freakaccident Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I know this has beaten to death but I thought I would list the items I used to make my water top off system. Maybe it will help someone else. Go shopping! Rio 180 PH/water pump (I used the elbow fitting that is included) 3' of 1/2" ID clear tubing from lowes (My topoff container is next to my sump. You will need more otherwise. ) 5 gallon bucket from Lowes 1 floatswitches.net float switch 1 cheapo extension cord from Lowes 2 big stick-on cable clamp things 1 foot of 1/2" PVC 2 1/2" pvc elbows electrical tape silcone sealer I took the switch and wrapped the end nut in electrical tape so it would fit snugly in one of the pvc elbows. Next I shoved the switch in far enough so that there was 1/4" space in the pvc. Then I sealed the pvc hole with sealant so the electrical tape wouldnt be exposed to the water. Next I cut a 1"1/2 piece off of the pvc pipe and sealed it into the elbow. I then sealed the other elbow onto that piece. Next I held the assy in the sump to guesstimate where the switch would need to be. Then I cut the PVC pipe to length accordingly. Next I stuck the cable clamp thing to the inside of the sump an inch or two from the top. I slid the pvc pipe into the clamp and snapped the clamp shut. You just slide the pipe up and down in the clamp to adjust the level that the switch turns on and off. Wiring was simple. Look at this post for the wiring diagram. http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...ighlight=wiring Stick the clear hose on the end of the elbow that came with the pump and stick the elbow on the pump. The intake should be on the bottom of course. Stick the pump in the bucket. Route your clear tube to the sump and use the other stickie clamp thing to hold the hose in place ABOVE THE WATERLINE! Fill the bucket with RO water and plug the pump in. Test it out and adjust. The Rio pump works great. Any bigger and it would be too much. See the diagram I made to see how my setup is. Link to comment
Raise Posted March 9, 2003 Share Posted March 9, 2003 can you email me RETARD proof instructions? Link to comment
wetworx101 Posted March 10, 2003 Share Posted March 10, 2003 Even better yet, I made one as well with PVC, but I sealed it complete by using 3/4" PVC and a cap where the float switch goes. I drilled the cap with a 1/4" drill bit right in the center. I added a washer... and hey, it's all sealed up...no ghetto tape job. I even used a nylon bolt to attach the elbow to the inside of my canopy...where I spliced the float switch into one of the power cords for the lights...that way the top off will only come on when the lights are on...not in the middle of the night (to keep it quiet, and since most of the evaporation happens when the lights are on). Link to comment
freakaccident Posted March 10, 2003 Author Share Posted March 10, 2003 I like that setup. I have mine on the light timer too. I do get evap at night though so it is a bit low when the lights come on in the am. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.