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[APD] RE: Continuous Flow Water changer



My system is similar to Dave's in that it can automatically change water, but the "weak points" are set up in different places.

I have an automatic water top-off system that connects straight to the house water line (ice box hookup kit), through a typical rain-bird sprinkler valve that fills the tank until it's tripped by a float switch. Wereas Dave's system will mess up if the overflow backs up for some reason, mine will overflow if the float valve/sprinkler valve system manfunctions. Dual float valves (wired in series, not parallel) will add redundancy, as would extra overflows or larger diameter exit tubing (which I think Dave has now, 2 overflows). Both work, you just pick your poison.

The system is drilled tank w/ a canister filter. Instead of having the water leave through an overflow standpipe, mine leaves through another valve in the filtration loop. After the filter another sprinkler valve turns on (under the tank) and a combination of gravity and the pump pushes water through the valve instead of back up into the tank. As the water level in the tank drops, the float valve trips and fills back up.

Output sprinkler valve is timed, the input valve is not. An advantage is that I can Python my tank for cleaning and the tank automatically fills back up (albeit slowly with the small diameter input tubing).

Here are some pictures of the auto-top off design with my old sump (I pulled out the overflow for CO2 loss reasons). I ditched the sump in favor of the canister and moved the float valve the top of the tank, rather than the sump PVC holder.

http://pvelasco.net/CAASBBS/viewtopic.php?t=1246

Chris

"Engineering is the art of molding materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyze so as to withstand forces we cannot really predict in such a way that the community at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance."


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