBishopM1]

I have printed the Manual and it had help me with a few things. Thanks for the links I will read them all.