Drip system

[PMK]

So im going to be setting up a drip system on my 240 and i got everything i need except for a adjustable float valve. Ive been to home depot and lowes and orchard supply and nothing that will work with an aquarium pump they only have ones that are for specific sump pumps. Also can a standard aquarium pump like a rio handle the on/off of working in a drip system? the sump is a 29 gallon i will be dripping 1 gph so 24 gallons a day so roughly the pump will be turning on twice a day. Would it be overkill to have 2 return pumps and 2 float valves incase one fails since this will be in my living room i dont want to have any spills.

Also here is my list of stuff and plans incase there is anything i am forgetting

Water filter removes/reduces chlorine/chloramine
pressure regulator to 25 psi
100 ft of 1/4 inch of tubing
1 GPH drip emitter
return pump RIO 2500
100 ft of return line
garage sink lol


So basically im going to tap into the sink in the garage and mount the water filter to the wall above the sink (for easy access) from the filter the line will run under the house threw the crawl space up through the hole i will drill in the floor then add the drip to the tank (does it matter if i drip into the tank directly or sump where the heaters are). Then attach the float valve to the side of the tank place the pump in the sump with a return line running alongside the drip line back into the sink in the garage.

 

[LiquidWare]

I would put the drip on the pump or T-off from the main pump, and the water comming in on a float valve in the sump. Because in there's no power/pump failure in your setup, you are looking at a flood potential if it lasts long enough. If something can fail, it will usualy fail... and at the worst possible moment.

I've been running like this on my setup for a year now, and no problems.

 

[Dr Joe]

If you hadn't been so clever when inputting your location "doing water changes" I may have been able to give you a closer location

http://www.aquariasupply.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=float

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=6109&product%5Fid=12596

If you have a Johnstone supply near, they have an excellent float switch from an icemaker.

Dr Joe

.

 

[PMK]

I would put the drip on the pump or T-off from the main pump, and the water comming in on a float valve in the sump. Because in there's no power/pump failure in your setup, you are looking at a flood potential if it lasts long enough. If something can fail, it will usualy fail... and at the worst possible moment.

I've been running like this on my setup for a year now, and no problems.

Im not sure if i am following you but to me it sounds like this would just fill up the water that evaporates and not change the water on the tank

If you hadn't been so clever when inputting your location "doing water changes" I may have been able to give you a closer location

http://www.aquariasupply.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=float

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=6109&product%5Fid=12596

If you have a Johnstone supply near, they have an excellent float switch from an icemaker.

Dr Joe

.

I do have one in the area. Im actaully in San Francisco. But will this switch turn the pump on when it gets to the top level i set then turn off at the bottom level i set? For example i want to set the valve to turn on about 5-6 imches before it hits the top of the sump and then turn off about 8-9 inches before the bottom of the sump

 

[rallysman]

Im not sure if i am following you but to me it sounds like this would just fill up the water that evaporates and not change the water on the tank



I do have one in the area. Im actaully in San Francisco. But will this switch turn the pump on when it gets to the top level i set then turn off at the bottom level i set? For example i want to set the valve to turn on about 5-6 imches before it hits the top of the sump and then turn off about 8-9 inches before the bottom of the sump

I use a replacement float switch from a sump pump on mine. It works great and does exactly what you want it to do. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69707&highlight=DIY+float+switch

I have it in this filter now:

I got it at a local hardware store for about $20 IIRC

 

[PMK]

I use a replacement float switch from a sump pump on mine. It works great and does exactly what you want it to do. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69707&highlight=DIY+float+switch

I have it in this filter now:

I got it at a local hardware store for about $20 IIRC

thats exactly what i need do you know what brand that was since i was looking on that website and i couldnt find it.

I also thought of having some type of electronic valve that would shut if it loss power to prevent a flood in my living room.

 

[LiquidWare]

PMK: It does take care of evaporation, but it also replaces the water you take out using the drip ... the drip goes to the drain, so all that gets taken out gets filled back up by the float valve.

It's the simplest way i found and works as long that where you drain is at is lower than the output going to your tank. If you drain is higher than the top of your tank, you can use a dedicated pump to recirculate water in your sump and T-off from that line to Drip in your drain.

This way you remove failure points, no selenoids, no complex wires setup, etc ... you just have 3 points of failure, the pump, the float valve & the drip emmiter. If the pump fails, water changing is the least of your problems. If the float valve fails, you can prevent flooding by having an over-flow on your sump that goes to your drain. If the drip emmiter fails, waterchanging stops but you'll never run dry and it can easily be changed or cleaned.

 

[PMK]

PMK: It does take care of evaporation, but it also replaces the water you take out using the drip ... the drip goes to the drain, so all that gets taken out gets filled back up by the float valve.

It's the simplest way i found and works as long that where you drain is at is lower than the output going to your tank. If you drain is higher than the top of your tank, you can use a dedicated pump to recirculate water in your sump and T-off from that line to Drip in your drain.

This way you remove failure points, no selenoids, no complex wires setup, etc ... you just have 3 points of failure, the pump, the float valve & the drip emmiter. If the pump fails, water changing is the least of your problems. If the float valve fails, you can prevent flooding by having an over-flow on your sump that goes to your drain. If the drip emmiter fails, waterchanging stops but you'll never run dry and it can easily be changed or cleaned.

OK i see waht you mean but the only problem is that the sink is higher then the sump also i cannot get the sump out to drill it. Since it cant fit throught the doors unless i drain the whole tank to move it then i have nowhere to put the fish in there.



Now would a DIY overflow work to drain the sump incase of an power failure. Because i think the top of the sump would be higher then the sink in the garage but it would go under the house which would make it lower then the sink then back up to sink to drain. I hope that makes sense

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

PMK - Please keep us updated on your project and please be sure 2 include pictures.

One day I plan on hiring you to install one at my house!

 

[rallysman]

thats exactly what i need do you know what brand that was since i was looking on that website and i couldnt find it.

I also thought of having some type of electronic valve that would shut if it loss power to prevent a flood in my living room.

I can't remember the name of it and I threw the box away
I did find a couple online though. I think they're commonly called vertical float switch
http://www.septronicsinc.com/switches/4650-4658.html
http://www.pumps-in-stock.com/little_giant_switch_rvms-20.html (price seems high)

One thing to do is to make sure that the drain pump is higher than your main pump just in case the float switch sticks on. That way it can't take too much out of the system.

You could put a 120v normally closed solenoid valve in the line to make sure that the water would stop if the power did fail.

http://www.iprocessmart.com/burkert/bukert_6011.htm
I would search around for price. A lot of the time www.mcmaster.com has good prices.