Pump for top off water - needs to pump 30'

J

jet_jer

Premium Member
I'm looking to get a pump that will top off my top off container. I currently have a top off container (5 gal bucket for now) that I use a dosing pump to top off my tank - this soon will change as I am implementing a Kalwasser reactor, but I will still need to make sure the top off container has water in it. So I would like to pump water to the top off container from a 30Gal garbage can full of RO/DI from my basement. It doesn't need to pump it hard, just get there.

Next question, I know I'll need a float valve in the top off container, but how is it hooked up to let the pump in the basement know to pump water upstairs and then stop.

What things can be put in place to help if the float valve fails - looking to prevent this pump from pumping 30 Gal of water all over my upstairs floor :)

Thanks again,

Jer

I should be getting my new Nikon D50 and Nikkor 105mm micro lense today, so pics will be comming :)
 
Rather than deal w/ the pump, it might be easier to put a float valve in your reservoir (that's the 5-gal bucket, right?), and run an output from your RO unit directly there - use the house pressure to move the water for you, rather than a pump?

- Mac
 
Sounds like you need a float switch.

Heres some reading
http://www.melevsreef.com/plumbing/auto_topoff.html

Heres a cheap place for a float switch
http://www.floatswitches.net/

For a pump it depends on the head pressure. I would find the smallest pump that can get the water there...Not sure if the aqualifer would work for you but thats what I use.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=OE1137

I think it will only handle 30" of head. You might want to go with a small ehiem or magdrive. IMO the smaller the pump the better. You don't want something that could fill up the top-off container too fast incase there was ever a malfunction
 
ReeferMac - I can run the ro/di up to the 5 gal bucket.

I'll look into that as it would be easier than having a pump.

Jer
 
Make sure you get the autoshut off valve for the RO/DI otherwise you will have no way to releive the back pressue on the unit.

Another thig to consider is you could get rid of the bucket all together and plumb a autotop off system directly into the basement. I personally would not hook the ro/di to a float switch in the tank but for the bucket I think you would be fine....Theres just something that bothers me about have running fresh water connected directly into the tank or sump, and I just don't trust those pressure actuated top off sytems. With the bucket however you just risk getting your carpet wet.

Scott
 
I run my RO/DI all the way upstairs into a 10 gallon acrylic holding tank with a float valve. for my top off. I then installed a bulkhead in the bottom of the tank and ran a line to my sump. On that line I put another float valve ,to control the water level. I bought 1/4" RO line for $.10 a foot so buying 100 feet was not expensive.Now all I do is every other day turn on the supply to my Ro for a few hours and wipe bt brow...
 
Yeah - I definatly dont want the pump to go directly to the tank or sump - but I need to keep the maintenance part down to a minimum so if we go on vacation things still keep the water level. I'll look into this tonight.

Jer
 
Kalk%20Full.jpg

Check my site down at the bottom for more picts and how I do my dosing. All my topoff goes through the reactor now and it rocks. I have floats wired up now to the relay for the dosing pump, but haven't written it all up yet.
 
Look into this...

Aqua Medic SP 3000 Niveaumat

With a maximum head of 30ft

The Aqua Medic SP 3000 Niveaumat will automatically top up evaporated water in fresh and salt water aquariums. It comprises an SP 3000 peristaltic pump with a directly connected float switch. The float switch is installed in the aquarium or filter tank at the desired level using its holding unit. As the level drops, the SP 3000 automatically tops up the tank with water from a reservoir (not supplied).

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium..._3000_sp3000_niveaumat_reef_doser.asp?CartId=
 
nwrogers - I like that idea as I place the float valve in the basement garbage cans then have the aqua medic unit push the ro/di water to the resevoir next to the tank then have the dosing pump pull the water from the resevoir through the kalkwasser reactor and into the sump.

One question: I see that the Aqua Medic unit comes with a float switch - but how far away can the unit be for that to work or maybe it doesn't matter because I can put it with the resevoir and the unit can pull the water the 25 - 30" into the resevoir?

Thanks,
Jer
 
Anyone know of a pump that can pull from 30' (12' vertical) and deliver to a resevoir - I'm not sure if the aqua medic can pull from 30' away and it seems lots of people have had issues with that pump.

Jer
 
you will probally have trouble finding a small pump that can pull 30'. that is tough to prime and maintain, so you probally will have to pump the 12' vert head. i built my float and relay setup to control my dosing pump. it was fairly simple and only cost a few bucks. if you are building a reactor I would feed from your 30 gal ro to the reactor then to the sump. i take it now that you have the 5 gal pail filled setting above your sump and the float in the sump lets the ro gravity drain into the sump as needed? i was more worried about a float getting stuck or gunked up with kalk so i went with floatswitches in series incase the first failed i had a backup. if you have floatswitches you have to run the relay wires from the spot you are trying to maintain the water level to the area where you have the pump (ie from your sump (topoff point) to the basement(pump location)). also one thing to remember is that short cycling ro units decreases the membrane life so keep that in mind if you are plumbing the ro to anything other than a large resevoir. if you are around rochester you are more than welcome to take a look at my setup.
-Walter
 
Thanks - What I have now is a 5 Gal bucket thats filled with Ro/DI water and sits on my floor - I have a Neptune II dosing pump with a float switch plugged into it (it will only pump when the switch is activated) so at the moment the water is just pumped into the sump when the switch says to. What I'm looking to do is top off the water in the 5 Gal bucket (or whatever I end up with next to the tank) with ro/di water that I have stored in two garbage cans in my basement (the tank is on the 2nd floor of my house).

If I place a unit in the basement to push the water to the bucket upstairs, won't I need to run a switch wiring all the way down to the pump in the basement?

Jer
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7108416#post7108416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jet_jer
If I place a unit in the basement to push the water to the bucket upstairs, won't I need to run a switch wiring all the way down to the pump in the basement?

Jer
Click to expand...

yes, unless you have x-10 controllers, and they make a wireless module(don't know if they do, just assuming so).
How hig will your neptune pump move water? you could always extend the relay wire on that if it has enough head pressure.
 
Wiring for the float switch? Get a non-electrical one.
You just need one of those gizmo's to shut-off the pressure to your RO (most manufacturer's sell them, I've never had much luck) when the back-pressure from the Float valve kicks in.

- Mac
 
Reefer - The only issue I have with running the RO/DI up there is the followin - so let me know if or how it works.

If I run the ro/di up to the resevoir container and it fills up, there must be a pressure switch to stop that water flow. Can I "T" off the out put and run two lines from it as I would like to keep my basement garbage can full of ro/di for water changes and have the resevoir filled as well - I would assume I just put the same type of float ans switch on it. Now my biggest factor is when both are full and no water is needed, how can water source into the ro/di unit be stoppped as I don't want to loose the waste water if I'm not getting the good water,

Thanks,
Jer
 
RO/DI units have a shutoff so that it does not produce waste, when it's not producing RO/DI water.

As for the T, if I am following what you are saying, yes it will work. If one or the other water storage location is low on water, the float will "open" allowing RO/DI to enter.
 
Chris - thanks - that simplifies a lot of trouble :). I'll just have to go and get 2 of the Kent float setups. and run a bunch of water line.

Jer
 
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