DIY Battery Operated Auto Top-off - 5 gal+

RhodeIslandReef · 06/20/2006, 01:19 PM

Just created an auto top off for my tank. Thought I would share the plans with anyone else that might be interested. Very easy to build.

I wanted an auto top-off that didn't use 120v of electricity to power a waterpump. I also didn't want to use an airpump and have to make sure I had a vacuum sealed bottle. While searching ebay I came across this water pump that is normally used for your camp water supply. Figured I would give it a try and what do you know, it worked.

Supplies:
1. Water Pump - operates on 2 D batteries and mounts on a 5 gallon water jug like the ones you have delivered by poland springs. (you can also use a different water container but the pump mounts on a 5 gallon jug) I bought the pump on ebaay from this person (illfrom) Cost $21.99 shipped.

2. Float switch - bought it off ebay I believe for around $8.00. The type that has two wires not the Kent type.

3. Water jug. I used the 5 gallon type that this is supposed to mount on, but the pump will work with other types of water containers of larger capacity.

Setup:
1. Mount your float switch in the sump at the level you would like the water to be maintained at. I used acrylic and drilled a hole in it and bent the acrylic to sit on the side of my tank.

2. Remove the switch from the top of the pump leaving a hole to the battery compartment.

3. Attach a piece of tubing to the end of the pump output and place the other end in your sump where you want the water to enter. I placed it in a different compartment than the float switch.

4. Attach the wires from the float switch to the pump. when you remove the battery cap, you will see a metal ring around the battery compartment. Attach one wire to it, and the other wire to the positive side of a D battery. I soldered the wires on my pump.

Done!!

The feed wire from the pump to the sump is misleading in this picture when setup, should lead directly to the sump, not curled up on the floor as pictured.

Monitor the level in the tank for a bit to make sure it is functioning correctly.

I suppose you could also add on to this setup with your RO/DI and an auto cut off switch for your RO system to refill the 5 gallon jug but I dont have have it lucky enough to have the RO plumbed into the house.

smcdonn · 06/20/2006, 03:16 PM

Looks good. Update us on how this works for you

RhodeIslandReef · 06/21/2006, 10:07 AM

So far so good. Running very well and keeping the water level in the sump steady. I thought a syphon might start after the pump shut off but it never happened.

ept04 · 06/21/2006, 05:04 PM

Great idea....

Sohal11 · 06/21/2006, 05:24 PM

Hmmm! How long does the battery last before it run out? Have any idea yet?

RhodeIslandReef · 06/21/2006, 11:43 PM

I believe the batteries are going to last quite awhile. The pump only runs for about 5 seconds maybe 2-3 times per hour. Guess I won't really know until its been running for awhile. I'll update when I have a positive answer.

This is great not having to add water to the tank anymore though

smcdonn · 06/22/2006, 08:42 AM

Just a thought. Did you put the line that tops off the water in the same compartment as the switch? I be if you moved it farther away in the sump the pump would run a little longer and not as often. You may have already done this. Just throwing it out there. cheers

RhodeIslandReef · 06/22/2006, 11:07 AM

Yup, I put the line into the fuge area and the float switch in the return pump area.

Here is a graphic that shows an idea on how someone might want to mount the return line using acrylic. I drilled a hole in it and bent the acrylic to fit on the side of the tank just like I did with the float switch.

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/21/2006, 11:40 PM

I designed a MOD for this idea that seems to work pretty well. I added a filling Pipe and "funnel" to the Jug, Using 2" ABS and 3"-2" ABS Reducer coupling as the funnel, and a 2" Uniseal to hold the pipe in place.

Youll need a 3" Hole saw and a Uniseal to pull this off. Everything else is easy cheesy LHS. Just drill the hole where there is no writing on the jug, and leave room for the rim of the uniseal.. which after installed should be about 3" from the neck where its still smooth and even.

This allows one to fill the jug easily with another container ( I use my Empty Oceanic Salt Blue bottle container for mine ) WITHOUT spilling and or removing the pump to refill the jug! I thought others might find this helpful when using this idea. I was worried the pump might work on some kind of vacuum, but it doesn't, so the opening doesn't effect performance at all.

I will post pictures tomorrow when I have some more time of the actual setup, but for now see the picture below.

Great idea BTW, I really like the concept! As for me, I havent wired mine up yet, but I will. I got the same pump and float switches as was used in this thread all on EBAY.

PS To find the UNISEALS Buy them from here:
www.aussieoutpost.com/servlet/Detail?no=88

Heres what it looks like (pix coming)

RhodeIslandReef · 07/22/2006, 02:24 PM

Excellent follow-up BubbleMonkeyIII. I have actually been using a funnel to refill the 5 gallon jug which I have to do about once a week. I plan on setting my RO/DI unit to eventually keep a constant level but for now that is what I have been doing.

This would definately be handy to refill the jug rather than unscrew the pump to refill it as I have been doing. I also thought that the unit might use suction to make the water flow, but that wasn't the case. I also thought that if my fuge was lower than the water level in the jug that a syphon might be created when the pump stopped but that also did not happen.

Just to update. I have had this running now since June 20, the date of the first post. Still works like a charm. I am still using the same batteries that I put in it then so the batteries seem to last quite awhile so far.

I have also added an auto shut-off to the unit by installing a second float valve at a higher level in the sump and wiring it to the pump so that it shuts it off if the initial float valve failed.

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/22/2006, 06:39 PM

Heres the pix as promised.. Piece of Kelp to do too!

This is the battery powered topoff, with the Uniseal... Easy pour ABS MOD!

Thanks RED BTW.. great idea you came up with
I really like it! So Im on day one, so far so good... seems to be working.. I lose a LOT of water in this heat.. almost 2 gallons a day with the fans running (no chiller) and was getting tired of being a WATER boy..hahahah.. Yes, it was a bit tricky to get the wires soldered to the rim of the pump, the battery was quicker and easier.. I learned to heat up the metal around the batter really good so the solder would stick first.. either way... got'er done.. hahaha

Also, I just put the cap over the wires carefully not screwing it down or anything, but something about an open cap with wires coming out creeps me out and bothers me.. hahaha

So far this MOD works great, dont even have to bend over to pour... With this size ID opening, and the Reducer acting like a large funnel, you dont have to worry about overwhelming the opening, you can pour in full power.. Also with this you dont have to take off the pump everytime you fill up...(like Rhode said he does) Even with funnel I couldnt see that as fun!

Yea I figured the pump was NOT a vacuum because I ran it on its own in the sink and it pumped from there no problems, then I knew it only sucked and pumped and openings would have no effect.

From left

From right

Down the hatch me maties! Arrrgh...

Works like charm, just quickly pour in a few gallons every couple days and your golden.

RhodeIslandReef · 07/22/2006, 09:49 PM

Not sure why, but the pics aren't showing up for me.

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/22/2006, 10:02 PM

Its my server sorry, 2 min after I uploaded to my site, I lost my site... It figures though... my server is up 364 days of the year, now Im posting pix and its down.. check back in a few hours im told it should be back up shortly.

heard my pump turn on its own just now, like having a child or something.. or seeing one walk for the first time.. lo.. was cool seeing it fill up then shutoff. hahahah

laverda · 07/23/2006, 12:17 PM

Slick set up! I don't have the height to fit that under my stand. I take it the battries are on top. Is the battery section removable by chance?

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/23/2006, 12:32 PM

Most likely have to set up outside of stand.. most dont have enough room to put a 5gallon jug under the stand, and if you dont and tried to use a smaller container.. kinda defeats the purpose. haha

I dont think you can remove the battery compartment from the pump but you could possibly turn it sideways.

So far mine is working without a glitch.. very happy..

Also another function of this type of autofill, is you can kinda use it as a dosing pump and additive tank too.. I spiked my refill water with some Kalkwasser so it doses the tank everytime the pump runs.. And the water is mixed with a bit less KALK than the directions recommend (1tsp/gallon) but I think it could no way OVERDOSE the tank more than the directions state (so much per hour) since it only runs about once every 3 hours and then only for a few seconds..

so I was able to kill two birds with one stone so to speak.. So everytime I fill the 5 gallon with a few gallons, I will spike them with kalk. One concern I do have is how the pump will react to the additive and actually come to think of it, Saltwater itself, since the pump is designed for FRESH WATER. Not sure if anything can get corroded in there.. Maybe need to look at that as well, look for any metal in the water section of pump housing itself.. mmm didnt check that out but will.

though rhode seems to be keeping his running for a few months so nothing has corroded yet..?

RhodeIslandReef · 07/23/2006, 02:51 PM

Very cool mod for this. I may have to drill a hole in mine and mount a funnel in a similar fashion.

From what I could tell when I had the pump apart all the internal parts were plastic. I am only using fresh RO/DI water for top off although I have added calcium to the jug a couple of times as you did with the Kalk.

I also have the jug on the side of my stand because I didn't want to use the precious space under the stand.

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/23/2006, 05:27 PM

yea thats true, we use fresh water.. dont know what I was thinking.. ? lol

but the dosing part shouldnt be a problem either way as the Kalk is very diluted and should NOT that caustic (i hope) ahhaha

BubbleMonkeyIII · 07/29/2006, 02:12 AM

wanted to give you an update.. overflow was working great until...about 5 days ago. I noticed it was draining rather fast after a few days..at first everything was fine for the first week or so no problems at all, then the water level started to drop dramatically in the top of 5 gallon, yet I noticed the level in my sump wasnt varying any more than normal, and this amt of water lost in the auto fill seemed unusual.

After a few days I noticed the carpet just infront of the tank near the bottle, seemed a bit damp... Sometimes I spill skimmer water doing all my testing and modding of skimmers, and figured it was just a minor spill.. then i noticed it was GROWING.'

I checked all my tank plumbing for minor leaks nothing.. I had made up my mind that somehow it was coming from the 5 gallon but I couldnt see where.. Looked around the uniseal, but most of the time the water is lower than that seal anyways.. that couldnt be it.. Then a few days of the carpet staying wet, I decided to get serious looking at the cause.. I lifted UP the bottle and much to my stunned surprise there was about a 5 inch crack in the BASE of the bottle just ever so lightly dripping minute amounts of water, but I could see it seeping through almost as it were condensation, but it was coming through, and the CRACK was visible in the bottle. I dont know how long it has been there, maybe even the WHOLE time..which means there is quiet a bit of water under my subfloor and carpet..

grr

I dont know how this happend I guess I might have dropped it sometime over the years when doing water changes with it, these bottles are hard to crack, you REALLY have to work at it, as they flex pretty good, but I succeeded somewhere.. hahaha..

Anyways other than that the thing has worked pretty good. Sometimes though it doesnt seem to pump but the motor runs and runs.. The batteries died but not sure it was due to running and not pumping. they were questionable batteries.. Now I have NEW ones so I Have to check on this over time, but I had to stop using the old one when I found the crack.

I just built a new one tonight, will report back again after a few weeks of testing how its working. I dont expect any more leaks and hope my carpet will dry faster than it has.. I imagine a LOT of water went under it and the subfloor over a few days of refills.

I will also report about the frequency of running and not pumping

I am dosing the 5 gallon with KALKWASSER, though i dont think that should effect the pump, but maybe..

RhodeIslandReef · 08/07/2006, 10:42 PM

Did you get a new 5 gallon jug? Floors dry out yet? I've never seen a jug crack like that.

BubbleMonkeyIII · 08/07/2006, 11:14 PM

rug dried, got new jug, Yea I think I dropped that jug, it was a hairline crack not a complete fracture very weird..

Topoff has been working great since then no problems at all.. and all is well, its working like a charm just have to remember to fill it every few days now, but it keeps the sump perfect at all times..im very happy with the simplicity and performance

Also works great as a dosing pump for calk and I could see other additives too it would be excellent for.. With this heat its been filling a LOT lately so have to keep up on things.. still beats filling that darn SUMP Daily though... Just have to fill the JUG every couple days hahahaha..

RhodeIslandReef · 08/07/2006, 11:41 PM

I hear ya. I add calcium to mine every now and then also. On hot days my tank must go through at least a gallon. I used to do the 2 quart at a time deal. What a pain in the... If I had my RO/DI unit plummed into the house I would just use that with an auto shut off but Im renting for now.

06/20/2006, 01:19 PM	#1
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	DIY Battery Operated Auto Top-off - 5 gal+ Just created an auto top off for my tank. Thought I would share the plans with anyone else that might be interested. Very easy to build. I wanted an auto top-off that didn't use 120v of electricity to power a waterpump. I also didn't want to use an airpump and have to make sure I had a vacuum sealed bottle. While searching ebay I came across this water pump that is normally used for your camp water supply. Figured I would give it a try and what do you know, it worked. Supplies: 1. Water Pump - operates on 2 D batteries and mounts on a 5 gallon water jug like the ones you have delivered by poland springs. (you can also use a different water container but the pump mounts on a 5 gallon jug) I bought the pump on ebaay from this person (illfrom) Cost $21.99 shipped. 2. Float switch - bought it off ebay I believe for around $8.00. The type that has two wires not the Kent type. 3. Water jug. I used the 5 gallon type that this is supposed to mount on, but the pump will work with other types of water containers of larger capacity. Setup: 1. Mount your float switch in the sump at the level you would like the water to be maintained at. I used acrylic and drilled a hole in it and bent the acrylic to sit on the side of my tank. 2. Remove the switch from the top of the pump leaving a hole to the battery compartment. 3. Attach a piece of tubing to the end of the pump output and place the other end in your sump where you want the water to enter. I placed it in a different compartment than the float switch. 4. Attach the wires from the float switch to the pump. when you remove the battery cap, you will see a metal ring around the battery compartment. Attach one wire to it, and the other wire to the positive side of a D battery. I soldered the wires on my pump. Done!! The feed wire from the pump to the sump is misleading in this picture when setup, should lead directly to the sump, not curled up on the floor as pictured. Monitor the level in the tank for a bit to make sure it is functioning correctly. I suppose you could also add on to this setup with your RO/DI and an auto cut off switch for your RO system to refill the 5 gallon jug but I dont have have it lucky enough to have the RO plumbed into the house. Last edited by RhodeIslandReef; 06/20/2006 at 01:43 PM.

06/20/2006, 03:16 PM	#2
smcdonn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 925	Looks good. Update us on how this works for you __________________ 180g IN WALL, REEF Current Tank Info: 180 gallon

06/21/2006, 05:24 PM	#5
Sohal11 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: OC Posts: 200	Hmmm! How long does the battery last before it run out? Have any idea yet? __________________ Don't look back...Always look ahead. Current Tank Info: Nano

06/22/2006, 08:42 AM	#7
smcdonn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 925	Just a thought. Did you put the line that tops off the water in the same compartment as the switch? I be if you moved it farther away in the sump the pump would run a little longer and not as often. You may have already done this. Just throwing it out there. cheers __________________ 180g IN WALL, REEF Current Tank Info: 180 gallon

07/21/2006, 11:40 PM	#9
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	I designed a MOD for this idea that seems to work pretty well. I added a filling Pipe and "funnel" to the Jug, Using 2" ABS and 3"-2" ABS Reducer coupling as the funnel, and a 2" Uniseal to hold the pipe in place. Youll need a 3" Hole saw and a Uniseal to pull this off. Everything else is easy cheesy LHS. Just drill the hole where there is no writing on the jug, and leave room for the rim of the uniseal.. which after installed should be about 3" from the neck where its still smooth and even. This allows one to fill the jug easily with another container ( I use my Empty Oceanic Salt Blue bottle container for mine ) WITHOUT spilling and or removing the pump to refill the jug! I thought others might find this helpful when using this idea. I was worried the pump might work on some kind of vacuum, but it doesn't, so the opening doesn't effect performance at all. I will post pictures tomorrow when I have some more time of the actual setup, but for now see the picture below. Great idea BTW, I really like the concept! As for me, I havent wired mine up yet, but I will. I got the same pump and float switches as was used in this thread all on EBAY. PS To find the UNISEALS Buy them from here: www.aussieoutpost.com/servlet/Detail?no=88 Heres what it looks like (pix coming) Last edited by BubbleMonkeyIII; 07/22/2006 at 12:03 AM.

06/21/2006, 10:07 AM	#3
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	So far so good. Running very well and keeping the water level in the sump steady. I thought a syphon might start after the pump shut off but it never happened.

06/21/2006, 05:04 PM	#4
ept04 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Waterford NY Posts: 79	Great idea....

06/21/2006, 11:43 PM	#6
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	I believe the batteries are going to last quite awhile. The pump only runs for about 5 seconds maybe 2-3 times per hour. Guess I won't really know until its been running for awhile. I'll update when I have a positive answer. This is great not having to add water to the tank anymore though

06/22/2006, 11:07 AM	#8
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	Yup, I put the line into the fuge area and the float switch in the return pump area. Here is a graphic that shows an idea on how someone might want to mount the return line using acrylic. I drilled a hole in it and bent the acrylic to fit on the side of the tank just like I did with the float switch.

07/22/2006, 02:24 PM	#10
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	Excellent follow-up BubbleMonkeyIII. I have actually been using a funnel to refill the 5 gallon jug which I have to do about once a week. I plan on setting my RO/DI unit to eventually keep a constant level but for now that is what I have been doing. This would definately be handy to refill the jug rather than unscrew the pump to refill it as I have been doing. I also thought that the unit might use suction to make the water flow, but that wasn't the case. I also thought that if my fuge was lower than the water level in the jug that a syphon might be created when the pump stopped but that also did not happen. Just to update. I have had this running now since June 20, the date of the first post. Still works like a charm. I am still using the same batteries that I put in it then so the batteries seem to last quite awhile so far. I have also added an auto shut-off to the unit by installing a second float valve at a higher level in the sump and wiring it to the pump so that it shuts it off if the initial float valve failed.

07/22/2006, 06:39 PM	#11
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	Heres the pix as promised.. Piece of Kelp to do too! This is the battery powered topoff, with the Uniseal... Easy pour ABS MOD! Thanks RED BTW.. great idea you came up with I really like it! So Im on day one, so far so good... seems to be working.. I lose a LOT of water in this heat.. almost 2 gallons a day with the fans running (no chiller) and was getting tired of being a WATER boy..hahahah.. Yes, it was a bit tricky to get the wires soldered to the rim of the pump, the battery was quicker and easier.. I learned to heat up the metal around the batter really good so the solder would stick first.. either way... got'er done.. hahaha Also, I just put the cap over the wires carefully not screwing it down or anything, but something about an open cap with wires coming out creeps me out and bothers me.. hahaha So far this MOD works great, dont even have to bend over to pour... With this size ID opening, and the Reducer acting like a large funnel, you dont have to worry about overwhelming the opening, you can pour in full power.. Also with this you dont have to take off the pump everytime you fill up...(like Rhode said he does) Even with funnel I couldnt see that as fun! Yea I figured the pump was NOT a vacuum because I ran it on its own in the sink and it pumped from there no problems, then I knew it only sucked and pumped and openings would have no effect. From left From right Down the hatch me maties! Arrrgh... Works like charm, just quickly pour in a few gallons every couple days and your golden.

07/22/2006, 09:49 PM	#12
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	Not sure why, but the pics aren't showing up for me.

07/22/2006, 10:02 PM	#13
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	Its my server sorry, 2 min after I uploaded to my site, I lost my site... It figures though... my server is up 364 days of the year, now Im posting pix and its down.. check back in a few hours im told it should be back up shortly. heard my pump turn on its own just now, like having a child or something.. or seeing one walk for the first time.. lo.. was cool seeing it fill up then shutoff. hahahah __________________ To say that there are no absolutes, is, in itself, and absolute.....

07/23/2006, 12:17 PM	#14
laverda Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 6,902	Slick set up! I don't have the height to fit that under my stand. I take it the battries are on top. Is the battery section removable by chance? __________________ 240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube

07/23/2006, 12:32 PM	#15
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	Most likely have to set up outside of stand.. most dont have enough room to put a 5gallon jug under the stand, and if you dont and tried to use a smaller container.. kinda defeats the purpose. haha I dont think you can remove the battery compartment from the pump but you could possibly turn it sideways. So far mine is working without a glitch.. very happy.. Also another function of this type of autofill, is you can kinda use it as a dosing pump and additive tank too.. I spiked my refill water with some Kalkwasser so it doses the tank everytime the pump runs.. And the water is mixed with a bit less KALK than the directions recommend (1tsp/gallon) but I think it could no way OVERDOSE the tank more than the directions state (so much per hour) since it only runs about once every 3 hours and then only for a few seconds.. so I was able to kill two birds with one stone so to speak.. So everytime I fill the 5 gallon with a few gallons, I will spike them with kalk. One concern I do have is how the pump will react to the additive and actually come to think of it, Saltwater itself, since the pump is designed for FRESH WATER. Not sure if anything can get corroded in there.. Maybe need to look at that as well, look for any metal in the water section of pump housing itself.. mmm didnt check that out but will. though rhode seems to be keeping his running for a few months so nothing has corroded yet..?

07/23/2006, 02:51 PM	#16
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	Very cool mod for this. I may have to drill a hole in mine and mount a funnel in a similar fashion. From what I could tell when I had the pump apart all the internal parts were plastic. I am only using fresh RO/DI water for top off although I have added calcium to the jug a couple of times as you did with the Kalk. I also have the jug on the side of my stand because I didn't want to use the precious space under the stand.

07/23/2006, 05:27 PM	#17
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	yea thats true, we use fresh water.. dont know what I was thinking.. ? lol but the dosing part shouldnt be a problem either way as the Kalk is very diluted and should NOT that caustic (i hope) ahhaha

07/29/2006, 02:12 AM	#18
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	wanted to give you an update.. overflow was working great until...about 5 days ago. I noticed it was draining rather fast after a few days..at first everything was fine for the first week or so no problems at all, then the water level started to drop dramatically in the top of 5 gallon, yet I noticed the level in my sump wasnt varying any more than normal, and this amt of water lost in the auto fill seemed unusual. After a few days I noticed the carpet just infront of the tank near the bottle, seemed a bit damp... Sometimes I spill skimmer water doing all my testing and modding of skimmers, and figured it was just a minor spill.. then i noticed it was GROWING.' I checked all my tank plumbing for minor leaks nothing.. I had made up my mind that somehow it was coming from the 5 gallon but I couldnt see where.. Looked around the uniseal, but most of the time the water is lower than that seal anyways.. that couldnt be it.. Then a few days of the carpet staying wet, I decided to get serious looking at the cause.. I lifted UP the bottle and much to my stunned surprise there was about a 5 inch crack in the BASE of the bottle just ever so lightly dripping minute amounts of water, but I could see it seeping through almost as it were condensation, but it was coming through, and the CRACK was visible in the bottle. I dont know how long it has been there, maybe even the WHOLE time..which means there is quiet a bit of water under my subfloor and carpet.. grr I dont know how this happend I guess I might have dropped it sometime over the years when doing water changes with it, these bottles are hard to crack, you REALLY have to work at it, as they flex pretty good, but I succeeded somewhere.. hahaha.. Anyways other than that the thing has worked pretty good. Sometimes though it doesnt seem to pump but the motor runs and runs.. The batteries died but not sure it was due to running and not pumping. they were questionable batteries.. Now I have NEW ones so I Have to check on this over time, but I had to stop using the old one when I found the crack. I just built a new one tonight, will report back again after a few weeks of testing how its working. I dont expect any more leaks and hope my carpet will dry faster than it has.. I imagine a LOT of water went under it and the subfloor over a few days of refills. I will also report about the frequency of running and not pumping I am dosing the 5 gallon with KALKWASSER, though i dont think that should effect the pump, but maybe..

08/07/2006, 10:42 PM	#19
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	Did you get a new 5 gallon jug? Floors dry out yet? I've never seen a jug crack like that.

08/07/2006, 11:14 PM	#20
BubbleMonkeyIII Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 164	rug dried, got new jug, Yea I think I dropped that jug, it was a hairline crack not a complete fracture very weird.. Topoff has been working great since then no problems at all.. and all is well, its working like a charm just have to remember to fill it every few days now, but it keeps the sump perfect at all times..im very happy with the simplicity and performance Also works great as a dosing pump for calk and I could see other additives too it would be excellent for.. With this heat its been filling a LOT lately so have to keep up on things.. still beats filling that darn SUMP Daily though... Just have to fill the JUG every couple days hahahaha..

08/07/2006, 11:41 PM	#21
RhodeIslandReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Northern Vermont Posts: 191	I hear ya. I add calcium to mine every now and then also. On hot days my tank must go through at least a gallon. I used to do the 2 quart at a time deal. What a pain in the... If I had my RO/DI unit plummed into the house I would just use that with an auto shut off but Im renting for now.