PH controller to a kalk reactor?

[whirley]

Just wondering.
Is it possible to hook up a PH controller, like a Milwaukee, to a Kalk Reactor?

Meaning, if the PH get's too low, that the PH controller will power a powerhead in the Kalk Reactor that 'pushes' Kalk into the system.

Does it work this way? Can it work this way?

Thanks. My brain is getting a little dusty.

whirley

 

[javajaws]

I don't think you ever want a powerhead in a kalk reactor pushing kalk water out (assuming you have a true kalk reactor and not just a bucket of kalk water). You always want to push feshwater into the kalkwater and have it push kalk water out.

Having said that...the Pinpoint controller has 2 power outlets...one that gets activated when the pH is below a certain point, and one when it is above it. This would seem to work in your situation.

 

[kevin gu3]

You could use one to run a pump that puts water into the reactor, but nobody would do that. Here's why.

You have to run fresh water into the reactor because the kalk's high pH precipitates goodies out of salt water. So the best you can do is run fresh RO/DI evap makeup water into it.

But you don't want to change the tank's salinity by adding too much or too little, so the amount you add is not a function of pH.

So you can have a float valve turn it on as the water runs low.

But IMO a better setup is to run it on a timer to deliver a constant amount during lights off, because the tank's pH is lowest at lights off. I have to fiddle with the pump's output rate twice a year because evap is lower in summer than in winter.

 

[durango_doug]

you could use the ph controller in the reactor to determine when to stir. I'm not sure if this would work... does the Ph go down as the reactor water gets more diluted? Just throwing out ideas.

doug

 

[javajaws]

Maybe a little...but I doubt enough to make a difference. Plus you would get different results depending on when you last filled your reactor.


The optimal solution (IMO) is to have a dosing pump that doses freshwater directly to the tank while pH is at an acceptable level and to dose kalkwater when it drops below that level. This however would require a dosing pump, a pH controller with NO and NC plugs (Pinpoint has this), and 2 solenoid valves that are DI safe (not so easy to come by).