DIY Auto topoff

not to sound crazy here but I just drip mine using air line and a 5 gallon bucket no float and drip very slowly to match or be right under the evaparation line. is it really safe no but I also limit teh amount of water to 2 gallon to match wat i evap in a 24 hour period.

want to get a JB ATO really bad just dont have the money fo it yet so a float sound good to just limit teh amount of water it can relaese at one time

 

Thank everyone for your comments i have a 20g tank im just going to use that and fill that up and use that as a top off tank and still run the ro/di line from the grauge to the tank room so i dont have to carrie buckets of water through the house.

 

Ya, Ya, heard it!
The force of the water on a realtivley large float on my float valve has a LARGE force shutting off the valve! Someone said something about forces?
What about bouyancy? Floats Cruise ships! It'll keep my BASEMENT Cement floor dry, (not to mention not dropping my SG)!

I don't put kalwasser thru it, only 0 TDS H2O! The kalwasser can eventually potentially lead to a sticky valve.
Mines ALL plastics btw.
I did some research, and DIDN'T get the cheaper one, in which one review said the first time the somp filled, the plastic arm holding the float broke!- nope, didn't buy that one!
I bought one that ONLY all plastic, and ONLY positive reviews!
Kinda like this Forum!

All I have to do is not let anything fall against the float valve. Kind of easy IMHO.

Mine is also ABOVE the water line, so don't start telling me about a snail, etc. BTW- no snails in my sump, only the DT.

But thanks, I'll use the $ I saved on my DIY ATO for my family, coral, and my catamaran sailing. Pretty much in that order too.

It's been flawless for quite awhile. No more manual filling, whether it be topping off the DT, or a intermediate bucket.

My way may not be for you, but it works for me.

Ever heard the expression, there are a dozen ways to skin a cat?

I don't think my system used the methods and the valve that others have had a disaster with.

 

+3. Why build with inherent flaws.....

 

You do know snails move right? They enjoy going through the plumbing and into the many chambers of your sump. Just a fyi.

I do agree there are many ways to skin a cat... ESpecially in this hobby. But with each method comes an advantage/disadvantage... In your case, a disadvantage.

 

Are you familiar with Murphy's law Todd? In all honesty I am saying this to you as a friend, you will kill your tank. Correction, this "DIY ATO" will kill your tank. It is only a matter of time. I cant even tell you how many people have killed their tanks this way on this site. I remember a guy in NYC that killed his entire 180 gallon tank in a matter of hours this way as well as did lots of damage to his apartment. There is a reason why so many people are telling you to avoid this method. Its not much more to get a reliable ATO unit or there are other methods of DIY considering you are a DIY kinda guy. In time the odds are not in your favor.

 

One other thing that should be considered, not sure if anyone mentioned it, is that RO/DI filters and units perform better if they run for a period of time than turning them on briefly just to top off. Meaning better have a RO/DI storage somewhere you ensure best performance and longest filter life.

 

I had trouble with snails getting on my float valve, made a box with holes to protect the float valve,

 

True statement. What I did to get around this is installed a cheap sprinkler timer from HD and a solenoid valve so the RO/DI container only fills up during certain hours of the day.

 

What I usually do is:
- have about 25 gal RO/DI in hand at anytime
- have about 17-18 gal of premixed salt water for WC

My ATO container is 6.5 gal and it usually lasts about 5-6 days. So once a week I do WC, refill my ATO container and make a new batch of SW. That leaves me with an empty RO/DI container. So once a week I run my RO/DI system for as long as it takes to fill my RO/DI water container.
That's it till the next week's WC.