Leroy
Pres. NE Matchcover Club
OK as crazy as it is I decided that since I can't see how low the water level is in the 21.5 gal Rubbermaid container that sits next to my tank for auto top off I thought I'd hook up a discarded smoke detector so the pump won't burn out. I had to build this since I'd be going in for foot surgery and I was filling my refugium manually when it would run low. Doc says to stay off my feet for a few months, damn.
Got a few pointers from jimmyj7090 and KAS on the parts and fuction of an auto top off. Off to basement workshop I went while I have the time. The arlarm was intermitently noisey (thus broken) so I covered it over with duct tape just enough so it wasn't obnoxiuos. I wanted to detect low water not a fire, although it still senses smoke. I enclosed the float switch with an old prescription bottle so a snail would not push the float up and I'd have an overflow (snail guard). The pump is on a timer for every 4 hrs, 15 minutes on so it's not pumping water constant on off on off. So far it's into it's second day and no issues, works great thanx to the help I got on here. I don't have the option of setting up the equipt. in the basement. It's all in one area cept my RODI which is in the basement and able to get the water pumped up to the tank as I need it. In time I'll have it perfected.
Float switch from a freebie yard sale humidifier I took apart. Pump is below float so will not pump dry and burn out.
Wired up to a used and abused smoke detector. Tested it over and over to be sure no false alarms.
Anti snail quard liquid float switch in a script bottle
Float switch installed adjustable for various heights in acrylic refugium I built. Picture is after I installed, next day it was wired to pump.
See how this goes then I built an auto water overflow alarm to avoid flooding. Nothing fussy nothing fancy
Got a few pointers from jimmyj7090 and KAS on the parts and fuction of an auto top off. Off to basement workshop I went while I have the time. The arlarm was intermitently noisey (thus broken) so I covered it over with duct tape just enough so it wasn't obnoxiuos. I wanted to detect low water not a fire, although it still senses smoke. I enclosed the float switch with an old prescription bottle so a snail would not push the float up and I'd have an overflow (snail guard). The pump is on a timer for every 4 hrs, 15 minutes on so it's not pumping water constant on off on off. So far it's into it's second day and no issues, works great thanx to the help I got on here. I don't have the option of setting up the equipt. in the basement. It's all in one area cept my RODI which is in the basement and able to get the water pumped up to the tank as I need it. In time I'll have it perfected.
Float switch from a freebie yard sale humidifier I took apart. Pump is below float so will not pump dry and burn out.
Wired up to a used and abused smoke detector. Tested it over and over to be sure no false alarms.
Anti snail quard liquid float switch in a script bottle
Float switch installed adjustable for various heights in acrylic refugium I built. Picture is after I installed, next day it was wired to pump.
See how this goes then I built an auto water overflow alarm to avoid flooding. Nothing fussy nothing fancy
