Float Valve with gravity feed

[shiby1510]

I was thinking about having an auto topoff for my tank and began researching and found that all I would want to do is have a gravity feed with a float valve. I am a bit confused though how exactly to get it to work. I have read and it seems that the kent marine float valve seems to be a pretty good one but it says that you need to drill a hole for the float valve. I do not want to drill my acrylic sump and risk something. Is there another way to do this and again I am unsure how you hook the airline gravity feed with the float valve. I was thinking about using the aquadose along with the kent marine float valve. Can anyone please send me pics of yours as well and diagrams are always welcome!

 

[scsinet]

It would be very difficult to mount a kent valve without drilling. If you have an acrylic sump, you aren't risking much by drilling as long as you use a good, sharp, new holesaw, you go slow, and you don't press too hard. It's really easy.
On another note, I am not sure, but most float valves require a certain amount of pressure to work properly. I doubt a gravity feed would be enough. Since you have limited options, I'd use the aquadoser and just set up the drip rate to match your evaporation.

 

[shiby1510]

I thought about the drip rate but then I thought about it and that wouldn't be hard to make and I also want something that will shut off if the power goes out.

 

[jakebtc]

I know they are very inexspensive but the electric auto top off controllers are a much better setup IMO

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by shiby1510
I thought about the drip rate but then I thought about it and that wouldn't be hard to make and I also want something that will shut off if the power goes out.
Well, I don't know how fast water evaporates from your tank, but it would have to be pretty fast (and subsequently your drip rate) to make a power failure cause a big issue for you.
Anyhoo, I built a top off using a float switch from www.jameco.com (about 8 bucks). I built a low voltage controller with a relay so it could switch 120 volt. that allows me to control an aqua-lifter with the switch which I use to dose top off water (kalk acutally). The setup works very well for me and was hella cheap, but you kinda have to know your way around electronics to build one.

 

[shiby1510]

Yeah thats my problem.. I don't know much about electrical work that was why I wanted to try and not involve them... hmm..
.. but thanks for the site it seems real good and I was just looking through the fans section and will prob. be getting them for my canopy from there,

 

[jakebtc]

search for ultralife float switch on google or something
theyre easy to setp up, no drilling, all you do is stick the sensor to the tank plug a cheap power head into the outlet and get a cheap bucket from wal mart, couple feet of hose from home depot or lowes, your set
if you have an extra powerhead now it'll cost you about 75-80$ with whatever size resevoir
and length of pipe you need to buy I'd check it out its very worth it

 

[shiby1510]

Thanks... I'm trying to make this a pretty inexpensive diy project tho... If I had something like the picture below where would I go from there?? How could I hook this up so it would turn on/off a pump to topoff?

 

[jakebtc]

I can't quite tell from the pic but I'm thinkin that thats a regular old gravity fed float switch
you need to drill a hole in your sump at the level you want your water to stay at..
then when the level drops that opens and allows water to flow through it until the level raises back up
in this case all you need is that switch and a water bucket resevoir a good foot or 2 higher then where the float switch will be mounted for the needed weight of gravity
and the fitting to plumb whatever bucket you buy to hook to that size of air line tubing

 

[shiby1510]

Ohh okay soo that red is airline??

 

[jakebtc]

if this is sold as "aquarium" float switch it most likely is non electric wich would make that air line tubing (in this case the water feed line)
if its just some float switch not nessecarily for just aquariums then it may be electric and in that case you'll want to look for a blueprint or schematic for a diy project because the red line would be electric line to hook to other components
so if you know its non electric yes thats where the water comes in the tank lol

 

[squidd]

Doesn't need "pressure"...Just enough gravity to drain bucket...:thinking:

 

[shiby1510]

Okay thanks guys...
Squidd I like that setup you have there... Could you list me the parts and what you did for that?? thanks!

 

[jakebtc]

gravity creates the weight or "pressure"
you wouldn't put the fitting at the top of the res would ya?

 

[misfit]

Ive have a kent float valve in my sump with a 5 gal bucket being gravity fed about 50 feet away with no issues. all i have to do is about every 2 days turn my ro unit on to fill my 5 gal container up.

 

[squidd]

I realize it's a small picture, but the parts are pretty much all there..
Float valve...tubing shut off valve and bucket...
Shut off valve is nice to disconnect partial bucket for refill..
The shut off valve is just a double ended compression valve...one side to tubing the other side (where the nut is) with a rubber washer creates a leak proof fitting to the bucket...
I used this for several weeks testing the "safety" factor of float valve (never stuck open) before I ran ATO directly off RO system...Which of course a lot of people say won't work, but has for me for a couple years now..with out fail...with out flood...

 

[phixer]

***)

 

[shiby1510]

After searching for a good bit of time I finally came upon this ... but how would I connect that to the bucket... I am a bit confused how you connected a nut to all of that... could you possibly list the parts you got and where you got them from??
thanks... apologies from a noob diyer

 

[jakebtc]

here

the plastic top right
or the brass bottom left
would both do you well
but you dont even need one that is a "valve"
it could be a simple threaded L shaped fitting
with threads on one side to go in whatever bucket and a barbed fitting on the other side to fit in the air line tubing

 

[phixer]

Very informative thread.