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Reefdaddy

DIY Auto topoff Ghetto ( but works.)

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Reefdaddy
, 10-12-2010 at 05:20 PM (5546 Views)
OK Since my Tank has been rock curing station for while now I needed a quick fix to handle topoff duties without spending more 10 bucks. So going back in my memory I rememberd we used to use carboys from water drinking machines and take a rubber stopper and drill hole in it to fit a pipe going down to trickle sump. I had carboys alreadyt but no stopper that require an air tight seal. So off to Walmart I went looking for stopper. I happened across this in the camping section.



It was 5 gallon like a carboy was and it was 5 dollars with a screw on lid that had a threaded female in the middle for a drinking spout. It being a square shape would save me huge on cutting out stands to put round carboy in. So I got it and took it home , you can see I drilled out the lid already.
I then got my pvc out the garage and configured a air tight spout that would end in the water as the water evaps the tip of the pvc will be exposed to air, Air will rush up the pvc and allow water down in gluging motion till it is filled, when the pvc tip is submerged water stops.




Very simple and very inexpensive, the only real drawback of the sysytem is the glug you get every now and then, but it worked for me and I grew used to it. Its still on there until I finish my cabinets and lights then Ill make a more today version of auto topoffd.

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Updated 10-12-2010 at 05:33 PM by Reefdaddy

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‎ DIY projects

Comments

  1. Ray's Avatar
    very simple top off never even thought of that.
  2. Reefdaddy's Avatar
    ty Ray. Its been a life saver on my back thats for sure.
  3. NightShade's Avatar
    My top off is a little different I actually did get a float valve and ran it to a 5 gallon water jug then started a siphon. After that line was running I set a second jug beside the first and began a siphon from the second to the first. Both jugs fall at the same rate even though the siphon to the tank only involves the one jug. To top them up I take a third jug and fill it with ro water and siphon into one of the other jugs and they both equal out after about a minute. I repeat untill both jugs are full and am good for about a week. As long as I don't loose the siphon at any point during the fill or when the jugs get real low everything works fine. Will take a few pics when I get a chance.
  4. Reefdaddy's Avatar
    yeah thats another way to do it Nightshade, This was a quick way for me being I went into surgery shortly after setup and could not lift anything heavier then a milk jug. Just drop my RO into it and refill it bang your done.
  5. dcombs44's Avatar
    For insurance sake, you may want to pipe thread the seals on the jug at the main spout and at the air vent.

    I have a few of those jugs from Wally World, and I've had issues with them being air/water tight at the seals. It'd be a bad deal if there was a way for air to get into the jug.

    Very cool and simple idea though.
  6. Reefdaddy's Avatar
    They come threaded dcombs, thats the beauty of them. little plumbers tape and bingo air tight,
  7. dcombs44's Avatar
    I meant thread tape.......but it appears that you thought of that as well.

  8. NightShade's Avatar
    Ok got some pics of my auto top off.



    Full pics and description here: http://nacl-h2o.ventshop.net/node/22