Show Off your ATO Set-up

[SaltyDawg1979]

I tried searching for a dedicated thread on Auto Top Off Set-ups but couldn't find one.

Post up some pictures and Details of your set-up.

Anything from DIY Gravity feed on up to the more Complex!

Also describe some Pros and Cons you've come across with certain set-ups.

I would go first, but I'm currently gathering equipment for my 60 Gallon Cube build and am at the point of purchasing my ATO set-up so I currently don't have one.

Thanks!

[Slayer311]

I have refined my ATO setup myself due to 2 floods each time making it safer. Mine is completely DIY and has not failed in 3 years but does have 1 more future upgrade in mind for even more stability. So from top to bottom.

1. (the most important part in my mind) I have an electronic solenoid in line between my RO/DI and my reservoir. It is normal state closed, so it has to have power applied in order for the RO/DI to function. So I have this set on a timer to run for 3hours each morning to replenish the reservoir.

2. I have a float valve in my 7gallon reservoir(large enough to handle evaporation of 3-6gallons per day, never runs dry) which will create enough back preasure to flip my auto-shutoff valve on my RO/DI once the reservoir is full.

3. Have an aqualifter plumbed through my kalk reactor to feed the tank when the float switch in tank senses a fall in water height(evaporation).

4. Dual float switches in tank, one to sense if evaporation has occured and one a half inch above that to sense if water level has risen too high(in case first float switch gets stuck on"damn snails").

This system has worked exceptionally well, I plan to replace the dual float switches in sump with a tunze osonomator, so the first float switch that often gets dirty and starts to stick on about twice a year is replaced with an optical sensor and still has a backup switch to sense overfill.

[au01st]

1. I have a solenoid in front of my RO/DI under the sink with the wires running to my RKL. There is a float switch in my 15g reservoir. On Friday mornings the solenoid RO/DI refills til the float trips (150gpd unit, 3 hours to allow for lower pressure which I get some days).

2. The reservoir is a "wrapping paper storage container" like the ones on Melev's site. All the 1/4" tubes are run through bulkheads just under the rim of the container. I have 4 bulkheads:

1) inlet for fresh RO/DI

2) emergency drain should the float fail, or solenoid stay on for some reason, this leads through the wall and drains outside

3) one for an MJ-600 that runs fresh RO/DI through my Aquamedic Kalk Reactor. That pump is on an "autotopoff.com" float switch on a timer with a pH alarm of 8.4 on my RKL. It tops off every 4 hours for 2min, unless the pH is at 8.4 or above, in which case it stays off. This line also has a check valve between the bulkhead and pump to prevent saturated kalk from siphoning back into the reservoir (when the water level gets low in the reservoir, it gets lower than the kalk reactor's level and would back siphon)

4) the final bulkhead is for the other MJ-600 that runs straight to the sump with fresh RO/DI. It is also on a RKL timer and turns on appx 5min after the first pump turns off. This way, if the pH is high enough to keep the first pump off, or if it spikes for some reason, the system will still top off with RO/DI and the system will not run dry.

2 float switches in the sump are wired in series, both normally closed, and the circuit is interrupted when the float rises. If the first one fails, the 2nd is backup. This is all controlled via RKL, and has never spiked my pH, left me running dry, or left me mopping up water. Because the timers on the pumps just match my evaporation rate (both do), if the floats failed, it would take appx 5 days for enough water to build up to overflow the sump, but if it did happen, I'm sure my skimmer would have a fit and I'd see a full waste collector of green tea, instead of black muck, which should clue me in. All of this allows me to not even worry about topping off my tank. It takes care of itself and is one of the best things I've done.

[cpasurfer]

Mine is completely DIY and has not failed yet.

1. I have a Kent Marine pressure sensitive Shut-off Valve connected to my RO/DI system. The line then runs to my 10gallon custom built acrylic reservoir.

2. A Kent Marine Float Valve is connected to the reservoir which will create enough back preasure to flip my auto-shutoff valve on my RO/DI once the reservoir is full. Although, I usually turn it off once full to reduce the chance of a flood.

3. Reservoir then feeds the sump using another float valve which sense evaporation and maintains water level.

4. Also added spigot to the 10 gallon reservoir, so that I can fill 5 gallon buckets for the weekly water changes.

This system has worked exceptionally well so far.

[hessfish]

mine is completely DIY though not as complicated as all of yours =)
i have a float switch in the sump that triggers a power head inside the ato top off container (10g) works perfectly. never had an issue though i had to make sure the outlet of tube was higher than water level in top off container (it caused a siphon! nearly overflowed my tank!)
only issue is that i just discovered im a hobiest as well as a mosquito farmer. the still fresh water is perfect for mosquito larve... (evidently)...

[Mike31154]

Although I'd prefer a simple gravity ATO, I don't have a sump and it's not feasible to mount a container above my display. So my ATO consists of a glass container sitting next to the display. A small air pump on a timer pressurizes the glass container and water is pushed to a mechanical float valve mounted to the rim of the display.

Parts:
7 gal glass wine carboy (good for a week's worth of ATO with my setup);
Rubber stopper for carboy;
"Wait" brand mechanical furnace humidifier float valve;
Couple lengths of rigid air line tubing;
Flexible air line tubing;
A few scraps of Acrylic (DIY mount for float switch);
2 Nylon bolts/nuts (see Acrylic above);
Small air pump;
Air line check valve;
Timer.

Operation:
One short & one long section of rigid air line tubing are inserted through holes drilled into rubber stopper on glass wine carboy. The fit must be air tight. Flexible air line is attached from the air pump to the short rigid tube in the rubber stopper. More flexible tubing goes from the long rigid tube to the mechanical float valve. Although there's little to no possibility of water feeding back to the air pump, I use a check valve in the flex tubing from the air pump to the container. I figure the check valve helps prevent air pressure from leaking back through the pump if there's a defect there. Timer runs a few minutes every couple of hours to keep the container under pressure. Air pressure pushes water through the long tube to the mechanical float valve which keeps water level constant with very little variation.





Pros:
Relatively simple design with a minimum of electrical gizmos (timer & air pump, neither of which are exposed to water);
Keeps up with evaporation through a slow trickle, minimizing water chemistry fluctuations;
Few failure scenarios possible due to simple design. Running for close to 2 years with no issues.

Cons:
Somewhat distracting/unsightly having ATO container on stand next to display;
Not plumbed into RO/DI system, so need weekly fill ups of container. I have two containers, so a second is always standing by. Not sure this is really a con, since plumbing into RODI adds complexity with additional failure scenarios;
Need to experiment with timer settings to ensure sufficient pressure is available to keep top off going. I find it doesn't quite keep up for the first day or so, until there's more air space in the container;
Glass carboys are fragile & heavy to lug around. I broke one a couple of weeks ago dropping it on to the basement floor.

[cshutchinson]

Here is mine....

ro/di water in the top tank



an LM3 anti-siphon pump run INDEPENDENTLY and controlled by my Apex and float switch(es)



Here are the float switches the Apex is looking at. You can see the fill line from the LM3 remote pump.



Hope this helps you.

[edsreef]

cshutchinson, you must either be single or have a great wife!

[cshutchinson]

Originally Posted by edsreef

cshutchinson, you must either be single or have a great wife!

My office is my domain that she only enters to visit as it is not in my home