Couldn't you do an autowater change using a cheap pump and some tubing?
Just curious what people think, I might try it.
I see no reason why it wouldn't work
Just curious what people think, I might try it.
I see no reason why it wouldn't work
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I agree with reef junkie, it can be done and I did it for months but it wont be accurate, another suggestion would be to use a dosing pump easy to setup and far more reliable.
I made one using 3 12v pumps from amazon, 3 floating switches and an arduino to control everything. It works as ATO and AWC (that's why I use 3 pumps).
In simple terms, I have 3 float switches in the sump: High level, low level and a safety switch in case of over filling. A pump sits in the sump, fixed so it breaks syphon at the low level. Everyday at 18:20 it runs the pump for 3 seconds. This creates a syphon that removes the amount of water I want (about 5 liters). Once the low sensor is activated the arduino waits 1 minute to ensure the syphon as break and then fills the tank up to the high level. The arduino is also programmed to only run the filling pump for about 20 seconds more then it normally takes to fill the tank (safety). In case it overfills, the safety level sensor is connected directly to the relays that control the pump and will stop them.
The ATO side is simpler. 6 times a day it checks the high level sensor. If its low it fills the tank until the high level is active again. Again, time controlled so it can't overfill and the safety sensor will cut the pump.
Could it be simpler? Yes, but all the safety measures mean I can sleep easier.
Urm well yes....a little pertandic...or am I missing something?Dosing pumps are peristaltic pumps.
I don't really either. That's why it has so many fail safes. Been going strong for a year. The floats have had problems but the safety measures stop it from being a problem. You can also replace them with optical sensorsI would not trust float switch’s
I use a stenner pump connected to the Apex. The saltwater replacement (swr) is incremental throughout the day.Dosing pumps are peristaltic pumps.
Comparing a peristaltic pump to a dosing pump is a bit like saying an orange is a balanced meal.
A dosing pump incorporates a peristaltic pump into a more complex device.
Pedantic, perhaps. Going to make a difference when searching, definitely.
I use a stenner pump connected to the Apex. The saltwater replacement (swr) is incremental throughout the day.
The ATO is shutoff while this is happening to avoid a salinity drop ( I also added language to shut the swr off if the salinity gets too low). If you find a used Stenner or like I am sure you could figure out a way to do it cheaper.
I run the ¼ tubing coming from the 50 gallon saltwater and fresh RO tanks (rubbermaid trashcans) through the floor to my sump.