is there a fool proff ato?
- Thread starter 450reef
- Start date
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
I have mine set to drip into the sump at a rate that pretty much equals the rate of evaporation. No relying on pumps, float switches/valves. It just uses gravity and a valve to control the drip rate.
Conesus_Kid
Premium Member
I collect RO water in a 55 gallon drum. The drum feeds the sump. (Goes through a kalk reactor after the in-line valve and before the sump.
acdraindrps
New member
acdraindrps
New member
not my pic ^
boosted chemist
New member
Yeah that one is great, esp the price
SkiFletch
New member
What about two float valves? If you're not looking to suppliment with your RO water (ie kalk reactor, etc) this would probably be the best possible solution. One float to do normal control, and a second normally, up higher to act as a safety... While they CAN stick, having two float valves stick sounds awfully unlikely to me
no such thing as foolproof for almost anything in life. You can take a number of risk mitigating steps.
I have two ATOs as follows:
- dual float switches (in case the primary fails)
- 50ml/min top off pump to limit how much can get topped off in case of a failure
- reefkeeper timer to run 15 minutes per hour (limits to 4.8 gallons or so per day)
can it fail? off course, the impact should be minimal though.
it's an expensive way to top off, but it sure is nice
I have two ATOs as follows:
- dual float switches (in case the primary fails)
- 50ml/min top off pump to limit how much can get topped off in case of a failure
- reefkeeper timer to run 15 minutes per hour (limits to 4.8 gallons or so per day)
can it fail? off course, the impact should be minimal though.
it's an expensive way to top off, but it sure is nice
I sent Dan W a pm, in case he doesn't find it, I'll do a woefully inadequate job describing it.
Make (or use) a small box that will fit a float valve, run your waterline to the float valve which is attached within the box. Affix the box to the inside of your sump at the level you want the water to be. drill a 1/4" drain hole through the box which runs right out through the sump wall. This hole should be the absolute highest point you want the sump waterline to get and should be above the float valve's shut off height.
Let's stop here so I can give you a visual of what we have so far. If you took a garden hose and filled your sump it would fill the sump, overflow into the box and then run out of the emergency drain hole in the box. Get it? ...good.
Now, drill a tiny hole like 1/16 or so low in the box below the level you have the shut off set to. When the water is low, the float valve drops, the box fills with water, and water drains out the tiny hole and fills the sump.
When the sump water level reaches the height the shut off valve is set at, the water stops draining out of the box, fills the box, the shut-off floats and shuts-off.
It is the differential in water height that causes the water to drain out of the box and into the sump. But... the hole is so small that if the sump water height reaches the height the shut-off valve is set at, the water in the box will not flow into the sump because there is no differential in water height.
Say the valve fails... the water from the box drains into the sump as normal, again the sump fills to the height of the box. The box fills even more to the point where it begins to run out of the emergency drain hole in the box. The sump will fill to this level but no water will exchange between the box and the sump. Because there is no differential in height. If fresh water continues to pour into the box it will simply drain out of the emergency hole.
The reef is happy and you sleep well at night.
Clear as mud????
Again, I'll try to get the picture because describing it in type is challenging.
Make (or use) a small box that will fit a float valve, run your waterline to the float valve which is attached within the box. Affix the box to the inside of your sump at the level you want the water to be. drill a 1/4" drain hole through the box which runs right out through the sump wall. This hole should be the absolute highest point you want the sump waterline to get and should be above the float valve's shut off height.
Let's stop here so I can give you a visual of what we have so far. If you took a garden hose and filled your sump it would fill the sump, overflow into the box and then run out of the emergency drain hole in the box. Get it? ...good.
Now, drill a tiny hole like 1/16 or so low in the box below the level you have the shut off set to. When the water is low, the float valve drops, the box fills with water, and water drains out the tiny hole and fills the sump.
When the sump water level reaches the height the shut off valve is set at, the water stops draining out of the box, fills the box, the shut-off floats and shuts-off.
It is the differential in water height that causes the water to drain out of the box and into the sump. But... the hole is so small that if the sump water height reaches the height the shut-off valve is set at, the water in the box will not flow into the sump because there is no differential in water height.
Say the valve fails... the water from the box drains into the sump as normal, again the sump fills to the height of the box. The box fills even more to the point where it begins to run out of the emergency drain hole in the box. The sump will fill to this level but no water will exchange between the box and the sump. Because there is no differential in height. If fresh water continues to pour into the box it will simply drain out of the emergency hole.
The reef is happy and you sleep well at night.
Clear as mud????
Again, I'll try to get the picture because describing it in type is challenging.
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I actually took this box off and gave it to someone because it didn't work with the surges as the sump level went up and down six inches every 30 seconds. I've since removed the surges... I hadn't had the box in so long, I forgot about it! I'm going to rebuild it this week and put back on.
(ski fletch, I edited the above post to put more detail into it to hopefully make it more understandable)
(ski fletch, I edited the above post to put more detail into it to hopefully make it more understandable)
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kmagyar
In Memoriam
Bulk Reef Supply's Level Loc is a pretty fool proof design. Personally, I use three, a manual electronic FS controls my Spectrepure LLC (soleniod), That unit has a vacuum switch so if my electronic gets stuck on, the vacuum will take over. Lastly, I have a manual float switch through my sump. If the first two fail, the third should pick up the slack. If your worried about a flood, go to Harbor Freight and get a cheap flood sensor for 15.00.
