Need help with sump/fuge

[TheReefGeek]

And in terms of "over-engineering" I think that a sprinkler solenoid and timer is just as easy to install than a float valve, if not easier because you dont have to drill anything.

Sorry this sounded so harsh, but when it comes to auto-top off and the potential for flooding, I take giving accurate information very seriously because it is the kind of thing that gets people out of the hobby after a flood that kills off your tank.

[Willow]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

I have tried this exact setup, and had it fail horribly and flood.

float valves fail in the off position not on! you must have set some record for flooding a floor with an abs float valve.

[Willow]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

And that is not an auto top off unless you run the RODI into your tank not a garbage can.

When your distance from RODI unit to destination is too great, there is not enough pressure build up in the line to trigger the hydraulic valve (which you didn't mention, and if you don't have, then your waste water production NEVER stops!) to shut down the RODI unit. This is why drinking water systems use pressure bladders to build up the required pressure.

Also relying on a single float valve builds in no redundancy for when it clogs and fails open.

?? dude what are you talking about? abs float valves are gravity fed, no hydraulics, no pressure and you don't need a backup system. it floats, when it needs water it opens a seal and water flows thru when it gets up to level it shuts off. there is littlerly no safer or user friendly fail safe system better that an abs float valve. and you defiantly don't have to drill anything. i think you need to go back to the drawing board on your theories of how float valves work.

[TheReefGeek]

?? dude what are you talking about? abs float valves are gravity fed, no hydraulics, no pressure and you don't need a backup system. it floats, when it needs water it opens a seal and water flows thru when it gets up to level it shuts off. there is littlerly no safer or user friendly fail safe system better that an abs float valve.

Im talking about an auto top off with an RODI unit, which a single abs float valve is not going to do. If you think it will, please explain in DETAIL.

You would need to install a hydraulic valve that triggers when there is pressure build-up in the line, and the valve closes the waste water production for you. Otherwise, when your abs float valve closes, your RODI unit just keeps on pumping out waste water.

Float valves can fail open, if anything clogs them from closing properly, then water just keep on flowing!

[Jason McK]

I don't care how brilliant the design I would never attach a RO/DI unit directly to a top off. I have a 100GPD RO/DI and would not want a failure in that to flood my system.

Having a holding tank that supplies your AUTO-TOP-OFF is still and AUTO-TOP-OFF.


J

[TheReefGeek]

Yep, it absolutely is, never said anything different. But I find that you then need two auto-top offs. One to control your RODI to a reservoire, then one from your reservoire to your sump/display.

[TheReefGeek]

Anyhow, shouldn't be filling this thread with an auto-top off discussion.

[Willow]

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

Yep, it absolutely is, never said anything different.

yeah actually you did.

And that is not an auto top off unless you run the RODI into your tank not a garbage can.

also how did you get a flood with an abs float valve im curious?

[mr_alberta]

A float valve from a humidifier to your R/O unit should suffice. As a failsafe, you can use a float switch hooked up to a solenoid that cuts off the water supply to your R/O unit if the water level in your sump gets too high in conjunction with the float valve. If you are really worried, you can set up a couple of switches in case 1 should fail (if everything fails, you're just unlucky! )

[TheReefGeek]

Sorry Ruth, apparantly they want to continue this discussion here.

yeah actually you did.

Quote:
And that is not an auto top off unless you run the RODI into your tank not a garbage can.

I said that an RODI supplying a garbage can is not an auto top off. And its not!!!!!!! You have to then run your garbage can water into your tank for it to be an auto top off!!!!!!!! Without involving the display tank or sump you won't convince me it is an auto top off system! It is just a reservoire filling system that will produce waste water 24hrs a day from your RODI unit!!!!!!

So with just a float valve, how do you shut off waste water production from your RODI if you dont use any other valves, just a single abs float?

I have had the pleasure of flooding multiple ways, with the exception of my current setup. I have had float valves fail in multiple ways (stick open, and just plain leak), I have had the hyraulic plumbed into the RODI fail, and I have had float switches fail even with 4, yes 4 redundant float switches, set with 2 series and 2 in parallel for "ultimate" protection. And before I used a time, I have forgot to unplug my RODI when filling a reservoire, and filled the reservoire then my floor.

So for simplicity sake, when wanting to control an RODI directly to your sump, I have found a sprinkler solenoid and a timer set to replace approximate evaporation rate to be the "best".

If there is a better, safer way to setup a completely automated system I would love to learn it. After having multiple float switches burn out and fail in the on position, I just dont trust them anymore. Now if my timer starts to fail im screwed, I dont know what else to do!