Auto top off?

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catmel

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
660
Location
Findlay, Ohio
How many of you guys use an auto top off system for your tank? If so did you buy a kit or make your own? I'm looking into one and want to know the best route to go...

ALso since I have a non drilled tank.. whats the best way to prevent an overflow of water onto the floor if for some reason the siphon gets broke on the overflow? I plut in a anti siphon in the outputs, if the power gets shut off / pump stops that would help that.. but what if the pump is still going?

any help greatly appreciated!
 
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I bought a dual switch in-sump from Autotopoff.com. It is well worth the $50 price tag.

Here's my setup.
Water from my RO/DI goes into this container. The float valve on the right shuts off the RO and keeps it from overflowing the conatiner. The pump is plugged into the auto top off.
ato2_5-09.jpg


When the water level in the sump drops, the float switch turns on the pump and when it rises it shuts the pump off. The upper switch is a safety switch in case the lower 1 fails.
ato1_5-09.jpg


ato3_5-09.jpg
 
If I'm not using an connected Ro/DI and I just want a pump in another container, would I ust purchase the in sump set up? Ive got a small pump I think would work with it.

I want to make sure I get everything I need :)

Looks pretty easy to set up.
 
ALso since I have a non drilled tank.. whats the best way to prevent an overflow of water onto the floor if for some reason the siphon gets broke on the overflow? I plut in a anti siphon in the outputs, if the power gets shut off / pump stops that would help that.. but what if the pump is still going?

any help greatly appreciated!

Level control switch set up in a low level cut off position in the pump chamber of your sump.

If you make sure that there's enough room in your display tank to take the excess should the syphon break and pump stay running until the sump level is low enough to trip the cut off then you're covered. Added bonus of preventing the return pump running dry.
Similarly making sure there's enough room in your sump to take the excess from your display tank should the pump fail and syphon carry on.

You can buy some pretty good level control kits about, get one with 2/3 float switches and you could come up with an integrated ATO and LLCO (level low cut off).

Hope this helps :)
 
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