ATO info

salt life

salt life

Active Member
right now for my top off I have a mag pump in a garbage can with plumbing to my sump,I drilled 2 holes in the plumbing near the pump so the pump can stay on and it just circulates the water in the garbage can. when I need to top off I have to turn a ball valve and do it myself, then after a couple days fill up the garbage can.
can someone point me to a site that sells ATO that aren't crazy expensive and explain to me if it is easy to set up with what they send you or is there more I would need to buy?would I still use my garbage can just plumb it with a different pump?
I would like to get one since they make it much easier but I never fully understood them and what I would have to do to get it.
if I left anything out please add, thanks.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I have an airwaterice unit...the one listed for $139.95
I bought the float, put it in a container, and it is an ato...NO PUMP NEEDED
I then bought another float, and 25 feet of the hose, and a T...ran the hose under the house..came up to the sump in the 225, put float in sump, I now have ato in my 225g
NO PUMPS REQUIRED
If I can do this...anyone can. Well actually my husband did it, but same applies LOL
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3101203
I have an airwaterice unit...the one listed for $139.95
I bought the float, put it in a container, and it is an ato...NO PUMP NEEDED
I then bought another float, and 25 feet of the hose, and a T...ran the hose under the house..came up to the sump in the 225, put float in sump, I now have ato in my 225g
NO PUMPS REQUIRED
If I can do this...anyone can. Well actually my husband did it, but same applies LOL
I'm not lookin to spend that much, i think it was Autotopoff.com that has a set for 40 bucks, what else do i need if i get that?
EDIT: this one; http://autotopoff.com/products/SS1/
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/3101261
nope, so the one in the link... what do you think
Can't help you with that, sorry. I am sure someone has something like it though. Maybe
The only thing I know about ato is what we did here.
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3101264
Can't help you with that, sorry. I am sure someone has something like it though. Maybe
The only thing I know about ato is what we did here.

thank you for your input though.
anyone else have some advice about the one in the link?
 
kube

kube

Member
i have the same exact one from them. works like a champ.....one issue that will need to be addressed with it, but easy to fix for $2.
When the pump comes on and your reserve tank is full it will draw a siphon and over fill you tank......easy fix just hard to explain in words
your pump sits in the bottom of the garbage can or what ever you have it in....you need to cut a piece of pvc pipe that will stick over the bucket about two inches.....so attach your pump to the 1/2 tubing then stick the tubing into the pvc pipe and it comes out the end and runs to your tank. when all said and down the pvc pipe will be a few inched talled than the bucket. now drill a small whole in the tubing above the bucket line but below the top of the pvc pipe....when the pump shuts off the hole breaks the siphon and the pvc pipe keeps hole above bucket line and keeps water from going out the hole onto the carpet....
i can take a pic that will show you what i mean if that doesn't make any sence...other wise my ato from them works great..wouldn't change it for anything
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kube
http:///forum/post/3101474
i have the same exact one from them. works like a champ.....one issue that will need to be addressed with it, but easy to fix for $2.
When the pump comes on and your reserve tank is full it will draw a siphon and over fill you tank......easy fix just hard to explain in words
your pump sits in the bottom of the garbage can or what ever you have it in....you need to cut a piece of pvc pipe that will stick over the bucket about two inches.....so attach your pump to the 1/2 tubing then stick the tubing into the pvc pipe and it comes out the end and runs to your tank. when all said and down the pvc pipe will be a few inched talled than the bucket. now drill a small whole in the tubing above the bucket line but below the top of the pvc pipe....when the pump shuts off the hole breaks the siphon and the pvc pipe keeps hole above bucket line and keeps water from going out the hole onto the carpet....
i can take a pic that will show you what i mean if that doesn't make any sence...other wise my ato from them works great..wouldn't change it for anything
if you don't mind taking a pic, I can't picture it in my head.
so you got the one I posted for them for 40? did you buy a pump from them too or can I use the mag pump that I am aalready using?
thanks
 
kube

kube

Member
i bought the next one up for 50 i think with the two floats, second one to act as a fail safe if the first one got stuck up.....i bought one of the pumps from there site...dont think the pump really matter to be honest...
i bought one from them guess. pump really doesn't mater what you use.
might be a few days till i can get you a picture, waiting for new laptop from newegg....
heres a crappy picture i just made in paint on my work pc.
the black pvc is a tee and a long part stuck together, i just feed the water line through the tee and up out the top of the pvc and drill a hole where the arrow points in the water line inside the pvc not the pvc it self...let me know if you have question....
just run the water line to inside you tank/sump, note how the pvc pipe is taller that the bucket of water and how the hole you drill will always be above the water line, but below the end of the pvc to keep all water inside the bucket because it will squirt out when the pump runs, not enough to matter but you dont want it getting all over
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
thanks for the drawing, I thin I understand it for the most part but if you can still take some pics whenever you get the chance so I can see the product and how you have it set up...
thank you!
 
number1gsxxr

number1gsxxr

Member
I'm not familiar with the autotopoff .com one but I used the deluxe one from aqua hub. I've been using mine for several months now and it works great. I have it hooked up so the float switches are in my sump and I use an aqua lifter for the pump but you could probably use the pump you have. The kits have everything you need usually without the pump. Whatever you end up with, get one that has 2 float switches. That way one can act as a backup.
The kit I have is do-it-yourself so there is a fair amount of cutting, drilling, and wiring involved. It's all pretty basic stuff but if you are not good at doing projects then you might be better off spending the money on one already built. It sounds like you would be able to do it though.
 
salt life

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by number1Gsxxr
http:///forum/post/3105376
I'm not familiar with the autotopoff .com one but I used the deluxe one from aqua hub. I've been using mine for several months now and it works great. I have it hooked up so the float switches are in my sump and I use an aqua lifter for the pump but you could probably use the pump you have. The kits have everything you need usually without the pump. Whatever you end up with, get one that has 2 float switches. That way one can act as a backup.
The kit I have is do-it-yourself so there is a fair amount of cutting, drilling, and wiring involved. It's all pretty basic stuff but if you are not good at doing projects then you might be better off spending the money on one already built. It sounds like you would be able to do it though.
thank you, I will look in to that one. I got a response today from the guy at autotopoff.com and he said what they send you is pretty much plug and play. so since I have been tight on time to do stuff with the tank i might just order it and see how it goes.they have a single mount (which i was looking at)and a double mount, so your saying to get the doulbe mount so the one above is a backup?
thanks for the help.
 
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