robz Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 (rock2) I have a 40gal. Rubbermaid in my garage that has a R/O line running from it through the wall to a Aquamedic parastellic pump that pumps the R/O into my PM Kalk reactor. The Aquamedic is plugged into a float switch from autotopoff.com.. It worked flawlessly for around 2 months. Water level would drop in the sump and the float switch would click on the Aquamedic and it would fill my sump with lime water untill it reached the switch. Now all of the sudden it won't stop. I mean the Aquamedic turns off but it keeps feeding limewater from the reactor. The Rubbermaid is higher then the sump but I never had a problem with it stopping untill recently. How do you all have your topoff set up? This thing is going to kill my tank if I forget to close the valve manually. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzypop Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 hey robz I've done the lots of different ways but always come back to SpectraPure's Liquid Level Control as my favorite. It works really well and a lot less equipment in the mix and really safe. You can see it here and it is all you need. You can put a kalk reactor downstream from it if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 So the Aquamedic turns off but still pumps water to the tank? When the Aquamedic turns off doesn't the tubing have a pinch in it so that water cannot flow thru it? I am not following whats going on. Or does the Aquamedic turn off, but the water in the reactor, which is after the Aquamedic, keep flowing into the sump? If this is the case, have you cleaned it recently? Kalk builds up deposits pretty quickly IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzypop Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 sounds like it is gravity feeding but either way you should install a mechanical float on the water line coming into your sump for this reason Kent makes one and I think most LFS carry them. That way if it is gravity feeding the mechanical float will be a secondary safety float. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 sounds like it is gravity feeding but either way you should install a mechanical float on the water line coming into your sump for this reason Kent makes one and I think most LFS carry them. That way if it is gravity feeding the mechanical float will be a secondary safety float. Thats what i was going to suggest as well. Pretty simple fix, 30 bucks or so shipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 I agree with Shaun the Spectrapure liquid level controller is really nice and easy, it however will add alot of water at once (which is better for your RO unit) unless you pinch down the output. It typically has a 1-2 inch swing in sump water depth, if you have a big sump this could mean you would dump in gallons of kalk not drips. so, if your going to use it I would slow the flow so it doesnt shock the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 Yes it is gravity feeding but I never had a problem with it stoping the flow when it turned off. Now it just keeps on running. I guess the easiest fix is to put a float in the sump. Thanks for the link Shaun that looks like a good topoff setup. Not crazy about the fact that it drops 2 in. in water before it's activated though. I'll do more research on it. Thanks for all the help on this evryone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 How old is the hose in the peristaltic pump? If water is getting past the rollers the tube in the pump may need to be replaced. If it's in good shape there should never be an "open circuit" through the system as you describe it... The hose in the pump is always pinched off at one point or another. The hose for my Liter Meter III is around $15. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Ben i think the water is draining out of the kalk reactor, which sits between the peristaltic pump and the sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2R2 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 When using a kalk reactor downstream from a ro/di, you need to be sure not to feed full line pressure into the reactor with a valve after the reactor. Frequently, ro/di can still have 30psi after the filters and membranes, which is more pressure than plexiglass reactors were made to withstand. It might work, but it might fail(spectacularly). Careful not to make a plexiglass bomb under your tank. R2R2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Ben i think the water is draining out of the kalk reactor' date=' which sits between the peristaltic pump and the sump.[/quote'] If the output of the kalkreactor is on the lid then water would have to be siphoning out of the reactor... in which case it is still getting water or air from somewhere upstream... could be a plumbing connection, the pump, the lid of the reactor... etc etc. In other words the perstaltic pump is stopping the flow of water correctly but the reactor is above the water line and continuing to sipon water into the tank because it has a source of air after the pump... there would be air filling the reactor if that was the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted June 9, 2007 Author Share Posted June 9, 2007 When using a kalk reactor downstream from a ro/di, you need to be sure not to feed full line pressure into the reactor with a valve after the reactor. Frequently, ro/di can still have 30psi after the filters and membranes, which is more pressure than plexiglass reactors were made to withstand. It might work, but it might fail(spectacularly). Careful not to make a plexiglass bomb under your tank. R2R2 No it's draining the 40 gal. Rubbermaid can in the garage. The R/O unit is hooked to a float in the rubbermaid. The problem is I can't figure out how to make a siphon break so that when the aquamedic turns off the flow stops from the rubbermaid to the kalk reactor to the sump. Right now I have it rigged so I open a valve at the end of the R/O line that leads to the sump once in the morning before work, and again when I get home to topoff. I leave it open enough to deliver one drop per sec. in between these times. For now it is working ok but it's too hands on. I want it automated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2R2 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Maybe I don't understand the problem, but,... is the solution to your problem not as easy as elevating the outflow of the reactor to a point above the highest water level in the rubbermaid? For example, if you had to, could you not clip the outflow tube from the reactor onto the inside of the overflow of your tank so that the end of the tube was hanging in an air space but the flow would join the water draining from your tank to your sump. This would keep the rubbermaid water from running uphill and keep tank water from backsiphoning. R2R2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 ... is the solution to your problem not as easy as elevating the outflow of the reactor to a point above the highest water level in the rubbermaid? R2R2 I agree with you, Ryan. It would remove a "Murphy's law" failure point also... I would be afraid of coming home one day to find 40 gallons of fresh water had drained in to the tank (and with my luck it would happen when I was on vacation. DOH! ) Still, the water is finding a path from the rubbermaid to the tank when the peristaltic pump should be stopping it. I would still check the pump for a worn out hose or a broken roller or something... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 I agree with you, Ryan. It would remove a "Murphy's law" failure point also... I would be afraid of coming home one day to find 40 gallons of fresh water had drained in to the tank (and with my luck it would happen when I was on vacation. ) Still, the water is finding a path from the rubbermaid to the tank when the peristaltic pump should be stopping it. I would still check the pump for a worn out hose or a broken roller or something... Ben I did replace the hose and inspect the rollers. They we're fine.I have tried raiseing the reactor above the sump water and the pump is not strong enough. Really crappy piece of equipment that I highly do not reccomend.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkto Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Well I know what Krux would say if he was here... get a Liter Meter III! I finally listened to him and it's probably the best thing I've added to my system. I rarely touch the thing and my water level is always spot on... mine is pulling water up one story from a 55 gallon drum in the basement then pushing through the kalk reactor and then to the sump. Besides, it's more fun to throw money at a problem instead of fixing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 Besides, it's more fun to throw money at a problem instead of fixing it. Yes I agree with that. Now if that money tree would just hurry up and grow.(laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.