Ideas for a TO using 5 gallon bottles

J

jefnmichele

Guest
Thinking of ways to top off using 5 gallon "blue" water cooler bottles.
The wife wants a water cooler for the kitchen and I can fill the bottles at a local store with their RO/DI machine.

If I were to use a power head to pump the water, I would need a very small one and also a circuit for powering the pump on and off when needed. To much to go wrong.
If I were to use a on demand pump, the fill line would always have pressure, maybe to much, and again, a lot to go wrong.
Gravity is our friend, but, being in the livingroom, my wife would not be.
Im sure I am over thinking something that someone or many have already figured out.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
Been there done that.
It will work fine but makes a burping noise every now and then. Just like the water cooler.
I just used a barbed fitting with some poly tube. Cut a hole in the bottom of the container. Set it on top of the sumps return compartment. Cut the tubing to the height of the water level. Stuffed a turkey baster bulb in the top and wallah.
Filling it can be a pain. but a valve would help that out. You could just use the top of the container if you could adapt a water tight seal to it with some way to get down to the water level. Or if it just happened to make it there.
I feel though, there are better ways to do ATO....Long abandoned this method.

 
J

jefnmichele

Guest
Oh thats way to easy.
Now imagine a tank with no sump.
46 gal bow front, small stand will just barely have room for the bottle and a filter.
CPR backpack fuge, remora skimmer. Gravity is not an option for me on this tank.
My biggest problem is, the only spot I had for the tank, is far from water, even an RO/DI, with a peristaltic and a TO float would be a PITA. The tank sits over an unheated basement crawl space, and on an outside wall.
Need to get the water from under the stand, up and into the tank, with minimal system failure potential "MSFP"
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
Then your gonna have to have a pump. or RO to push the water up.An aqua lifter might do it, with a float valve on a timer for about 1-1.5 hrs. a day.
 
J

jefnmichele

Guest
almost have to go with a small electronic valve on a float to run the pump when needed.
Hoping to get away from the "small electronic valve" 130 bucks for a TO and a peristaltic with a level sensor is about 4 frags and a cheap fish.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
NO, an $8 float VALVE,(not a switch) there's a big difference. an $11 dollar aqua lifter, and a $5 timer. Your done!
 
J

jefnmichele

Guest
6 bucks for a float, old medicine bottle for a snail guard, 2 bucks worth of tubing and 11 dollar aqua lifter.
1.35 for 5 gallons of RO/DI water from the local grocery, and BAAM.
Im in there, bottle fits under the stand, float mounted in the tank. Works better than the 128 dollar parastaltics and floats I have on my large tanks.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
I would put a timer on there, just so the aqual;oifter isnt running blocked all the time. You can set it to come on multiple times each day if you want. Just concerned about premature failure.

 
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