ATO / Water Change -- PLANNING -- Suggestions Welcome!

intenseimage · 02/06/2008, 12:44 PM

Please give your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions for my ATO and Water Change setup:

This past weekend we setup a 75g RR tank to replace our current 22g nano.

The tank in located in our family room on the first floor and we want to setup a FW and SW storage section in our basement directly under the tank to be used for ATO and water changes.

There will be an RO/DI unit mounted on the basement wall close to the ceiling (cold water line is right there) with the output line split with a valve to allows us to fill each container separately â€“ with each container having a float switch to prevent overflow.

The waste line is what I am questioning.

Can the waste line from the RO unit be run approx 10 feet across the basement and into the main PVC drain line for the house?

Since the unit will be mounted close to the ceiling it would have to pump less than a foot up to the ceiling height in the basement and then across to the drain.

Both containers will have a pump with hose in them coming up to another Y-valve and then a single line run to the tank

The pump in the FW container will be hooked up the a JBJ ATO unit I have and will take care of the top-off needs

When the water change is required a switch will be installed in the basement to turn the FW pump off and the SW pump on (as well as another switch to kill power to both, described later) â€¦ flip the valve in the line and the fresh SW will be pumped up to the sump to refill after a water change. I will most likely place another JBJ unit on this pump as well so the water level fills to the same spot every time (both WC and T-O). Once the sump is filled again, flip the switch so the FW is back on and the SW is off â€¦ switch the water line valve back to FW and we are done.

Sounds easy enough --- just build in enough safety (valve, power switch, etc) checks so that SW is never used instead of FW.

Next is the water change disposal â€¦.

In the sump will be a MJ1200 tied into yet another JBJ unit and a switch in the basement. The water line will be plumbed down into the basement and into the main drain line.

Overall Process:

Flip main switch to kill power to FW/SW pumps (donâ€™t want pumps turning on as water level drops)

Flip secondary switch to power SW pump

Open/Close valve so that only SW will pump into tank

Flip switch to turn on MJ1200 in sump

Old SW is pumped out into main drain and JBJ stops the pump at a predetermined level

Flip switch to turn off MJ1200 in sump

Flip main switch to power SW pump

Fresh SW pump will stop when JBJ switch is reached

Flip secondary switch to power FW pump

Open/Close valve so that only FW will pump into tank (resuming ATO setup)

I think it sounds more complicated than it really is â€¦ again, just must ENSURE that enough safety features are built in so that everything can be controller from the basement and that FW will pump when FW is needed and SW will pump when SW is needed.

02/06/2008, 12:44 PM	#1
intenseimage Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Northampton, PA Posts: 1,135	ATO / Water Change -- PLANNING -- Suggestions Welcome! Please give your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions for my ATO and Water Change setup: This past weekend we setup a 75g RR tank to replace our current 22g nano. The tank in located in our family room on the first floor and we want to setup a FW and SW storage section in our basement directly under the tank to be used for ATO and water changes. There will be an RO/DI unit mounted on the basement wall close to the ceiling (cold water line is right there) with the output line split with a valve to allows us to fill each container separately â€“ with each container having a float switch to prevent overflow. The waste line is what I am questioning. Can the waste line from the RO unit be run approx 10 feet across the basement and into the main PVC drain line for the house? Since the unit will be mounted close to the ceiling it would have to pump less than a foot up to the ceiling height in the basement and then across to the drain. Both containers will have a pump with hose in them coming up to another Y-valve and then a single line run to the tank The pump in the FW container will be hooked up the a JBJ ATO unit I have and will take care of the top-off needs When the water change is required a switch will be installed in the basement to turn the FW pump off and the SW pump on (as well as another switch to kill power to both, described later) â€¦ flip the valve in the line and the fresh SW will be pumped up to the sump to refill after a water change. I will most likely place another JBJ unit on this pump as well so the water level fills to the same spot every time (both WC and T-O). Once the sump is filled again, flip the switch so the FW is back on and the SW is off â€¦ switch the water line valve back to FW and we are done. Sounds easy enough --- just build in enough safety (valve, power switch, etc) checks so that SW is never used instead of FW. Next is the water change disposal â€¦. In the sump will be a MJ1200 tied into yet another JBJ unit and a switch in the basement. The water line will be plumbed down into the basement and into the main drain line. Overall Process: Flip main switch to kill power to FW/SW pumps (donâ€™t want pumps turning on as water level drops) Flip secondary switch to power SW pump Open/Close valve so that only SW will pump into tank Flip switch to turn on MJ1200 in sump Old SW is pumped out into main drain and JBJ stops the pump at a predetermined level Flip switch to turn off MJ1200 in sump Flip main switch to power SW pump Fresh SW pump will stop when JBJ switch is reached Flip secondary switch to power FW pump Open/Close valve so that only FW will pump into tank (resuming ATO setup) I think it sounds more complicated than it really is â€¦ again, just must ENSURE that enough safety features are built in so that everything can be controller from the basement and that FW will pump when FW is needed and SW will pump when SW is needed.