An Easy DIY Auto Topoff

[ajn81]

I decided to try and make an auto topoff using a 7 gallon container from Walmart... seems to be working so far and was a snap to make with just a couple of cheap parts from Home Depot...put less than $10 into it (not counting the containter).

So basically what I did was replace the spigot in the aquacontainer with a ball valve and a 90. Then connected tubing to the 90 which goes about 2" below the water line in my sump. The aquacontainer is sitting on a board on the top of the sump. Easy to take off and refill. The best part...don't have to worry about burning up a pump if I forget to refill the container.

Let me know what you guys think.

Some Pics:

http://www.austinanna.com/Images/BB/ato.jpg

http://www.austinanna.com/Images/BB/ato2.jpg

[vlad_acosta]

very cool and easy...i would so do that if i had a sump

[Bogg]

Kool! but what I did when I got sick of filling my top off compartment every few days . I just went for it, I hooked my r/o unit water incoming line to a solenoid which goes to a float valve in my top off (it's 10 gallons) tank. I then have an elos top off from my top off compartment which goes to my sump. I don't ever have to fill any container again. My top off tops it'self off which tops the tank off, It works great and the Elos top off has a retard shut off which shuts off the top off pump after a certain set point, there is now less chance of malfunction of toping off too much, How it is I don't ever have to worry about the water level in the sump or the top off tank. But with how I have it there are lots of things to break and go wrong also and it costs a few bill to do it this way.

[Puff_love]

Nice Eheim heater you got there.

[ajn81]

Would love to do it this way if I had the $$$$$. So until I win the lotto or get that 50% raise at work, I guess I'm going to have to live with filling up the container every week or so :).


Kool! but what I did when I got sick of filling my top off compartment every few days . I just went for it, I hooked my r/o unit water incoming line to a solenoid which goes to a float valve in my top off (it's 10 gallons) tank. I then have an elos top off from my top off compartment which goes to my sump. I don't ever have to fill any container again. My top off tops it'self off which tops the tank off, It works great and the Elos top off has a retard shut off which shuts off the top off pump after a certain set point, there is now less chance of malfunction of toping off too much, How it is I don't ever have to worry about the water level in the sump or the top off tank. But with how I have it there are lots of things to break and go wrong also and it costs a few bill to do it this way.

[RussM]

Won't your sump water level have to drop about 2" from the level depicted before any top-off water will be released?

[smirkis]

that is correct RussM, but as soon as it does, it wont ever drop below that again until the container is empty. it'll work just like your water jug despenser works for drinking water

[Bogg]

Would love to do it this way if I had the $$$$$. So until I win the lotto or get that 50% raise at work, I guess I'm going to have to live with filling up the container every week or so :).



I think it cost me about 2 bills to do it this way. It is soo nice not having to do... well anything. I love the diy initiative though you have great skills and only doing that every week or so is really not bad. I was always freaking toping off my 10g top off it seemed like so I did my lil setup.

[goody]

So is this just a gravity fed top off? I'm actually in the process of making two of the sun tea jar topoffs, but this seems so much simpler. Is the little white plug that allows air in the container open or closed?

[j1gregor]

if it's basically just a pipe running from the container into the sump.. why doesn't it just empty itself all at once?

[smirkis]

because its pressurized like your arrowhead water despencer. or like a dog bowl soda bottle setup. when the water drops enough, it releases air into the container releasing just enough water down into the sump to level the water back out. when it does it reseals the end pipe stopping any more water from being released from the container.

the hole should be closed, otherwise it'll jus keep pouring out

[ajn81]

Yes, this is a gravity fed top off very similar to the sun tea jar approach...to make it work, the container has to be completely air tight, so yes, the white plug on the top of the bottle is closed. Basically the way it works is that the water pressure in the tube keeps the water in the bottle from just spilling out, once the water level drops below the tube, air is fed into the tank releasing water. From what I have noticed in my setup is that it released water to about 2" above the tube. The most important thing for making this work is to be sure that no water is getting into the container or else water will leak out.

[ajn81]

Thanks Smirkis :)

[sandiegan]

Goody- stick with the sun-tea version. It's popular for a reason.

Ajn- great DIY spirit. There's one thing though that is a downfall for this type of setup. Since the water in the container is in contact with the water in the sump, diffusion occurs. This lowers the SG of your entire system/raises the SG of the "topoff" water. Granted, the 7g of fresh water into ~35g of saltwater won't kill anything, but the point is that the water will equalize in salinity.

The premise of the sun-tea jar is that the air-input part doesn't touch the fresh water. Likewise, the freshwater output isn't submerged into saltwater. This avoids the diffusion problem.

[Sam Maghsoodloo]

ajn81, the problem sandiegan is talking about is the principle drawback of the many different ways to make what you have made. You can solve this problem by drilling a hole at the top of your jug, and attaching an airline valve to it (different ways to do, any way will work) Then you run airline from that valve down to the surface of the water where you attach it so that it will take in air when the water level drops and exposes it. Now your airline is doing the job that your water tube is doing in your current design, so you cut the water tube to be just above the water (now your water will drip down into your sump). Also, and this is probably pretty important, rearange your pvc 90 and your ball valve, so that your ball valve is vertically oriented. That will allow you close it almost all the way so that it won't suck in air, and will only drip water. Now you have a true freshwater ATO that won't fluctuate your sg. :)

[brianth3lion]

hopefully isn't off subject, but any drawbacks or recommendations against to dosing kalk using this method? (sun tea jar auto top off method)

[SolRo]

The problem with this is that the walmart jugs tend to slowly leak air from their little air opening.

I'd glue it shut if i were you.

[Techknowledgy]

I have essentially the same thing, but put a swamp cooler valve in so it doesn't matter if the little hole is open. Also from HD. Works the same way your toilet ball does. 2 years no worries. Never overfills.