lazyreefer

Senior Member
Location
Flushing, Queens
Rating - 100%
55   0   0
I guess you get what you paid for... I bought a float switch from here about a week ago:

http://www.californiareefs.com/forsale.htm

because it was cheapest place I can find for a float switch.
It worked perfectly fine for 5 days and bam it was stuck on position even though the float was to the top ( where it should have switched off ). I was lucky enough to show my roommate how the auto top off worked because he was walking by the tank and saw it that tank was starting to overflow and unplugged the power head from the auto top off just as it was over flowing (I dont have a sump so it does not take a lot of water to over flow). Tested it out side of the tank by moving the float up and down and it seems to work ok but in the water it is always stuck on on position. This leads me to believe that there is a small leak on the top off unit and the circuit is always on in slat water ( shocking my tank prob too). I have emailed person who made this unit last night and did not hear from him yet.

well just a warning for you guys to check the top off unit and I will update how the seller resolves or not resolve the problem.
 

PalmTree

Senior Member
Location
CT
Rating - 100%
23   0   0
At least you were at the right place at the right time! Imagine you went away for a few days?!?!?! Not only would you lose everything in the tank but you'd have water damage all over the place! Consider yourself lucky!
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
448   2   0
Redundancy is the key in auto top offs. I run my float switch through an Intermatic Digital Timer. The timer comes on 6 times a day (every 4 hrs).

If there was enough evaporation during that 4 hr period, then the float switch 'calls' for water. The digital timer is set to come on for only one minute. This is to provide only about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon to the sump ( I have a ball valve restricting flow from my topoff tub). So if the switch were to get stuck in the 'on' position, the most water it could deliver to the tank in any given 24 hr period would be 3 - 4 gallons. My system evaporates about 2 gallons in the summer and 1.5 gallons in the winter. This would not be enough water to crash the tank or cause any flooding for quite some time. Enough time, for me to realize there's a problem, I hope.

If during the 4 hr 'off' period there wasn't enough evaporation then when the timer came on it wouldn't call for water.

I figure if I've got a malfunction, this backup system would give me the 'heads up' that I need to fix it.

swimmer
 
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
as lazyreefer has stated this has happened many times to many reefers.. hes lucky he caught it in time.... thank the stars... thats why i use the old school technique its cheap and easy just fill and pour 2 x a day (morning or afternoon and night...) the way i do it is a simplistic approach and i feel it cant be messed up...
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
448   2   0
Tonyscoots84 said:
as lazyreefer has stated this has happened many times to many reefers.. hes lucky he caught it in time.... thank the stars... thats why i use the old school technique its cheap and easy just fill and pour 2 x a day (morning or afternoon and night...) the way i do it is a simplistic approach and i feel it cant be messed up...

I guess you don't go away for vacations or long weekends :fishhit:
Gotta have some contingency plans in place, and TESTED, before you leave for that long weekend T.

swimmer
 

Quang

Advanced Reefer
Location
NYC
Rating - 100%
32   0   0
masterswimmer said:
Redundancy is the key in auto top offs. I run my float switch through an Intermatic Digital Timer. The timer comes on 6 times a day (every 4 hrs).

If there was enough evaporation during that 4 hr period, then the float switch 'calls' for water. The digital timer is set to come on for only one minute. This is to provide only about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon to the sump ( I have a ball valve restricting flow from my topoff tub). So if the switch were to get stuck in the 'on' position, the most water it could deliver to the tank in any given 24 hr period would be 3 - 4 gallons. My system evaporates about 2 gallons in the summer and 1.5 gallons in the winter. This would not be enough water to crash the tank or cause any flooding for quite some time. Enough time, for me to realize there's a problem, I hope.

If during the 4 hr 'off' period there wasn't enough evaporation then when the timer came on it wouldn't call for water.

I figure if I've got a malfunction, this backup system would give me the 'heads up' that I need to fix it.

swimmer

master thats a damn good plan!...I would go with Josh's suggestion and get two, first and then make a back-up process like Russ's.
 
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
masterswimmer said:
I guess you don't go away for vacations or long weekends :fishhit:
Gotta have some contingency plans in place, and TESTED, before you leave for that long weekend T.

swimmer

russ my plan is to have 5 5gallon buckets filled with rodi water before i leave for vacation ready.. my cousin gots the keys to the house... so there my plan just drop by once a day and add water.. woot woot..:type: :grouphug: :duh:
 
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
yea from what i learned from cali-reef, if the return pipe from the skimmer is submerged in the water like they usually are, your skimmer will fluctuate, because something with the water in the sump is giving back pressure into the skimmer through that return pipe from the skimmer... thats why it fluctuates.. i cut that pipe so its sits a lil above the water level which fixed that problem.. in one day i only loose less then 1 1/2 gallons of water...

as of right now this works.. but i no in the near future i will get annoyed and go buy myself some topoff parts that i would need to set it up.. and will def. use masters idea.... (great idea by the way master..)
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
I am still waiting for lazyreefer to respond to my earlier questions. In the mean time I am guessing he is using the cheaper version of the float switch he linked, they should not be used to switch on-off a powerhead, the micro reed switch will fuse together under inductive loads.

Two of the same switch or even with a timer will not prevent the switch from fusing close. You need to use this micro switch to control a relay, turning on the top off water powerhead or solenoid valve.
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
Tonyscoots84 said:
yea from what i learned from cali-reef, if the return pipe from the skimmer is submerged in the water like they usually are, your skimmer will fluctuate, because something with the water in the sump is giving back pressure into the skimmer through that return pipe from the skimmer...

This only applies to certain types of skimmer, not everyone have the same skimmer.
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
448   2   0
cali_reef said:
Two of the same switch or even with a timer will not prevent the switch from fusing close. You need to use this micro switch to control a relay, turning on the top off water powerhead or solenoid valve.

Pierce,
The timer will not prevent the switch from fusing closed. However, it will limit the amount of topoff water delivered to the system, thereby averting a crash. It is used as a failsafe. When the timer is 'off' if the switch fuses in the closed position it won't complete the circuit. This doesn't negate the need for a quality float switch, but it does prevent the catastrophic accident.

Russ
 

lazyreefer

Senior Member
Location
Flushing, Queens
Rating - 100%
55   0   0
I guess what I got what I paid for .... POS. I did not want to shell out $$ for two float auto top off system but now I prob will. I think I will go with a JBJ ATO
http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_ato.html
or
one of these bad boys
http://www.oceanussystems.com/products/index.html

paired up with a aqua lifter
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=OE1137
so even if i have a failure on both float switches (with my luck I prob will)

it will only pump 3.5 gallon an hour max

the person who made the top off still did not get back to me yet...

Thanks for all the ideas guys!. master swimmer where did you get the digital timer? thanks
 

Reefer420

Advanced Reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
I have the single ATO switch from Californiareefs.com - its been running great for the last 8+ months... though I have been worried about not having any kind of cut off or a second switch for that matter. I will be upgrading soon too.

Masterswimmer- are you talking about the 16g having 2g of topoff a day??? I think mine only does 2g a week! btw- can you give a link to the timer you use, thats a great idea!

Cali- I am not sure what you mean by "Two of the same switch or even with a timer will not prevent the switch from fusing close. You need to use this micro switch to control a relay, turning on the top off water powerhead or solenoid valve."

What do you mean by not having it directly control the powerhead? The float switch I use goes right to a split- I plug my powerhead into one side and the other goes to the electrical outlet...sorry if that sounds confusing...


Lazy - I think a lof of reefers have good things to say about the JBJ ATO system - and its not too badly priced either.
 
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