Automatic Water Change System

[daninthesand]

Chong.

I have been using a device now for about six months and so far it is flawless. Check out this link where I go over the details.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index...d=3467;start=0

You might find a use for it. It can be used with any storage container (even glass) without drilling a hole through the side. It can simply be placed in through the top of the container and hung in the water at whatever height you decide. Just make sure it stays at a specific height (depth). It senses the depth of the water (pressure). It works at any angle and is adjustable with a little screw.


Daniel

[BlueTurquoise]

Kev, thanks for those pics! very cool setup! I don't need RO so it is straight tap for me on the feed end. I think it is simpler than your system but I am very impressed! wow how long did it take you to set taht up?

Daniel, yeah I have been referring to that post of yours regularly for the past 2 weeks! I can't get a hold of taht unit anywhere. Doesn't matter as I have found a very simple side mounted float valve which will do just that but requires drilling my plastic container. No biggy so long as it works!

I am now trying to retrofit thsi unit to my existing tap setup , I have a few problems with space but I think I can work it out. When I do I will post you pics on what it turns out to look like. Already I have saved alot of time and back breaking work with just hoses and pumps! phew! can't wait to partially automate it!

Thanks for the advice guys. Me learning lots!
Chong

[kevster]

Those last 2 pics came out terrible so I just wanted to put them up better.

[kevster]

and the last one

[BlueTurquoise]

Wow what a setup you got there Kev! nice, i wish I had enough space...

When you say a timer goes off to pump in waste water, are they those PVC tubes that sit halfway up the tank? so does the pump drain only up to that level? Does the pump every run dry? What type of failsafe's do you have? ie overflows incase something goes wrong?

Thanks for the posts Kev

[BlueTurquoise]

Hey Kev you may know this,

do you drill your own tanks? Can you tell me exactly what I need to do and how to do it in simple steps? Do you need to reinforce the glass with wood or something before you drill? or is there other ways of doing it? I have no idea...

Chong

[kevster]

Chong
The tanks are all drilled and the pvc in the tank goes up to about 1 inch from the top of the tank.. the pump is an $18 submersible pump i got online and is plugged into a $6.00 timer you get at home depot. The timers is on for an hour and yes it pumps then right down to the bottom of the container but once it starts sucking air it can't get all of the water so its still sitting in about 2 inches of water. I have overflows on all three containers (1 r/o water and 2 waste water. ) Once the water level on the r/o water container is almost full that float valve shuts off the r/o unit so no more water flowing. If the float valve failed it the r/o unit would keep producing water but it would all overflow to a drain.

Now as for drilling tanks. Very easy. You have to buy a diamond drill bit for about $45.00. Then I got a piece of styrafoam about 2 inches thick and sat the tank on that. Put a little water in the tank about 1/4 inch. Get a piece of wood or plexiglass about any size will do as long as it fits in your tank. a 6 in by 6 in is good. Drill a hole in that first. This is a guide hole. Now position the guide hole piece in your tank where you want the hole. Start drilling the hole. About 10 secounds is all you need and then you can stop and remove the guide hole. When I 1st started drilling tanks I tried to put equal pressure on the drill as it made the hole. That was WRONG. It was taking me about 10 minutes to drill a tank. I realized if you kind of tipped the drill or kind of move it in a circular motion putting pressure on different areas you could drill a hole in about 25 secounds. I did crack a few tanks when I 1st started but after I started moving the drill around I didn't break one. I got brave enough to drill a 70 gallon tank 3/4 full of water with a cordless drill

Later
kev

[BlueTurquoise]

Wow. ok... I will have to think hard about that one... I only want to drill 1 tank...

I am looking into hang on the back overflows. Do they work? i suppose provided that it was a big enough to empty the capacity that my pump was pumping in. hmm will have to work on this one a little.

Thanks for the info. No doubt I will have more questions for you very soon. Hope you don't mind!

Chong

[kevster]

For 1 tank thats probaly the way to go, You can make them yourself and just use 1 1/4 in pvc as it looks like the ones the sell are 3/4 in pvc.
Later time to hit the hay.

[BlueTurquoise]

Thanks Kev. Go to sleep!

When you wake up: how does hang on the back's work??? if the water level drops and the siphon is broken then how does it work when the tank starts to overflow??? confused...

Chong

[Jason]

Kev,

nice set up! are you just setting the hot/cold mix with the valves, or useing a thermostaticly controlled device?

what happens if someone has a shower??

[kevster]

Chong
I haven't used one I just read what other people have said.
But if the siphon fails your in trouble. There is a thread somewhere that I read about making your own

If I see it L will send you the link
kev

[kevster]

Jason

I am just using the valves. Cold is open all the way for full pressure and hot is open about 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn to bring temp up to 82. You must use check valves because the higher pressure from the cold could back feed into the hot water pipe without them. Timers are set to do changes at about 9 am so right now kids are in school, wifes at work and I am at work so no ones using water. And anyway even if someone did take a shower and the temp fluctuated a little bit the water goes into containers with heaters so it really would't matter. I am told the r/o unit works better with the warmer water also
later
kev

[Jason]

gotcha cool, thanks

[BlueTurquoise]

Thanks Kev, you are a library of info!

I have researched the box overflows and they are definately not failsafe. If the siphon breaks then they are usless. But if the siphon is engaged then it will start removing water full time. So the only answer is that I drill my tank.

Chong