Re-automating my tank

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8286010#post8286010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
Dang Don, You running a barbershop?:lol:

I was just looking at that valve at mcmaster. Looks like #7876K82
I was going to ask about that one

"Delrin Solenoid Valves
A Delrin body provides these valves with good chemical resistance at a lower cost than stainless steel valves. In addition, their small size fits into confined spaces. They have a Class F coil. VAC valves operate on 60 Hz. Valves with Buna-N seals have No. 8 bottom mounting holes. Temp. range is 35° to 200° F. Mount in horizontal pipe with coil on top. Normally closed valves have a side inlet and side outlet. Normally open valves have a side inlet and top outlet. Valves with Viton seals have 1/4" side mounting holes. Coil enclosure is rated NEMA 1 (indoor use only). Mount in any position. Temp. range is 0° to 150° F.
Pipe Connections: NPT female.
To Order: Please specify voltage where an amp rating is listed in the chart: 120 VAC, 24 VAC, 12 VDC, or 24 VDC.

"

I think Bean was referring to #5489T41

"Polycarbonate Solenoid Valves with Instant Tube Connections
Instantly install these valves into your systemâ€" insert your tubing into the fitting and the tube connection quickly seals on the outside of your tubing. Use with compressed air and water, purified water, oil, and mild cleaning fluids. Temperature range is -10° to +100° F. Also called push-to-connect fittings, they have a Class F coil and 1/4" quick-disconnect electrical connections. Valves remain closed until electrically energized (normally closed). Mount in any position. UL listed and CSA certified. Valves with food-grade EPR (ethylene propylene) seals are NSF certified C-2 for food equipment components.
Tube Connections: Instant tube connections.
To Order: Please specify voltage: 120 VAC, 24 VAC, or 24 VDC.
"

I see, your right. I tried those on my rodi dump just because they looked cool. After the 5th one in 4 months I gave up and went back to the other ones.

Don

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8286063#post8286063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
Cuervo,
Unfortunately, they seem to be all metal solenoids.

Bean,
Silly question: I was always under the impression you could replace the coil on a solenoid valve with another (say an original 120vac coil with a 24vdc) coil, as long as it was for the same valve. (Against my better judgement, but not sure where I heard it years ago)
This means the wetted parts would be incorrect?
I swear, you and Don get me thinking more than anyone else here. :hammer:

Those two valves that I posted 12v and 110 have a identical plastic flow through section and are interchangeable.

Don

 

[BeanAnimal]

Yup... if it is the same valve, then the coils can be swapped. The copper shading coil is part of the AC coils stop, not the solenoid body... so if you were to switch from an AC coil to a DC coil, you would be removing the copper shading coil.

Don, what problem did you have with the polycarbonate units? Those are supposed to be fairly high quality stuff.

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8286450#post8286450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
Yup... if it is the same valve, then the coils can be swapped. The copper shading coil is part of the AC coils stop, not the solenoid body... so if you were to switch from an AC coil to a DC coil, you would be removing the copper shading coil.

Don, what problem did you have with the polycarbonate units? Those are supposed to be fairly high quality stuff.

They always leaked (flowed when off). That is with just tap water. I thought they were cool at first and assumed with the price tag they would be fine.

Don

 

[BeanAnimal]

I purchased a valve from purewater4u.com that leaks when off at 40 PSI even though it was rated at 90 PSI. They refused to take it back and the engineer said that it required less differential pressure to seal. What a joke.

 

[Cuervo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8286063#post8286063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
Cuervo,
Unfortunately, they seem to be all metal solenoids.

The first valve on that page is made from some kind of plastic. The others are Anodized Aluminum. Do you think the anodized aluminum would hold up for an ATO & Water Change application? Copper is certainly very bad for the tank, is aluminum equally bad?

This leads me to another question, when the page shows a 3way solenoid valve, does that typically mean that there are basically 2 outputs that can be chosen between?

 

[Donw]

A couple shots of the skimmer auto shut off right after it shut itself down and woke me up at 5am on a saturday.

 

[Donw]

I havent really done to much over the last few weeks to the automation system. I decided since my tank top is going to be attatched to the ceiling and be tall from tank to ceiling, my lights should do something cool.
I'm using a linear actuator to have the lights move up 24" when I open the door and park at 8" when I close the doors. This will also be a dusk dawn by having the light move up and down at the begining and end of the photo period.

I'll get some pics when its done this week-end.

Don

 

[Tigger240]

sweet, i thought this thread was going to be buried and forgotten about. i am intently watching (and waiting!!) how your automation system unfolds.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8368955#post8368955 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Donw
I havent really done to much over the last few weeks to the automation system. I decided since my tank top is going to be attatched to the ceiling and be tall from tank to ceiling, my lights should do something cool.
I'm using a linear actuator to have the lights move up 24" when I open the door and park at 8" when I close the doors. This will also be a dusk dawn by having the light move up and down at the begining and end of the photo period.

I'll get some pics when its done this week-end.

Don

Sweet Don! I used a different approach. I hung my pendants from a DIY light rail and pulley system. I have a gear motor that will eventually raise and lowe them for sunrise and sunset

 

[TandN]

Don I see you liked that idea. I just got mine in the mail the otherday just waiting for my tank to et edlivereeed now

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8370993#post8370993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tanya72806
Don I see you liked that idea. I just got mine in the mail the otherday just waiting for my tank to et edlivereeed now

Cool. Let me know if you find the internal limit switches in the wrong position for your application. They are easily moved if need be.

Don

 

[evilpsych]

this is probably the coolest thread out there.. so far, I like it more than trundling through the R3k project (isn't that also about automation? or maybe it's software.. *shrug*)

One question we're all probably wondering about is why have a auto-shutoff on your skimmer and not just a drain hose to your sewer? I guess you could incorporate a controlled valve to set to go off once the cup is full.. but seems a bit overkill to me. Does the system keep a log of how frequently the cup is full?

If it does, then one would think that having a dump-valve installed to drain the cup and then restart the skimmer would be worthwhile.. You could easily keep track of major bioload changes in your tank with this i would think.. chart the frequency on a graph over time..

 

[perpetual98]

Horkn, did you ever get your Micrologix figured out? I've got a couple at home, but they do very basic things, like ATO and lighting control. I barely got them to do that, let alone getting a signal from a pH or temperature probe into it so it could do something.

 

[BeanAnimal]

1) A waste drain could allow the tank to drain to the sewer if the skimmer decides to go haywire!

2) Skimmers need to be cleaned to operate at full efficiency. A waste drain is an easy way to become complacent.

3) The waste to sewer creates it's own complexities. Is the sewer close? You need a water tight quick disconnect that is easy and reliable. You have that much more HOSE to stink as the crud builds up in it. The hose will eventually become clogged.

I can think of more... but that should be enough.

Bean
Bean

 

[TandN]

Yeah I have the remote for it and the down extends the actuator and the up buttin retracts it

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8371642#post8371642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
1) A waste drain could allow the tank to drain to the sewer if the skimmer decides to go haywire!

2) Skimmers need to be cleaned to operate at full efficiency. A waste drain is an easy way to become complacent.

3) The waste to sewer creates it's own complexities. Is the sewer close? You need a water tight quick disconnect that is easy and reliable. You have that much more HOSE to stink as the crud builds up in it. The hose will eventually become clogged.

I can think of more... but that should be enough.

Bean
Bean

I think you hit it on the head. This morning as I was rushing out of the house I fed my fish a bunch of frozen cubes. About half the time if I do this it will cause the skimmer to go nuts for a good hour. So there's a pretty good chance when I get home the skimmer will be full and turned off. If this was going to a drain I might stress because a hour of overflowing would kill the tanks salinity.
I usually dont wait for the skimmer to fill and turn off before cleaning either. The neck get funky pretty quick. Besides the stink is bad since the asm lids are not air tight.

Don

 

[Donw]

What I really needed for this system was a way to have a hammer pound me on the head when my co2 starts running low. I have a spare bottle but I loose at least one coral every time I put off buying co2.
I took wire and soldered it to the spring inside the co2 gauge. Then took a second wire and soldered it to the needle stop pin. Then insulated the face from the gauge with tape so there is no continuity. I then tweeked the tip of the needle so that it touches the stop at 50psi instead of 0. Now I'm going to have the system bother me and the wife until I get co2. Bothering the wife is the key to it success.

Don

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8372062#post8372062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tanya72806
Yeah I have the remote for it and the down extends the actuator and the up buttin retracts it

You need to have the limit switches set to stop at either end in case the relay sticks on. These things are pretty strong and will easliy tear thing up, like your ceiling or tank depending on how its set-up.

Don

 

[FuzzyLogic]

Don or Tanya, which linear actuator are you using?