Auto Water Change ideas???

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

No offense taken. I have to wonder though. You allways talk and remind us about the fact that things fail. Yet your only using a single float operated ATO? Do you have a second High High level float on your ATO in case the one sticks?

I have at present, one flaot that operates my ATO to. It signals a timer. The float has to be "switched" for 10 min before the pump turns on. Then when the leven switches the float off, the pump shits off. BUT, there is also a nother float that shuts the whole thing down. This float is set up above the water line. Where it won't get salt creep and lessens it's chance of sticking and causing the system to fail.

Just wondering

Many of the atos I've installed including the one I use is actually a profilux, it's a single float which uses a maximum on time for safety. You can connect other floats to control the ato in other ways but never have.
I also make a system which uses two floats, one for primary use and the second set higher just for safety if the primary should fail. The system also operates on a timer for additional safety. I feel such a system is essentially fail safe unless someone where to over ride the timer and both floats fail.

[banditpowdercoat]

Originally Posted by sphelps

So do a water change every three weeks. I have a system setup on my tank similar to what I described earlier but I have to manually activate the pump, this way I can do it whenever I'm available. Takes about 2 minutes to change 10 gallons and I don't have to have premixed water ready prior to this. Best of all the hole system is just a pump on a switch and bucket of salt with a cup

So, you add 10g of fresh water to tank, THEN add salt? Isn't this bad? Takes a while for the salt to mix thoroughly, doesn't it?

You've followed a couple of my other posts, you know I like making things complicated LOL Now, if I could rig something to dispense pre measured amounts of salt daily, then I could do a .5g daily auto change and add salt directly to the Sump. Key is getting the salt dispenser to work right.

I know nothing is failsafe, and This is not to get me ouyt of doing the tank checks. I am a Maintenance Electrician, Know all about PM checks and things failing and such. I would really like to be able to make sure the tanks water is god when I am away at camp for 3 weeks at a time. The Mrs isnt allways on top of things.

Sure, I could make up 25g of premix, and set up a drain/fill with that, BUT, I am also trying to get RID of the 2 rubbermaid cans in the dining room, not add more. If a effective ATO flush/fill and Water change setup could be devised, I should theoretically be able to get away with 5g or less RO storage

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

So, you add 10g of fresh water to tank, THEN add salt? Isn't this bad? Takes a while for the salt to mix thoroughly, doesn't it?

I don't think it has any negative effects. I add the salt to specific chamber which contains a filter floss material which holds the salt and as the return flow passes through it dissolves the salt. Doing this I don't even get a white build up in the sump like you might expect, it is however RB salt which might be better for this. I've also been doing this for years in mine and other clients tanks with no signs of any negative effects. Note that I do this with a ~180 gallon system changing 10 gallons weekly.

I know some people like to complicate things and I use to be the same but my experience in the hobby and general every day engineering has taught me that simpler is always better. And although nothing is 100% fail safe it's pretty easy to make something 99.9% fail safe if you keep it simple.

Manually adding the salt will eliminate the need for the extra Rubbermaids, you can buy a larger RO storage tank that can be placed anywhere that you can run a single line from your RO unit. You don't have to make do with the standard 4 or 5 gallon tank.

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by sphelps

. Note that I do this with a ~180 gallon system changing 10 gallons weekly.

How much water would you need to completely dissolve the amount salt you need for 10 gallons, and how long would you think it would stay completely dissolved?.

I designed a mixing device years ago for fuel additives that automatically dosed the correct percentage of additive to each gallon of fuel, this may work well in this application.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Mr OM

How much water would you need to completely dissolve the amount salt you need for 10 gallons, and how long would you think it would stay completely dissolved?.

are you taking about supersaturation?

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by sphelps

are you taking about supersaturation?

Not if it is going to re-crystallize, just enough water to fully dissolve the salt .

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Mr OM

Not if it is going to re-crystallize, just enough water to fully dissolve the salt .

The saturation point is about 25%, and if you maintain temperature it should not precipitate. So volume vise you should be able to mix 7.5 gallons of water with 2.5 gallons of salt at room temp. Higher temperatures will allow for higher saturation.