Looking for a good auto top off

[Anonymous]

www.manhattanreefs.com !
over there I'm 'bad coffee'

B

 

[Anonymous]

I use a litermeter III. I had a float switch fail on me once, and ever since then, I've used high quality dosing pumps. However, to top off the reservoir, you still need to use either a float switch connected to your RO, or add the water manually. That's about the only drawback I can think of. It should be noted though, that a float switch in a "sterile" FW reservoir is a lot less likely to fail then a float switch in "living" seawater.

I would be hesitant to use a float switch or valve to fill the RO/DI reservoir because of the poor quality water production associated with membrane creep. Doing it manually is probably a bit of a pain, too. What you may consider is hooking up a water timer valve to open up the valve for longer durations, and couple it to a float valve inside the reservoir to ensure it doesn't overflow the reservoir.

Gilmour makes a really good quality water timer valve that you can find at Lowe's.

 

[bleedingthought]

I use a litermeter III. I had a float switch fail on me once, and ever since then, I've used high quality dosing pumps. However, to top off the reservoir, you still need to use either a float switch connected to your RO, or add the water manually. That's about the only drawback I can think of. It should be noted though, that a float switch in a "sterile" FW reservoir is a lot less likely to fail then a float switch in "living" seawater.

I would be hesitant to use a float switch or valve to fill the RO/DI reservoir because of the poor quality water production associated with membrane creep. Doing it manually is probably a bit of a pain, too. What you may consider is hooking up a water timer valve to open up the valve for longer durations, and couple it to a float valve inside the reservoir to ensure it doesn't overflow the reservoir.

Gilmour makes a really good quality water timer valve that you can find at Lowe's.

I wanted to set something like that up but only wanted it to turn on every couple of days to fill 15-30 gallons at a time from the RO/DI unit. Can you recommend anything, Matt?

 

[Anonymous]

I use a litermeter III. I had a float switch fail on me once, and ever since then, I've used high quality dosing pumps. However, to top off the reservoir, you still need to use either a float switch connected to your RO, or add the water manually. That's about the only drawback I can think of. It should be noted though, that a float switch in a "sterile" FW reservoir is a lot less likely to fail then a float switch in "living" seawater.

I would be hesitant to use a float switch or valve to fill the RO/DI reservoir because of the poor quality water production associated with membrane creep. Doing it manually is probably a bit of a pain, too. What you may consider is hooking up a water timer valve to open up the valve for longer durations, and couple it to a float valve inside the reservoir to ensure it doesn't overflow the reservoir.

Gilmour makes a really good quality water timer valve that you can find at Lowe's.

I wanted to set something like that up but only wanted it to turn on every couple of days to fill 15-30 gallons at a time from the RO/DI unit. Can you recommend anything, Matt?

The Gilmour timer is digital so it can go by days. You could program it to open up for, say, 12 hours on every Tuesday and Friday, or 6 hours every other day.

The only annoyance is that the water timer has garden hose threads, so you will need to find reducers/adapters to get it to mate with your RO/DI plumbing. Nothing exotic, it will just look kind of weird and it means a trip to the LHS. I am sure there are more elegant solutions out there (solenoids on digital timers), but this one is cheap and easy.

 

[bleedingthought]

I use a litermeter III. I had a float switch fail on me once, and ever since then, I've used high quality dosing pumps. However, to top off the reservoir, you still need to use either a float switch connected to your RO, or add the water manually. That's about the only drawback I can think of. It should be noted though, that a float switch in a "sterile" FW reservoir is a lot less likely to fail then a float switch in "living" seawater.

I would be hesitant to use a float switch or valve to fill the RO/DI reservoir because of the poor quality water production associated with membrane creep. Doing it manually is probably a bit of a pain, too. What you may consider is hooking up a water timer valve to open up the valve for longer durations, and couple it to a float valve inside the reservoir to ensure it doesn't overflow the reservoir.

Gilmour makes a really good quality water timer valve that you can find at Lowe's.

I wanted to set something like that up but only wanted it to turn on every couple of days to fill 15-30 gallons at a time from the RO/DI unit. Can you recommend anything, Matt?

The Gilmour timer is digital so it can go by days. You could program it to open up for, say, 12 hours on every Tuesday and Friday, or 6 hours every other day.

The only annoyance is that the water timer has garden hose threads, so you will need to find reducers/adapters to get it to mate with your RO/DI plumbing. Nothing exotic, it will just look kind of weird and it means a trip to the LHS. I am sure there are more elegant solutions out there (solenoids on digital timers), but this one is cheap and easy.

Ok, cool. I'll have to check it out, then. Thanks!

 

[dadstank]

as will i. i like that idea. set it to run a few hours everyday...
food for thought....

 

[Nemo2007]

I user the Tunze osmoregulator. It uses a combination of an optical sensor, accurate within 2 mm, an emergency cutoff float for overflow protection, an audible alarm, led operation and warning lights, and reliable pump that also has the minimum on/off cycle timing described above. Its cheaper than the litemeter but still from a very reliable company. Replacement pumps should they ever fail are pnly $28 bucks. Everything you need but the reservoir is in one box. I got my resorvoir for 5-6 bucks from Target.

 

[dadstank]

so i just spent an hour in home depot trying to figure out how to get a 3/8" male to split, one end straight to the faucet, and the other to a 3/4" hose end for a simple garden hose doser. then from a 3/4" hose end back down to a 3/8" end that will accept my RO line....

i finally gave up and left. this will not be a simple DIY (for me), and it will have to wait as i have many more larger issues with my tank that need immediate tending.....[/img]

 

[Anonymous]

so i just spent an hour in home depot trying to figure out how to get a 3/8" male to split, one end straight to the faucet, and the other to a 3/4" hose end for a simple garden hose doser. then from a 3/4" hose end back down to a 3/8" end that will accept my RO line....

i finally gave up and left. this will not be a simple DIY (for me), and it will have to wait as i have many more larger issues with my tank that need immediate tending.....[/img]

Can't you just hook the water timer directly to your faucet? I guess I'm not visualizing this properly. If you have a Harrington Plastics near you they will carry the parts. Or if you don't mind paying for shipping, this garden hose adapter from MD will do the trick. HD is usually pretty lacking in specialty parts like this.

 

[dadstank]

that garden hose adaptor is perrrrfect!
the depot of homes is an annoying store......
i do however think this is a project that will wait till i am moved in a settled.
i have been making water manually for a few years. a few more months won't kill me....

 

[Anonymous]

I user the Tunze osmoregulator. It uses a combination of an optical sensor, accurate within 2 mm, an emergency cutoff float for overflow protection, an audible alarm, led operation and warning lights, and reliable pump that also has the minimum on/off cycle timing described above. Its cheaper than the litemeter but still from a very reliable company. Replacement pumps should they ever fail are pnly $28 bucks. Everything you need but the reservoir is in one box. I got my resorvoir for 5-6 bucks from Target.

I used to use the same bit of kit. Essentially worked well, but it's also supposed to be used for topping up Kalkwasser, but I found that led to the pump failing...

 

[Anonymous]

My top off is an oceanus systems float switch thing. For my resivior I use a float valve to shut off, but only turn the water on to it once a week. I have a 10-14 day supply of water in my top of tank so once a week is fine.

 

[Anonymous]

Have used Tunze osmolator (in sump) and Osmomat (sumpless) for years with great results.

 

[benni]

This may sound too simple, but I bought a quality five gallon jug and I place it in my cabinet (next to my sump) under my tank raised up so that it is higher than the the water line in my sump. I have a piece of tubing that I weigh down in the bottom of the jug with a small conch shell and have the tubing run up and over a cross beam and an inch or so from the sump water line. I put a knot in it (where convenient to adjust tightness) and start the siphon. For mine, I have the drops drip once every second or two and the water level remains the same all week.