Help me automate my ATO reservoir

ianryd

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#1
I currently have RODI entering my 3 gallon ATO reservoir via 1/4" line. I fill it up by opening a valve and setting a timer on my phone so I don't forget to turn it off. ATO water enters my sump via gravity fed 1/4" line hooked up to a manual float. I would like to automate the ATO filling process, and add a way to purge my RO membrane on start up. I do not have a controller (apex, hydros etc), and dont plan on getting one

From what I understand this can be done in several ways, but I want to get yall's advice. My preferred way would be to use high and low level optical sensors that control a solenoid valve (inline with my RODI) to fill the ATO, with a mechanical fail safe (float valve?) for the high level so I dont have a flood. I'm not worried about flooding my sump on the outlet-it can handle about 20 gallons of extra water.

Is there a kit out there for this? Maybe an ATO I can modify? Can I just buy some sensors and a solenoid and a float? Would I need to plug it all in to a controller of some sort?

As for purging the RO on startup, I'm not sure how to do that. My RODI filter is in the basement and the tank is upstairs. Routing anything from one floor to the next is not something I want to do. Is there some kind of flow-sensitive timer do-hickey that could route the startup water down the drain?
 

SynDen

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#2
I prefer to keep it simple and I just use a single float valve for shut-off on my 40g reservoir and I manually turn on/off the water when needed. The optical sensors could be nice but they also introduce complexity that could cause issues ime. You likely would have to wire the sensors through a breakout box to the apex or some other controller
 
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Spieg

Copepod
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#3
FWIW, if you go the solenoid rout, I'd use two solenoids in series. I had one fail on me and it flooded my house (it was a closed when off design, but something got stuck in the valve that prevented it from closing all the way).
 

quackenbush

Clown Fish
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#4
BRS has a video or two on programming your apex with solenoids and optical sensors for this sort of thing. I haven't gotten this far on my current build but am interested in a similar solution. Jake at ReefBuilders said his setup was gravity fed with float switches and I regret not taking a better look at that setup in his Golden warehouse when he had us over just before the apocalypse hit.
 

ianryd

Cleaner Shrimp
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#5
I cross posted on reef2reef and have been getting some good suggestions there too. So far I really like the idea of hi/low float switches connected to a control board and solenoid. Once I have it really planned out I'll post a diagram and see what yall think!

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scmountain

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#6
Use a toilet bowl float valve, IIRC @halmus used several on his awesome system.

I have used optical sensors, solenoids and mechanical valves and had several failures.

No method is 100% so I always use two of two different types, but with varying degrees of required maintenance, they all work.
here is my ranking:

1. Mechanical reigns supreme. (Keep it simple mentality! No electricity, lowest maintenance and I also have my float adjusted so the outlet never touches tank water)
2. Optical requires controller/chip, calibration and the most cleaning. Foam/bubbles from skimmer can easily throw false positives too
3. Solenoids Same issues as optical + can and will fail, might be 100 years from now might be 1 day. Also the cost for a reef safe solenoids is so high in comparison.

I have a controller for my High and Low optical sensors, a mechanical on the RO outlet
 

ianryd

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#7
I ended up buying a controller with high and low level electronic sensors that open and close a solenoid from my RO line. The low level sensor failed after one day lol. They are sending a replacement sensor, but I also ordered some float switches to see if they are more reliable. I have the ro line hooked up to a mechanical float in my ato for redundancy to prevent overflow. ATO water is gravity fed to the sump which has a float valve mounted well above the water line. I havent automated the flush line yet, but will eventually use a timer relay for that.

Something Im not sure about-I mix kalk is the ATO reservoir. Can the residue mess with sensors or clog/build up on my float valve?

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scmountain

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#8
Something Im not sure about-I mix kalk is the ATO reservoir. Can the residue mess with sensors or clog/build up on my float valve?

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I would think it would "cloud" the optical sensors, and add frequency of maintenance to the lines/valves. But I dont use KW
 

SynDen

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#9
Ya kalk will coat the sensor pretty heavily if its in the ato resevoir, so would need frequent cleaning. If I was setting up a full automated ato resovoir, I would leave the kalk out of it, and setup a kalk stirrer with dosing pump instead
 

ianryd

Cleaner Shrimp
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#10
Ya kalk will coat the sensor pretty heavily if its in the ato resevoir, so would need frequent cleaning. If I was setting up a full automated ato resovoir, I would leave the kalk out of it, and setup a kalk stirrer with dosing pump instead
Gotcha. Dosing kalk is relatively new for my tank, I was trying it because it sounded like an easier alternative to 2 part. After doing it a few weeks I may just go back to 2 part. I thought kalk would be simple as just adding it to my ato, but every step of the way it seems like its making one more thing to mess with and worry about. Plus I am still dosing 2 part to supplement the kalk because of my tank demands, so it has become one more thing to throw my parameters off if something fails.

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SynDen

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#11
I used it for years in the ato on my 75g, and it worked great. Super simple and easy to do. Although it was a 5g bucket that I refilled and re-mixed manually, so there wasnt a sensor in the bucket for the kalk to coat. I did use a optical in the tank sump but I only had to clean that off once in a great while.
 
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