Most reliable ATO

[twoodall]

Give me your opinions! The one I have is only a couple months old and has formed a habit of sticking on. Luckily I haven't had a major accident yet, but I am sure that is just around the corner. I would appreciate your input with this situation.

 

[chrisp074]

Tunze Osmolator by far.

http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter036

 

[will16]

I've been looking into this as well. Been leaning towards autotopoff.com.

Can you tell me which one you have? That sticks open? I'll probably want to avoid that one

 

[twoodall]

I am presently using the AquaMedic SP 3000. It has worked great for the first month or so. I cleaned the float and guide, but it still sticks randomly.

 

[abulgin]

I agree on the Tunze. I have 2 of them and they work flawlessly. Really nothing to get stuck, as it uses an IR sensor to detect water level.

 

[fivesmallworlds]

Put the pump on a timer in small intervals for redundancy. That way even if the float switch sticks your pump won't run all the time overflowing your sump.

 

[twoodall]

I guess if I took the time to pinpoint the rate of evaporation per hour, as well as the dosing rate of the pump, I could have the timer come on just long enough to dose what is lost in an hour every hour. Doing that would certainly maintain the salinity at the optium level constantly, since that is the whole idea behind an ATO. Then that would have to change season to season due to the rate of evaporation changing. When I look it like that the Tunze product doesn't seem expensive at all.

 

[fivesmallworlds]

I'm not saying use a time based method for topping off and using only the timer and a pump, I'm saying with whatever ATO you end up using, put that pump on the timer just in case the float switch sticks or the pump gets stuck on for some reason.

It's been my understanding that if something is going to go wrong, it usually happens at the worst possible moment, ie. on vacation, at work etc etc... The timer at least limits the amount of water that is pumped in.

 

[an411]

using the one from aquahub.com and it has the 2 float switches so if one fails the other one will stop it. unless both fail at the same time in which at that point you got bad luck

 

[paulallen]

Tunze osmolator hands down. Only problem I had was a control board error in my first controller. The level was sensing but the pump was still turning on. Called tunze in texas and they send me a new controller. Works amazing great.

 

[KB2202]

Tunze Osmolator gets my vote!! Works great, easy to set up and very reliable.

 

[reefergeorge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13276732#post13276732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fivesmallworlds
I'm not saying use a time based method for topping off and using only the timer and a pump, I'm saying with whatever ATO you end up using, put that pump on the timer just in case the float switch sticks or the pump gets stuck on for some reason.

It's been my understanding that if something is going to go wrong, it usually happens at the worst possible moment, ie. on vacation, at work etc etc... The timer at least limits the amount of water that is pumped in.

Some have this built in. I know on the jbj ato you can set it to only run the pump for set intervals.

 

[twoodall]

Where has the best price on a Tunze been spotted recently?

 

[paulallen]

Champion lighting supply. You won't pay less than $199.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Any of the Spectrapure Liquid Level systems. I am using a new version of their Ultra Precise System and its truly a plug and play, set it and forget it system. Set up programming took about 2 minutes and I have not touched it since.
http://www.spectrapure.com/liquid_level_controllers.htm

 

[Rendos]

I have a Tunze Osmolator on my tank, but we put a Blueline Tsunami ATO on my wife's tank. If I had to do it all over again, I would get the Tsunami.
My Tunze pump has gone out once, and while they are not expensive, they are proprietary...meaning if it goes out, you have to replace it with a Tunze replacement pump. The Tsunami works with any 120V powerhead.

 

[twoodall]

I installed the Tunze Osmolator this morning. I love it. It is pretty much silent and in theory looks extremely reliable. Thanks for all the input!

 

[paulallen]

You can get the switched socket outlet for the osmolator. You can then replace the pump that is included for any 120V pump that you want. If you are dosing Kalk then I would suggest a peristaltic pump for the osmolator controller.

http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter037

 

[ludnix]

Where did you end up getting it twoodall?

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13343401#post13343401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ludnix
Where did you end up getting it twoodall?

There are only a few distributors. Marine Depot is the cheapest I've found.