bbyatv November 19, 2007 Share November 19, 2007 I stole this idea from some place on the web and made some modifications so that it would work. I have been using it for three weeks and it works perfectly. I can post pics if you like. Here is the general idea: To build and use this gravity style auto top off system. You will need the following materials: 1. A 4 litter wine bottle. 2. About 10 or so feet of air line tubing 3. Silicone sealant 4. An air line valve. (I used one that came with a power head for the venturi) 5. An 18" long piece of 1/2" PVC 6. An 1/2" PVC pipe cap 7. 8 inches of hard air line that will just squeeze inside the air line tubing 1. Take the wine bottle and drill 3 holes in the cap that are just a hair smaller that the air line you will use. 2. Feed/squeeze three pieces of air line tubing through the 3 holes in the cap 3. Make the tubing long is enough to reach the sump from where you will keep the wine bottle. 4. Cut 3 pieces of 2 inch long hard air line and force them up into the air line tubing from the inside of the cap. (This will make a nice tight seal between the air line tubing and the cap as shown below) 5. Seal the 3 tubes and cap with some silicone sealant. 6. Add a piece of air line tubing that will reach the bottom of the bottle to the end of the hard air line that flows water to the sump. 6. Drill a hole in the PVC cap just big enough to force the end of the air line tubing through it. 7. Force a 2 inch piece of hard air line up into the air line tubing to create a tight fit with the cap. (Just like the wine bottle cap) 8. Silicone the outside of the cap and tubing. 9. Cement the PVC cap on to the end of the 1/2" PVC tube. To use the set up. 1. Mount the PVC tube above the sump in some way so that the tube is fixed and can not move. The end of the tube that is in the sump will determine the water level in the sump. So to adjust the water higher, move the tube up. 2. Fill the bottle with DI water. 3. Place the cap on the bottle and make sure it is tight. 4. Place the bottle so that it is higher than the sump. (Gravity works!) 5. Open the valve on the air line tubing. 6. Suck on the tubing that will flow the make up water down to the sump and get a siphon started. 7. Stick the end of the tubing you just started the siphon in into the sump area where the PVC tube is located. The end of this siphon line needs to be in the water. This prevents air from going back up the tube and killing the siphon. 8. Close the valve on the air line tubing. 9. Water will run from the bottle into the sump until the water level reaches the botom of the PVC tube and creates a hydaulic lock on the siphon. 10. When the water evaporates from your tank the water level in the sump will drop below the end of the PVC tube and allow air into the water bottle allowing the siphon to start again and water will flow into the sump until the level once again reaches the PVC tubing. If you have any questions let me know. Bruce This system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phisigs79 November 19, 2007 Share November 19, 2007 GUETTO FABULOUS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv November 19, 2007 Author Share November 19, 2007 Here are some pics: Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax7774 November 19, 2007 Share November 19, 2007 Thats awesome Bruce. really ingenious setup you have there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 19, 2007 Share November 19, 2007 that is very cool, I might try that out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 g-hetto but if it works... I also cant say much considering that light i was using Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOT November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 BRILLIANT!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 You all have some different definition of "simple" than I do! I was lost at diagram #1 ROFL The only intriguing part of this project for me would be emptying the wine bottle. Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 The only intriguing part of this project for me would be emptying the wine bottle. Group build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 Group build! Now *that* is a group build I would be interested in! ROFL T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigJPDC November 20, 2007 Share November 20, 2007 You all have some different definition of "simple" than I do! I was lost at diagram #1 ROFL The only intriguing part of this project for me would be emptying the wine bottle. Tracy Love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Stearns November 22, 2007 Share November 22, 2007 put some kalk in the bottom of the bottle and it will stir itself every time you add water to the bottle- NOW then, you have a kalk auto top off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore November 22, 2007 Share November 22, 2007 How do you refill the bottle? It seems like you need to unscrew the cap and break the siphon to refill it. Even my 29 gal tank goes through more than a gallon per day of topoff water, so this would need to be done daily. Am I missing something? This is clever but seems a bit unwieldy. A bucket with a JG bulkhead in the bottom to a $10 mechanical float valve accomplishes the same thing without the need to reset a siphon tube. Just pour some water in the bucket and you're done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv November 22, 2007 Author Share November 22, 2007 I am adding calc and alk with dosing pumps. These two dosing pumps provide the majority of the evaporated water. The auto top off just makes up the rest. I am refilling the 4 liter bottle 1 time a week and the 2 one gallon calc/alk bottles 1 time a week as well. I use RHF recipe #1. As far as the float falve set up, these work as well. Just a different approach. I prefer not to have to worry about electronics and things getting jammed up. Bruce How do you refill the bottle? It seems like you need to unscrew the cap and break the siphon to refill it. Even my 29 gal tank goes through more than a gallon per day of topoff water, so this would need to be done daily. Am I missing something? This is clever but seems a bit unwieldy. A bucket with a JG bulkhead in the bottom to a $10 mechanical float valve accomplishes the same thing without the need to reset a siphon tube. Just pour some water in the bucket and you're done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak November 23, 2007 Share November 23, 2007 BRILLIANT!! Time for some guiness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 23, 2007 Share November 23, 2007 I think the world's simplest auto topoff would be to rig something that you can put an upside-down water bottle on. Just like the water cooler at the office. Pretty tried and true. Water goes below a certain level, air bubble enters, water comes out. Might not look very sexy, but if you have a sump behind a wall, out of view, what the heck? Much simpler than all those tubes all over the place. LOL But then again, people have been known to call me "simple-minded". Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zobey November 27, 2007 Share November 27, 2007 i like the idea of the "water cooler style" setup. This is much simpler. It would require a mechanical float valve of some type though or all the water will simply flow from the jug into the sump. Anyone have a resource for mechanical float valves that have a small footprint to fit in an already crowded sump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv November 27, 2007 Author Share November 27, 2007 (edited) For a gravity fed float valve set up. Use a 5 gallon bottle that would feed a float valve like the one found here: http://www.texashydroponics.com/shop/Float...ting-p-847.html No seal needed in this configuration. I use one of these valves in my DI water system. If you are willing to wire in a pump, then it wouold not need to be gravity fed. I am not real high on the pump idea. Bruce Here is a pic of the float valve in place on my DI water system: (see http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?show...&hl=bbyatv) i like the idea of the "water cooler style" setup. This is much simpler. It would require a mechanical float valve of some type though or all the water will simply flow from the jug into the sump. Anyone have a resource for mechanical float valves that have a small footprint to fit in an already crowded sump? Edited November 27, 2007 by bbyatv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante411x February 10, 2014 Share February 10, 2014 And in the effort of keeping old threads alive... I wanna try making this! Does anyone still bother using something like this? Or have there been any serious mishaps? I have two uses for it (neither are the DT). One - ATO for 40g breeder QT that I've recently aquired. Two - ATO for 54g rubbermaid bin of live rocks that are soaking themselves for the next foreseeable future. I figure that I need to go out of town quite often sometimes up to a week and both could use this setup just in case... Or, I could just buy float switches and pumps. Or actual ATO's.. But seems like a waste of money for something that doesn't necessarily need the hi tech approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo February 10, 2014 Share February 10, 2014 A bucket with a JG bulkhead in the bottom to a $10 mechanical float valve accomplishes the same thing without the need to reset a siphon tube. Just pour some water in the bucket and you're done. This is the type of ATO I'm using. Very happy with the performance/maintenance, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo February 10, 2014 Share February 10, 2014 Sorry, just to add, the only mishaps I've had are when I left the valve closed during some maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now