Totally Automated Auto Topoff System (graphic intensive)

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[mikeydog]

This is new OB5000 Auto Topoff System for my tank.  Basically the way it works is my RO/DI is controlled by a solenoid on the house water side, which is turned on and off by float switches mounted in my make up water container.  I then have a float switch in my sump, which turns on a pump in my make up water container and pumps fresh water into my tank.  Soon I will augment that with a Kalk Reactor also.  The problem with this setup is that  I didn't want my RO/DI turning on every time my make up water container dropped an inch or two (I have read that it is bad to constantly pressurize your RO/DI).  I wanted the container to drain down to almost empty.  What I have been doing is just turning on the power to the solenoid once a week and letting it fill all the way up, and the high water float switch in my container would turn off the solenoid stopping water production.  Then when I though about it I would unplug the solenoid, and let the water level go down throughout the week and the repeat.  But as we all know less redundant work is better.  So after much research and help from people on Reef Central (Platapus/H2OENG) here is what I came up with:

Basically I went down and bought a 15 gallon hard plastic water container that is used for camping or whatever.  I took and cutout one of the drains.  I made it a 4" hole.  That way I could stick my arm in there and pretty much any normal sized power head.  Then I cut out a hole for a 3/4" pipe and a 5/16" hole for the upper float switch.  I also tapped 2 1/4" holes for the quick disconnect hose fittings.  Then cut a small hole in the lid of the second container lid for the power head cord.


I then took a RIO 1400 and hooked it up to ¼” poly tube (stuff used for Refrigerator water supply) and that eventually runs to the sump.  I took a couple of float switches and used them for my High and Low water sensors for the container.  The High float switch is actually mounted to the underside of the top of the container.  This stops the water about 2” below the top of the container.  The lower float switch I mounted to a ½” PVC end cap and mounted that to about 2’ of  ½” PVC, which is then run through the ¾” PVC that is mounted through the top of the container.  I also took a nylon screw and threaded it through the side of the ¾”PVC to act as a height adjustment screw for the lower float switch.

Lower float switch raised up using the Height adjustment screw on the ¾” PVC

You can see the Lower float switch attached to the ½” PVC

Another View


After all that was built I purchased a Relay so I could control both float switches.  Everything is wired up using Plans and help provided by Platapus and H2OENG from Reef Central.  The Key here is that you need two power supplies.  You need 12V DC adapter to run the float switches, and that is wired to the left side of the relay.  I just used and old power supply I had laying around for an old External Modem 12VDC 500mA. You then need 120V AC running the Solenoid which is then wired to the right side of the relay.  I just cut the Plug end off of a computer power cable and wired it into the solenoid and relay.



My Modified wiring schematic.  Layman’s version


That’s about it.  It seems to run like a champ.  Like I mentioned earlier I will run the water from the Make up Water Container into a Kalkwasser Reactor and then into the sump.  I decided to use a separate water container instead of running straight into the sump for a couple reasons.  One the sump only needs a single float switch in it.  Therefore the water level never really varies in it more than about inch.  This helps keeps salinity and temperature constant, because I’m not pouring 5 gallons of fresh water into my tank.  Secondly if I am running through a Kalk reactor I’m not putting as much Kalk in at anyone time, it’s just spread out throughout the day.  I also have a huge amount of fresh water made up all the time for use in making new salt water or for any other emergency.

If you have any questions let me know.

Thanks
Mike

[Yellotang]

All I can say is , WOW. :shock:  

[angelscrx]

I can't see the pics?

[mikeydog]

Should be fixed now..

Thanks
Mike

[angelscrx]

Pretty sweet set up.  I am a visual learner I would love to see this baby running.  It looks nice and simple.

[mikeydog]

Yes it is pretty simple.  I love it.  I havn't even thought about a water change since I built this thing.  It just does it's think and it save me having to dump 2 gallons of water into my tank everyday..  You are welcome to swing by and take a look anytime..

Thanks
Mike

[angelscrx]

What did the whole thing cost you to build?  Did you have it set up at the last meeting?  I didn't notice the big blue bucket  

[mikeydog]

Yeah it's been up and running for almost a year now.  Maint. free.  I really don't even think about it anymore..  It is sitting in my laundry room.  It cost about 60-80.  I don't remember exactly, but it is well worth it..  I actually just bought another one of those 15 gal blue buckets which i'm going to use for saltwater makeup..


Mikey

[angelscrx]

That's why I didn't see it!  That would be a pretty sweet set up if I had a house.  Great job putting that together.

[mikeydog]

You don't need a house for this setup.  Just access to water (bathroom, kitchen.)  You just run that 1/4 flex hose (used for fridge water supply ) into an RO/DI system.  Hook up a couple float switches through a relay and put the bucket behind a plant or something and voila.

[angelscrx]

Way too cool.  Mike we haven't seen you at the last couple of meetings man where you been?

[mikeydog]

Busy, Busy, Busy.  I have been out of town, sick, thrown out back, family obligations, you name it..

[angelscrx]

Hope to see you at one of the meetings soon they are really getting better every time.