RODI ATO directly into tank?

[dannieboiz]

Right now I have my RODI in a trash can next to the tank. I need to clean up the living room, so I'm debating on weather I should move the RODI unit closer to the tank and plumb it directly into the sump with a float valve. Has anyone done this with good result?

[melev]

Hooking Up an RO Unit Directly to Your Sump - A Recipe for Disaster

[BangkokMatt]

Many have - some with disastrous results.

[tcollins]

Some of the on-line stores have a unit by Level Loc equipped with a float and a solenoid to do this. I haven't seen it before and had posted a thread looking for anyone who had used this but didn't get any responses. I'd like to do the same thing as I haven't had any problems with my storage tank overflowing with only the float valve.

[Briankook]

dannieboiz, I have had my tank hooked up with this: http://www.spectrapure.com/St_alc_p2.htm for almost 4 years. It has been key to an automated system. Whatever you do, don't just use a float valve as they can fail. In addition, if you decide to go this route make sure to install this: http://www.spectrapure.com/St_PTD_p0.htm

I don't disagree with Marc. I'm sure a lot of people have had disasters; but my experiences with using this have been very good. If power fails, it automatically shuts down the system. If the pressure vessel fails in the sump, the float valve is the backup. It would take 2 different things to fail in order to overflow the sump.
In addition, I designed my RODI system to also go to a Brute holding container. Now that has only a float valve.

For example, if I am making water and it is dripping into my Brute container and my sump gets low at the same time, the system knows to prioritize the water to my sump. As soon as the sump tops off, water will shut off to it and it will again begin dripping into my Brute container. This has worked flawlessly for me.

Hope this helps.

[hahnmeister]

www.oceanussystems.com makes complex (read: backups and alarms included) top-offs that you can use with a 1/4" R/O solenoid.

[vanmo92]

It would work okay, until something went wrong, then it could be a major disaster.

[m2434]

Originally posted by vanmo92
It would work okay, until something went wrong, then it could be a major disaster.

Sort of a generalization... I would mostly agree, however, you can do anything if you put your money to it

[Twz]

i have mine set up
directly from my RODI
To my sump Via a plastic float switch (The same one using a furnace humidifier)
You can get em at home depot for about 13$
And i'v never have any problems with it for about 5 years.

[Roy G. Biv]

I have my RODI directly feed to the sump. I have a mechanical float valve, like the one in the toilet, controlling the daily filling. Knowing one day that will get stuck, I also have the electric float switch that controls the solonoid about 3 inches higher than the mechanical one. So when the mechanical one fails one day, the water will keep filling and filling. The electrical on will soon float and shut off the solonoid.

[Zatko]

Use a gravity fed system and a small volume container - i.e. 5 gallon bucket raised above the sump, with a simple line going from the bucket to the sump. Fill the bucket manually periodically, do not leave this on an automated system.

IMO this seems to be a cheap route and the only thing you really need to pay attention too is the RO unit filling whatever container you are using (I'd hook up the RO unit to a 32 Rubbermaid trash can, not the 5 gallon top off bucket, just to have plenty of RO whenever you need it, if you have the space). This is just my preference since I'm a dunce and left my RO on overnight feeding my 92 gallon reef. Luckily I had a low-flow RO unit, and didn't add nearly as much RO as I thought. pH only dropped about .2, but enough to make me worry. For some reason, this completely wiped out a brookynella problem I had going a couple months. I definitely lucked out. Never again will I trust myself with auto-top offs.

And stay away from Kent Marine float valves if you plan to add any kind of calcium/Kalkwasser mix to a RO top off. It will only clog.

[Zatko]

Pmolan - great idea. Just hope you don't have a power outage when that valve gets stuck.

[Roy G. Biv]

Originally posted by Zatko
Pmolan - great idea. Just hope you don't have a power outage when that valve gets stuck.

Good point, but the solonoid defaults to off when the power goes out

[superedge88]

Using the level-loc from a reefcentral sponsor is pretty much bullet proof, check it out.

[Zatko]

Pmolan - I'm guessing when the solenoid is on, the water level is below the sensor (but set at the float valve level). So it goes off when the water gets to a certain point (i.e. float valve fails, level goes up to electrical sensor), this turns off the solenoid, shutting off the RO unit... am I right? Or am I completely off the rails here?

[kawicivic]

There was a local guy that just posted in our club forum that had his tank setup like this and had his skimmer to drain so he didnt have to check things as much.... to make a long story short he lost track of his tank and ended up killing everything because his skimmer was skimming wet and the top off just kept adding to the tank and over time his salt level fell to ridiculous levels.

The only way i would say to do the system was if you could honestly tell yourself you would check everything still... since you are looking to cut down on time I don't think you are still looking at checking everything everyday... I would just set up a top off and leave the RO/DI separate from the tank.

[Macimage]

I plumbed my RO holding tank to a 5-10 gallon top off bucket that feeds my Lifereef float switch.

I turn off the RO storage refill valve for the few minutes it takes to refill the Top off tank bucket every few days from the RO storage.

It seems like redundancy is a good idea in this hobby.

Joyce

[Twz]

Originally posted by kawicivic
There was a local guy that just posted in our club forum that had his tank setup like this and had his skimmer to drain so he didnt have to check things as much.... to make a long story short he lost track of his tank and ended up killing everything because his skimmer was skimming wet and the top off just kept adding to the tank and over time his salt level fell to ridiculous levels.

The only way i would say to do the system was if you could honestly tell yourself you would check everything still... since you are looking to cut down on time I don't think you are still looking at checking everything everyday... I would just set up a top off and leave the RO/DI separate from the tank.

Thats just stupidity
And it wasn't the float at fault
it was the skimmer the float was just doing its job and if he left his skimmer the way it was
(Witch most of us would)
He would have seen that his skimmer was running wet and changed the flow on it
________________________
And i dont see why people are paying all this money for the electronic top off systems
When you can just use a float from a furnace humidifier
Now how often do you see a house flooding because the float in your furnace humidifier failing?

[hahnmeister]

For that very reason, that I know I am removing saltwater when I skim, I put a cup of salt in the top-off container from time to time... its not alot, but it goes a long way to preventing a gradual problem.

[Roy G. Biv]

Originally posted by Zatko
Pmolan - I'm guessing when the solenoid is on, the water level is below the sensor (but set at the float valve level). So it goes off when the water gets to a certain point (i.e. float valve fails, level goes up to electrical sensor), this turns off the solenoid, shutting off the RO unit... am I right? Or am I completely off the rails here?

Thats exactly right.