ATO direct from RODI

[loukrains]

I have a new (1+ month) 170 tank with 50 gallon sump. I am considering adding an ATO to the setup. Our house has RO water at every sink and there is a bathroom sink on the other side of the common wall shared with the tank. I have a separate DI filter that will fit in the stand with the sump.

So here is my thought. Tell me if you think it will work or is a bad idea.

- T the RO line from the bathroom sink.
- add a Neptune solenoid after the T
- then the DI filter
- use the Neptune ATO kit (pump will not be used)
- low level optical sensor in sump return chamber
- high level optical sensor in sump return chamber
- Manual float as backup in sump return chamber

When low sensor exposed then open solenoid
When high sensor covered the close solenoid

This eliminates the pump and a separate tank to hold the top off water.

Thoughts?

 

[GARRIGA]

Easier I think to use a float valve after the DI and eliminate all pumps and controller. Float valves rarely fail and being one component leave few components that can fail plus when they fail it’s usually that it shuts off vs opening and flooding the sump.

The house is under pressure therefore the float valve acts as the only cut off.

Reef Builders did a video on this. I’ve seen them used at wholesalers since the 90s. Know of two discuss Breeder/importers that rely on that to replace top off direct from tap with nothing but catalytic carbon to remove chloramine.

BTW, this what I was considering for my previous fish room until I got lids and eliminate 95% plus evaporation. Was considering it also for my upcoming build. Just depends where exactly that goes as I might not have access to water plus I’m now leaning towards acrylic lids to once again greatly reduce evaporation.

 

[Mperry622]

Please please please do not do this. I had the Apex Neptune electric solenoid and it worked flawlessly for about 6 months.. about two weeks ago the ATO kicked on and I have a light bulb that turns on so i can physically see when it turns on... Well after about two hours i heard my kids upstairs "Dad must be filling a tank!" as soon as i heard that I knew.. I ran over and saw the sump level was up a few inches.... ( RODI also supplies fridge drinking water - only way wife would give me funding for water upgrade)

I run my RO through 2 DI resin cartridges and the grain of sand i found in the solenoid was so small and how it made the flapper not turn off gets me.. I just want the same dang reliability that is in the water dispenser on my dang fridge.. never fails or leaks..


I then moved back to the apex ATO pump... well i didn't think that all the way through cause the ATO was higher than the sump so the next day another 15-gallon Fresh water flush... I am sure glad i have 600 gallons to work with..

I am now going to use the Solinoid to fill the ATO container but also use these mechanical spill detectors for times i overflow.. i mounted it 4" below the top and if it gets that high it will shut off.


My 2 cents

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

This isn’t an ideal approach in my opinion, whatever that’s worth. Short cycling your rodi, meaning short little bursts like a direct ato, doesn’t really give the rodi system a lot of flow time. The first couple seconds of flow from an rodi typically has very high tds which drops to zero quickly after. The better option is to setup an automatically filled ato reservoir container that only fills once low and have that reservoir feed the tanks ato needs. That way the rodi runs longer, keeping the tds in check. It’s added equipment but well worth it. I wouldn’t recommend a single failure point for filling, ie solenoid or float valve. I run and recommend both. A solenoid controlled by high and low switches, with a float valve mounted slightly higher than the high level switch just in case the solenoid sticks open. I would research this a bit more before directly connecting your rodi as an ato.

 

[loukrains]

This isn’t an ideal approach in my opinion, whatever that’s worth. Short cycling your rodi, meaning short little bursts like a direct ato, doesn’t really give the rodi system a lot of flow time. The first couple seconds of flow from an rodi typically has very high tds which drops to zero quickly after. The better option is to setup an automatically filled ato reservoir container that only fills once low and have that reservoir feed the tanks ato needs. That way the rodi runs longer, keeping the tds in check. It’s added equipment but well worth it. I wouldn’t recommend a single failure point for filling, ie solenoid or float valve. I run and recommend both. A solenoid controlled by high and low switches, with a float valve mounted slightly higher than the high level switch just in case the solenoid sticks open. I would research this a bit more before directly connecting your rodi as an ato.

Thanks for the advice. I will add that since it is a whole house RO there is already 15 gallons of pressurized RO water downstairs. The RO filter only kicks on when the pressure in those tanks drops and then runs until they are pressurized. So the RO does not short cycle and that water is shared with the rest of the house drinking water requirements.
I like the idea of redundancy with the optional sensors and the float valve.
Thanks

 

[loukrains]

Please please please do not do this. I had the Apex Neptune electric solenoid and it worked flawlessly for about 6 months.. about two weeks ago the ATO kicked on and I have a light bulb that turns on so i can physically see when it turns on... Well after about two hours i heard my kids upstairs "Dad must be filling a tank!" as soon as i heard that I knew.. I ran over and saw the sump level was up a few inches.... ( RODI also supplies fridge drinking water - only way wife would give me funding for water upgrade)

I run my RO through 2 DI resin cartridges and the grain of sand i found in the solenoid was so small and how it made the flapper not turn off gets me.. I just want the same dang reliability that is in the water dispenser on my dang fridge.. never fails or leaks..


I then moved back to the apex ATO pump... well i didn't think that all the way through cause the ATO was higher than the sump so the next day another 15-gallon Fresh water flush... I am sure glad i have 600 gallons to work with..

I am now going to use the Solinoid to fill the ATO container but also use these mechanical spill detectors for times i overflow.. i mounted it 4" below the top and if it gets that high it will shut off.


My 2 cents

Good insights. I think if I do this I will put a simple post carbon filter after the DI to mitigate this risk.
Good advise.

 

[Bridgerdean]

I use the Tunze 8555. It has worked very well. It only has 2 floats one at the bottom for “on” and one at the top “off” The RO water fills about monthly and takes around 24h to complete. I have really liked the 8555 and recommend it.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Thanks for the advice. I will add that since it is a whole house RO there is already 15 gallons of pressurized RO water downstairs. The RO filter only kicks on when the pressure in those tanks drops and then runs until they are pressurized. So the RO does not short cycle and that water is shared with the rest of the house drinking water requirements.
I like the idea of redundancy with the optional sensors and the float valve.
Thanks

Ah, gotcha. So you’re tapping di resin into a whole house drinking system, after a larger pressurized reservoir. I didn’t realize that, I think you’ll be fine directly feeding into the tank ato float switch. Me being me, I would still add a secondary emergency shutoff in case the float sticks open.

 

[loukrains]

Ah, gotcha. So you’re tapping di resin into a whole house drinking system, after a larger pressurized reservoir. I didn’t realize that, I think you’ll be fine directly feeding into the tank ato float switch. Me being me, I would still add a secondary emergency shutoff in case the float sticks open.

Easier I think to use a float valve after the DI and eliminate all pumps and controller. Float valves rarely fail and being one component leave few components that can fail plus when they fail it’s usually that it shuts off vs opening and flooding the sump.

The house is under pressure therefore the float valve acts as the only cut off.

Reef Builders did a video on this. I’ve seen them used at wholesalers since the 90s. Know of two discuss Breeder/importers that rely on that to replace top off direct from tap with nothing but catalytic carbon to remove chloramine.

BTW, this what I was considering for my previous fish room until I got lids and eliminate 95% plus evaporation. Was considering it also for my upcoming build. Just depends where exactly that goes as I might not have access to water plus I’m now leaning towards acrylic lids to once again greatly reduce evaporation.

What

Easier I think to use a float valve after the DI and eliminate all pumps and controller. Float valves rarely fail and being one component leave few components that can fail plus when they fail it’s usually that it shuts off vs opening and flooding the sump.

The house is under pressure therefore the float valve acts as the only cut off.

Reef Builders did a video on this. I’ve seen them used at wholesalers since the 90s. Know of two discuss Breeder/importers that rely on that to replace top off direct from tap with nothing but catalytic carbon to remove chloramine.

BTW, this what I was considering for my previous fish room until I got lids and eliminate 95% plus evaporation. Was considering it also for my upcoming build. Just depends where exactly that goes as I might not have access to water plus I’m now leaning towards acrylic lids to once again greatly reduce evaporation.

What lids do you like for reducing evaporation?