Idea for cheap auto top off, Will this work?

[Asterix]

OK, Here is how it works if you cant tell by the diagram alone

 

Float Valve mounted in the tank...Water from tank evaperates, Float valve turns on a solinoid valve which causes gravity to draw water into the tank from a  FW resivoir...Water is added back to tank, Float valve returns to original position, Solidnoid valve closes

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So what could go wrong with this? A better way to do it? Take a shot at it : )  This is a VERY inexpensive design for me it cost...hmm....$0.00 cause Iam the only parts junkie crazy enoupgh to keep this crap laying around...But I have a feeling you could recreate this for around $10.00... Also, It should be said that the float valve is not as intrusive or ugly as the diagram may make it look, its actually very small and discrete

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[Korbin]

It looks like a good idea to me.  If your aquarium has ripples in the surface, or if its wavey, the float valve might get screwy.  Switching on and off really fast.  Thats just my guess though.

 

I know you can get moisture sensors.  That might even be more descrete and accurate than a float valve.  

[NanoReefer53]

There's actually a cheaper way (the way i did it). Just get a float switch, adjust it, hook it up to a pump in a bucket of RO water, and your ready to go.

 

cost

pump-$12

float switch-$12

 

The kind of float switch I got is made from Madison. Their website is http://www.madisonco.com

[Chamkeeper]

I would think when the makeup water hits the tank the roughened surface of the water could create and issue, leaving a space at the top of the tank would help.  Also, PARTS FAIL!!!  If that solenoid valve fails, and with 15 years of professional experience, they do, will you have makeup water in your carpet?

[Asterix]

Chamkeeper, If the solinoid were for some reason to remain open...well...Then my tank would be phucked! Cause the resivoir would be spilled into the tank and overflow...screw up the salinity ETC....But how could the solinoid fail? Its designed to only be open when power is sent to it...if the power went off it would remain closed I think...Could you please tell me how the solinoid would fail?

 

thanks

-david-

[Asterix]

OH Hell.......I just got another star next to my name...I am officialy twice the fish freek I was yesterday...next thing you know, ill have 3

[linty]

If you could make it so that when the switch goes on it stays on for a given amount of time, lets say 10 seconds, and then shuts off until the switch goes on again, that way you wouldn't have problems with it going on and off rapidly and not really doing much when the water is right at the switching point

[vanillabox]

Check out the design here.

 

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~lleclair/watertop.htm

 

this is a picture of the design on the above link.

benefits include no power needed (no copper, rust, electrical skills, or grounding) cheap parts.

* note: you can use this as a RO/DI Top off also *

 

(Edited by vanillabox at 10:32 am on May 29, 2002)

[flaunt]

i like that design vanilla, that's the first top off system i've seen that uses no moving parts.  any kind of system is capable of failing, but this one probably stand the best chance of always working!  Asterix, i personally would not sleep well at night knowing there's a chance that in the morning i could wake up to find the floor flooded with water.

 

(Edited by flaunt at 10:40 am on May 29, 2002)

[Asterix]

Flaunt, Your right about the sleep factor! .... My tank controls how I sleep

 

        I like vanilla's plans...But unfortunatly the crack I smoked earlier is clogging up my brain cells and I dont understand how that setup works, Could someone explain it in words please?

 

 

Thanks

-david-

[Asterix]

OK, I clicked the link and see an explanation

[Cam barr]

hey nano reefer what float switch did u use???

cam

[vanillabox]

if you are worried about your tank overflowing, you could take the top off tank and make it smaller.  A 1 gallon milk jug could be used and that way the most you would ever get over flowing  would be less then 1 gallon.  Still a mess, but not as damaging.

 

I will be using this design with my 29 gallon that I am in the process of setting up, and wanted to share the design that I found.  Also the fact that I do not do water changes, this will also be the way of dosing all of the supplements I will be using.

[Cam barr]

hey could you guys explain how this type of system works im quite intrested in this topic

[flaunt]

did you read the description at the link?  it's pretty straightforward... you start a siphon by blowing into the big end of the tube (gravel cleaner end), and the siphon will continue as long as that end can continue pulling air in.  once the water level rises above that end, the air intake will be closed off and the water will stop flowing.  the siphon remains, and the water flow starts back up again once the water level goes below the big end of the tube. 

 

the only thing that could be tough is maintaining the seal on the container.  also the container would need to be fairly rigid.

[linty]

It looks good, but not everybody has room for a 5 gallon container above their aquarium

[Asterix]

I am going to train a monkey to top off my tank with fresh water...she will also feed the fish and dose various other things into the water for me....If only it would work