Huly March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 We tried hooking up the AVAST ATO with s maxi jet 12001200 pump. The sensor on the ATO never triggered and almost over flowed the tank. We cut the pump then it sucked an inch to 2the inches out of the tank back into the bucket and floor. We are running an air stone and a secondary RSM pump. We do not have any SW and too late to buy any. Our salinity is 1.025 but we can't run full pumps until we add SW. What should we and why did the pressure sensor stop the water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omair March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Can you show us a picture of how you have it setup in the sump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omair March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 How much SW do you need to top off your sump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 The sensor has to be at least half way submerged (half the tube filled with water) to activate the pressure switch. Just make sure the tube is several inches below the water line you want to keep in the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly March 27, 2013 Author Share March 27, 2013 We do not have a sump we had it in a bucket below tank. The Red Sea Max is an all in one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly March 27, 2013 Author Share March 27, 2013 Epleeds we almost had the entire tube submerged and it still kept pumping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 So you have the pump plugged into the ATO plugged into an outlet or strip right....the tube needs to be submerged about 1/2 to 1 inch and then you need to move it up along the back to see where it will kick in, and then set it where you want your top water level to be.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Do you ever hear the pump go on and off or it just stayed on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly March 27, 2013 Author Share March 27, 2013 It just stayed on non stop. Not sure if pez plugged pump into ATO or power strip. Will ask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armydoc March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Looks like right now you just need some SW - I'm out of town and usually have 20 gallons but that won't help you immediately but I'm sure there is a member in your area that can help out. But, in terms of how you got here I'm not completely tracking your set-up but I'll tell you how I set up my ATO. I started with the Avast non-controller version. MJ900 in bucket of RO. Tube heading up to tank but NOT submerged below waterline to prevent siphon. Left pump unplugged for now but was watching the LED and listening for the click from the switch. I placed the sensor tube about 50 percent in the holder. I then placed it in my display tank in my display tank almost submerged so the pump was off. I then slowly started raising the tube and holder together until I heard the click and saw the LED turn on. I then fine-tuned with the holder screw. Then plug in the pump. I made the switch over to a peristaltic as Avast suggests fairly quickly since the possibility of siphon was annoying. I have four of these switches of varying ages on my tank and have not had one fail yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I've got some, in arlington, I'll pm my cell if you need it. How much? Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 The avast is much easier.... Pressure gauge is a tube...which of course has a hose and plugg attached to the other end to plug the pump into...the tube senses the water level and tells the pump to turn on and off.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I've got salt in falls church you could mix up or I could do while you drive in I'll be up late with this baby thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Where are you at Huly? I have 20 gallons already made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netpez March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Hey guys... I think I am in a stable position till we run out to Fins N Feathers tomorrow. As you may or may not know, I have a red sea max 250. It has 2 pumps, a 317 gph and a 634 gph. I have lowered my overflow all the way down, turned off the protein skimmer off and turned off the primary pump (too powerful for the water loss - causing lots of splashing). I should be safe without a prtein skimmer for one day right? Now... How I got here: We got our avast ato and were all excited to use it. We got the standard version (no pump) per recommendations because the perialistic are supposedly loud (right now noise is the least of my issues). I had a couple people say that I can use my aqualifter pump, but when I saw the rating, it said it could only pump up 30". Well that was not going to fly since the cabinet is 32" tall and the tank is 27" tall (total of close to 5 feet). So I had a maxijet 1200 that says it can handle pumping up to 6 feet. I decided to go with that (unfortunately I had to run to home depot to get some 1/2" (inner diameter) tubing to run up to the tank from the pump in the reservoir (5 gallon bucket inside the cabinet). I assembled the maxijet, ran the tubing into the tank from the back. I then placed the ATO mount and tube in the chamber directly below the area marked 1 in the picure of the RSM sump below, I also placed the pump output in the same area further down into the sump area as to make sure there wasn't alot of surface ripple (the tube holder for the mount is for 1/4" not the 1/2" I have from the maxijet. I plugged in the ATO and then plugged in the pump into the ATO. Now before I plugged in the pump, I placed the ATO tube so that it's opening was right at the surface of the water (I planned on bringing it up to handle my topoff for the day that I typically do manually). Well water started pumping immediately (green light). I moved it down further into the water to stop it, no luck eventually I had almost the entire tube submerged and the pump kept running. So after getting flighty I was going to overrun my tank, I unplugged the ATO unit. Unfortunatley something I failed to do was remove the the water tube leading to the pump in the reservoir. Well... not sure the physics behind it, but I guess the water fell back towards the pump and started a siphon from my red sea max into my top off reservoir which I did not realize till I heard tinkling below me (I was on a ladder fiddling with the ATO). I managed to siphon a good 5-7 gallons of my tank water a caused a mess to soak up from my floor (I still have no idea how I missed that from being right above the tank at that time. So here I am cursing at myself and anyone who will listen in the room. Gotta pick up some saltwater tomorrow re top off the tank (hopefully corals and fish will be ok with my lesser pump running and a airstone, but no primary pump and skimmer. Could it be the pump I am using? maybe the size of the tubing? Help me Obi Wamas... you're my only hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I would get a dosing pump instead of the MJ1200 as that pump is way to much for an ATO. I know a lot of people use it but I still would not. Also to setup the ATO you dont plug in the pump to the ATO you simply plug the ATO in the wall and move the sensor until the green light turns off (assuming that is what you want your water level to stay). Sounds like you may have had water to the top of the tube but that is only a guess. It should have an air the the sensor tube itself so that way when the pressure changes it knows its low or full. As to whey the water kept on pumping it was a siphon. Make sure the return line is not in the water it should be above so that way when the water is full their is a gap from the return hose and the water and it will break the siphon. To run the night off of the air pump im not sure if I would do that to be honest. In an emergency it could work but you may suffer loss. Skimmer less is no problem since they really work over time and not a fast fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Oh and I stay up late so if you want to bring a 5 gallon bucket over (I live in Burke VA) I would be happy to give you enough salt water. I have 20 gallons waiting to be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I'm wondering if there is to mush distance between the pump,ATO,and plug? My pump is less than 6 inches from my ATO....my tubing is less than 2 ft long each...and my plug for the pump into the ATO and into the strip is less than 3 ft from my tank.... Sensor timing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I'm wondering if there is to mush distance between the pump,ATO,and plug? My pump is less than 6 inches from my ATO....my tubing is less than 2 ft long each...and my plug for the pump into the ATO and into the strip is less than 3 ft from my tank.... Sensor timing? I dont think it is that but I have noticed that if water gets in that tube that it changes when it trips. Happend more in the beginning and not much anymore. If it were to get full of water high in the tube it would cause an issue. Also where is he pumping the water too? I would pump it into the same chamber you are measuring but if he is pumping it up that high maybe he is pumping to the top of the tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy G March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 I found this information here so it sounds like it is a common issue on this tank. You might even want to call Avast to see if they have set that one up before on that tank and what they would suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 definate check vavle time ...or better yet put the output of the ATO above the waterline to prevent any syphon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Sorry to hear about the mess! Please let me know if you think the switch is faulty. We test them all by hand before packing them, but still, doing a test by blowing into the sensor before setting it up is always a good idea (step 3 in manual) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Sounds like you just had a siphon bc the ATO reservoir was below the tank. You need a check valve of some sort to prevent this from happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netpez March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 Sorry to hear about the mess! Please let me know if you think the switch is faulty. We test them all by hand before packing them, but still, doing a test by blowing into the sensor before setting it up is always a good idea (step 3 in manual) Yeah we did that a bunch of times to make sure it was working properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 March 27, 2013 Share March 27, 2013 sounds like a check valve(s) or an air gap between the top off's output and the sump / tank is what you need. Either break the siphon with the air gap or stop it with a check valve. I prefer the air gap as it never fails. A 1/2" pipe holder is what I used to secure the tubing in place above the water line. Otherwise there is a risk it will fall on the floor and then the ATO will pump your RODI all over the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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