Do you have an ATO? Use the siphon stop!

[ScubaSkeets]

So last night, I was vacuuming my carpet in the room my tank is in and it tripped my circuit breaker. I turned off some of the aquarium stuff in order to finish vacuuming, reset the circuit breaker and continued to vacuum.
Turned off the vacuum and I hear water! I go over to the tank, and it looks like the water level is about 1 inch below normal and my ATO reserve is overflowing!

Moral of the story: use the siphon stop or a check valve! I don't know what I was thinking when I disregarded that little plastic piece that came with my ATO, but it sure was a lesson learned.

I'm lucky to have been there when it happened. It could have been much worse!

 

[Gtinnel]

Depending on the location of your ato and your tubing, it's even safer just to put the output of the tubing above the max water level in the ato reservoir and leave an air gap at the end of the tubing. That way it is impossible for it to back siphon into the ato.
IMO check valves are a nice backup but it's better not to need them in the first place.

 

[Pntbll687]

Ah yes! The fine art of following directions when using products.

We all do it sometimes, so don't be too hard on yourself.

How did the ato line become submerged in the tank to create the siphon?

 

[Gtinnel]

When I first installed my ATO (it was diy so no instructions to follow) I allowed it to siphon all of my freshwater into my sump. Luckily it was before any livestock so nothing was harmed and I barely overflowed my sump.
I learned a valuable lesson and now anytime I run any tubing or plumbing I always look to see if it can cause a siphon. Its a good habit to be in.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Yup. I'm a believer in keeping the end of the hose well above the max line in the sump. Syphon back into the ATO is a bad time for sure.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Ah yes! The fine art of following directions when using products.

We all do it sometimes, so don't be too hard on yourself.

How did the ato line become submerged in the tank to create the siphon?

Nah..not hard on my self. Just a lesson.

How did the ato line become submerged in the tank to create the siphon?
Because I wasn't thinking .

 

[DE FISH]

As I tell my mrs always read the instructions

 

[Rubberfrog]

Nah..not hard on my self. Just a lesson.

How did the ato line become submerged in the tank to create the siphon?
Because I wasn't thinking .

We've all been there in one form or another.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Whats funny is before this happened, I noticed that the ATO would turn on every few minutes and I wasn't thinking it through. Turns out it was probably siphoning the water out of the tank every time the pump turned off. Then turned back on to refill the tank.
Meh...sometimes ya gotta just laugh at yourself and say "doh!"
No harm no foul. Just a slightly wet floor.