Auto top off suggestions I'm open!!

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I went down a number of roads with auto-topoff.

At first, I thought I could control it with a pump that activated for precise amounts of time per day. While I was able to accurately control how much water was added per day, it turns out that evaporation is highly variable. No matter how much I tried to get it right, I was always wrong.

So I installed a float switch in the sump. When the float goes down, the pump goes on. I pump the water through a couple of irrigation drippers so that it takes a long time to pump very little water. That way, nothing happens very quickly. (in case the float ever gets stuck)

It is just a regular PH sitting in a tank of FW, connected to a pipe that drips into the sump. Get some electrical assistance wiring it because you want a small relay (like 12v) to switch the 110v pump circuit on and off. Don't run the 110v through the float switch.
 
I do the same but I also have a second float that will kill the top off pump if the water gets too high in the sump.
 
Do you have a sump or no sump? If you have a sump or even if you dont i have the perfect cheap way to make the autotop off. I actually could make one for you all you would have to have is the pump to fill the topoff with. I have all the stuff already only charge you what it would cost me.
Give me a PM if your interested.
 
gooyferret said:
Do you have a sump or no sump? If you have a sump or even if you dont i have the perfect cheap way to make the autotop off. I actually could make one for you all you would have to have is the pump to fill the topoff with. I have all the stuff already only charge you what it would cost me.
Give me a PM if your interested.

How do you do it?

Would like to know so I could possibly do a kalk top off...
 
Like Brad, I use a float switch to activate a PH in an 18-gal rubbermaid container with FW. The float switch did stick one time and I came home to find the FW container dry and the PH in it was running dry. Fortunately, it was nearly empty when this occurred so my sump didn't overflow onto my carpet. After that happened I bought a timer. Now the float switch/PH system is only "active" for 15 minutes each night. This just reduces the time during which something could go wrong. My salinity hardly changes at all (90 gal tank) so adding the FW all at once each night has worked just fine.
 
Mine is the same way gator said float switch that is spliced into a power cord to power a PH. I have never had mine stick and fills evaporations 24/7 and never have to worry about SG. Very easy to make i made a few of them a few years ago but i have noticed now that the price for the float switches went way up.
 
Ok I like the timer idea! I'm filling it once a day right now anyway. Great advise guys.
 
Gooy...The way you describe it, it sounds like the float switch itself is making/breaking the PH current (110v). I DON'T think that is the generally recommended way to do it. Float switches were not designed to make/break that kind of current. I think it might be unsafe.

Gator...the timer is a good idea. While automated, you are still creating a relatively sudden addition of FW. I use irrigation drippers on the end of the PH. That way, if the PH sticks on, it takes hours to pump any significant amount of water and the water goes in really slowly.
 
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