Feeding Nilsen Reactor

[Guest Kimo]

How do you all feed your nilsen reactors with RO water?  Snapper - This is directed at you mostly, but I'd like to hear from anyone.

 

Thanks,

 

Jamie

[michaelg]

Jamie, do you have a resevoir for the RO water or is it plumbed directly to the sump.  In the former case, you can get an electronic float switch.  This connect to an electrical box which you plug in a powerhead.  You put the powerhead in the RO water and hook up to the reactor.  When sump level of water drops, it activates the powerhead feeding the reactor.  Excess water from reactor then goes into the sump through out the day.  If you have the RO directly to the tank, you can use a float arm in the sump, and plumb the reactor to this.  Have your RO going to the reactor.  This will create more pressure in the reactor though.  Else, people use various timers of sorts or peristaltic pumps, though these cost a bit more IMO and are harder to fine tune the amount.

Hope that helps some.  Others may have alternative suggestions.

Michael

[Guest Kimo]

Well, my main issue with the float switch (I have one) is that it can cause a siphon if the RO resevoir is higher than the sump.  Anyone have this problem too?

 

Peristalic pumps would work well because they have no siphoning capability (they pinch shut the tubing when they are off).

 

Jamie

[michaelg]

my res is on the same level as the sump.  If yours is heigher, can you use it to gravity feed the reactor and put one of those kent floats in the sump that opens when the water level drops, else feed it with a powerhead and use a check valve (I have one you can have that fits tubing that will fit over a maxijet)?  This way you have the shutoff at the sump.

[Guest snapper]

I'll give you my system in a word schematic.  RODI filter goes into RO reservoir.  A float "valve" maintains level.

 

A float "switch" (electric) senses sump level and turns on a CSL Ti-1 pump to push RO water through a AES check valve (1/2") into the reactor then into the sump.

 

Any syphoning problem can be cured with a simple check-valve from AES.  You could use a Maxi-Jet 1200 to drive the reactor if you wanted to.  My Ti pump is also my mixing pump and transfer pump.

 

So.  RODI filter to reservoir thru float valve.  Transfer pump, actuated by float switch in sump, goes to reactor to sump.

 

Level falls, float switch turns on Ti pump, pushes water thru reactor, refills sump, switch turns pump off, ad nauseum.

 

This can be done with much smaller, cheaper equipment, that draws far less power.  You could also hook your RODI efluent straight up to the reactor (in this set-up a check valve is a requirement)

 

Kimo,  If you want to drop by on fri/sat to take another lok, you're welcome.  Periostatic pumps are way too expensive, and the same thing can be achieved with a powerhead and a small valve.

 

My .02 cents, did I answer the question?

 

Snapper

[Sph2sail]

I have a 20g rubbermaid brute trash can filled with RO/DI water.  I have a Maxijet 1200 powerhead at the bottom of that container pumping out.  It goes through a solenoid from LifeReef that stops syphoning and back flow.  Flows into quick connect connectors into my Nilsen reactor.  Flows out into sump.

 

Pump/solenoid are triggered by a LifeReef float switch in the sump.  I like this switch as it is low voltage in the sump, it stays w/in about 1/8" of water level, and it is baffled for wave protection.

 

Simple.  Works.  LifeReef stuff is about $150, but it is flawless so far.

 

s