AUTOMATIC WATER CHANGER PICS!! FEEL FREE TO CRITIQUE

[drayday55]

sup peeps here is my set up for almost auto water changing. i kinda have it where i still have to initiate all the water starts and stops. but i have an idea. you can set up a r/o unit to shut down when water supply is turned off and i bought a 12v solenoid with plastick innards for my car water/methanol injection system that i never used. so all i need is to run a a regular timer switch to a power pack that puts out 12v and im in buisness! fully auto. and i can even install a electric float valve that makes contact when water level goes down and it will turn off the solenoid and allow water to enter. but then i would have to figure out a dosing system to dose my electrolyte and ph stabalizer.
here are pictures of my sump yo can see where the clear tube runs through the wall to outside in my yard. i adapted from ridgid pvc to flex clear so any setteling or earthquake wont crack my pvc. i also tapped my waste water from my r/o int this making sure it would flow down stream. enjoy and let me know if anyone needs any ideas i got an overactive imagination.
p.s the bamboo sucks out the nitrates. notice how green they are !!

 

[Dr Joe]

sup peeps here is my set up for almost auto water changing. i kinda have it where i still have to initiate all the water starts and stops. but i have an idea. you can set up a r/o unit to shut down when water supply is turned off and i bought a 12v solenoid with plastick innards for my car water/methanol injection system that i never used. so all i need is to run a a regular timer switch to a power pack that puts out 12v and im in buisness! fully auto. and i can even install a electric float valve that makes contact when water level goes down and it will turn off the solenoid and allow water to enter. but then i would have to figure out a dosing system to dose my electrolyte and ph stabalizer.
here are pictures of my sump yo can see where the clear tube runs through the wall to outside in my yard. i adapted from ridgid pvc to flex clear so any setteling or earthquake wont crack my pvc. i also tapped my waste water from my r/o int this making sure it would flow down stream. enjoy and let me know if anyone needs any ideas i got an overactive imagination.
p.s the bamboo sucks out the nitrates. notice how green they are !!

Nice.

How long you had the bamboo? Is that in your return sump?

 

[drayday55]

thanx, yah its my return sump on my 125 i had it in there for 8 months. my wifes ornamental bamboo watered with tap and set in the window is sooo pale yellow compared ill post it tomorow the diferance.

 

[Dr Joe]

OK GUYS!!!!!!! I have figured out a way to run the entire sytstem without the use of an sprinkler valve's on the waste or return lines. The only area where a sprinkler valve may be need is before the toliet fill valve, so that when the aged water is being pumped into the fish tank the aged water tank doesn't continue to be filled with water while the pump is on, which would cause your tank to flood and overflow.

I bought an external self priming pump from harbor freight for $40. Thanks to Dr. Joe! I also picked up a pump for my future 240 gallon tank for $19.99, it pumps 1855 gallons per hour and has a built in float switch. www.harborfreight.com that place is the biizzombbbb.

The only issue I am having with this system now is a power supply for my external pump. The pump is a 12 volt DC pump that needs 7.5 amps on start up and idles at 5.0 amps. That is a lot of damn current for this little pump. Being the electrical engineer that I am I have decided to build a power supply for this pump myself using a transformer, rectifier, etc. Hopefully I will have it completed by this weekend!!

Here's a final drawing of my auto water changer... BLING BLING!!

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop... this looks too good.

Hate to simplify things for you, but how about a $20 lawn tractor battery(wallyworld) and make a trickle charger from a wall wart psu?

Or you could just use a http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3418. straight.

Unless you've got enough in your junk box like me...

 

[mssassysan2000]

that's neat.

 

[zennzzo]

"RULE" pumps makes a mint float valve that switches 12-36vts.
Not sure from the drawing how you control the amount of dirty/fresh water you meter in.
A pair of float valves could manage the water level of the drain/fill duties.

 

[Dr Joe]

If trash water pump failed to come on (timer/bad motor) would it overflow or do you have enough space in your tank?

Will the motor bypass (flow) water when off (if it does, you may need a valve there or it will constantly drain won't it?)?

Maybe a float switch for overfill would be a good idea as zennzzo said.

Someone also posted float switches from ebay @ $5 a pop.

 

[drayday55]

no it would not overflow. it would just go out the bulkhead in my sump to out side and water my lawn =) you see, i did flood my dining room and the wife was pissed!! it was the day befor her birthday and everyone was coming over to celebrate. i had to tear down the tank pull up the carpet. replace the pad drill holes in the wall to dry out and put all back together. lol lesson learned. the onlything that can flood me out is if the syphon stopped in my overflow but ive had this setup for about 6 years and has not once stopped.

 

[Dr Joe]

no it would not overflow. it would just go out the bulkhead in my sump to out side and water my lawn =) you see, i did flood my dining room and the wife was pissed!! it was the day befor her birthday and everyone was coming over to celebrate. i had to tear down the tank pull up the carpet. replace the pad drill holes in the wall to dry out and put all back together. lol lesson learned. the onlything that can flood me out is if the syphon stopped in my overflow but ive had this setup for about 6 years and has not once stopped.

OK, I think I'm having a stupid moment...(NO comments) What stops the water from draining down to the 25% line all the time? If the pump doesn't backflow and the sump pump stays on too long...Flood... yes/no? And the sump is being replenished as it's being emptied? no time for aging? That's what I get from the drawing. Then again I have my daft moments.

 

[drayday55]

naa man no problem, im explaining it wrong. right now when i want to do a water change i turn on the r/o unit it fills the 50 gallon trash can i 1 day. it is out side so it dosent matter if it over fills. then i treat the water as i am doing right now. lol i then turn on the big rio in the trash can and pump water into the tank trying to stirr up the substrate a little. at the same time i unplug the sump pump so 90% of the water goes out the drain and does not get recycled back into the tank. and when i want to top off the tank i just turn on the r/o unit and flip a plastic ball valve to divert the water away from the trash can and ito the tank. i could automate it but i figure whats the point. it cannot get any easyer. i usualy jump int the shower as i start the water cahnge. when the water runs low in the trash can it does not rally harm it for running dry for a few minutes. baisicly i made a system where if i forget to shut something off i wont flood my house and the by product is simplified water changes. oh, also the point to where the water enters int the waste line is 3 inches above where the sump pump level is so it regulates itself and never drains far enough to whare i have to little water in the sump to start it all back up again

dude. when i trade my lunkers in to the lfs all the workers gawk at how colerfull and health my fish are. i tell em 7 ph no feeders and market freshwater shrimp!!!

ooops. thats waht i get from not reading all the posts. this is waht is working for me. you are correct on the drawing. the system has to many fail points you must simplify the system to what if everything fails. whats gonna happen. water flows down and the drain to waste must be in the sump not the tank.