Apex DIY ATO complete with float switches

[schwaggs]

Introduction
This is my ATO build thread. Currently, this setup supplies only RODI water but eventually, it will top off with kalkwasser. I will include specific instructions for the Apex but the basic hardware could be applied to any controller that supports switch inputs.

Supplies needed - see picture 1
2 -1/2" PVC 90 degree elbows
2 - 1/2" PVC "T" fittings
3 - 1/2" PVC Caps
~ 3 feet of 1/2" PVC pipe
PVC Glue
3 float switches (I used the i-float Float Switch part FLT001 from chicagosensor.com)
1/2" Plastic conduit strap (or some other way of mounting the apparatus in your sump)
Neptune Input Breakout Box (you can either buy this or make your own with a Mini DIN 8 cable)

Tools needed - see picture 1
Hack saw
Measuring tape
Electric drill
5/16 - 18 tap (Lowe's sells an Irwin brand)
1/4" drill bit

Making the float switch mount

Cut the following pieces of pipe - refer to the 2nd picture for where they go, adjust as needed to fit your needs
<ul>
<li>Four, 1\" lengths of the 1/2\" pipe (for connectors)</li>
<li>One, 3\" piece of 1/2\" pipe (to extend the lower float switch)</li>
<li>One, 12-24\" piece or 1/2\" pipe (top piece)</li>
</ul>Drill a 1/4" hole in the top of each of the 3 caps and tap them with the 5/16 - 18 tap. See the 3rd picture

Glue the pieces together as shown in the first picture. DO NOT glue the elbow pieces to the T or you will not be able to get the float switch wires through the assembly.

Unscrew the nut from the float switches and discard the nut (see 4th picture). Keep the small O ring on the floatswitch. Thread the float switch wire through the threaded hole in the cap and thread the float switch into the cap. The threads will not be 100% perfect match (I think the float switch has a metric thread or maybe a different thread pitch) but you should have no problem getting them threaded together. It should make for a nice, friction fit. Screw the float switch into the cap until the O Ring is just compressed but not totally squished. Make sure you don't twist the float switch wires too much.

Run the float switch wires from the elbow switches into the T and up the top pipe. Press elbow assembly into the T but DO NOT USE GLUE on this joint or you will never be able to service the float switches. These joints do not need to be water tight anyway as they should never be under water unless something has gone wrong.

Mounting and connecting the float switches
Mount the float switch aparatus in your sump with the "Fill" switch (the middle level switch) at the level you would like to keep your sump.

Connect one lead of each float switch to the Ground input on your Apex.

Connect the Too High switch to input 1

Connect the Fill switch to input 2

Connect the Too Low switch to input 3

See next post for Apex programming instructions.
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[crewdawg1981]

SAWEEET!!!! definitely needed this thread

 

[schwaggs]

Float Switch Virtual Outlets
I created 3 Virtual outlets to monitor the state of each of the switches. Their names and programs follows:

Sump2Full
If Switch1 CLOSED Then OFF
If Switch1 OPEN Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

Sump2Low
If Switch3 CLOSED Then OFF
If Switch3 OPEN Then ON
Defer 002:00 Then ON

SumpFill
If Switch2 CLOSED Then ON
If Switch2 OPEN Then OFF
Defer 002:00 Then ON

You will notice that the Sump2Low and Sump2High switches are active when the circuit is opened and the SumpFill switch is active when the switch is closed. You want the fill switch to only be active when there is a completed circuit (closed) to prevent the top off pump from filling if the float wires should accidentally get disconnected. Conversely, if the wires to the Sump2Low and Sump2High switches is accidentally disconnected, the alarm will sound.

You will have to flip the floats on the Sump2High and Sump2Low switches to make them open when the float is up. All you have to do is use a pliers to pull the little clip off the end of the float switch. Flip the float around and re-install the clip.

Top-off Pump
I am using an Aqualifter and needed to plug it in to one of the relay outlets on the EB8 (outlet 4 or 8) to get it to work properly. The program for my top off pump is listed below.

Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/001:30/008:30 Then ON
If Outlet Sump_Fill = OFF Then OFF
If Outlet Halide3 = ON Then OFF
If Outlet Sump2Full = ON Then OFF
If pH &gt; 08.30 Then OFF

Fallback Off - Turns off the top off pump if contact with the base module is lost

OSC 000:00/001:30/008:30 Then ON - limits the operation of the pump to only 1 1/2 minutes out of every 10. This is to limit the possible top-off pump run time as a failsafe.

If Outlet Sump_Fill = OFF Then OFF - if the fill float switch is off, do not top off.

If Outlet Halide3 = ON Then OFF - If the lights are on, do not top off. This will be handy when topping off with Kalkwasser but is not needed if topping off with RODI.

If Outlet Sump2Full = ON Then OFF - If the sump is too high, do not top off

If pH &gt; 08.30 Then OFF - if tank pH gets too high, do not top off. Only needed if topping off with kalkwasser

Alarm Programming

Add the following to your email alarm program to notify you of top off problems:

If Outlet Sump2Full = ON Then ON
If Outlet Sump2Low = ON Then ON

Failsafe

DO NOT connect your top off to an unlimited supply of water. I have the intake to my Aqualifter in a 50 gallon barrel of water but the intake tubing only extends down to the point where the top off pump can only get around 20 gallons (~1.5 times my weekly evaporation) of water. This way, if something bad were to happen, only 20 gallons of water would be added which wouldn't hurt my ~500 gallon system.

 

[schwaggs]

Crewdawg1981;561692 wrote: SAWEEET!!!! definitely needed this thread

Cool! Let me know if you have any questions!

 

[crewdawg1981]

I wont be settin it up for a few more weeks yet... but dont worry ... i will. Have questions that is

 

[merkywater]

Very Sweet indeed thanks for posting.

Nate

 

[lifestudent]

Hitching a ride on this thread! SWEET!

 

[1mbrews8]

very helpful! thanks
mike

 

[reefmonster]

tagging along

 

[slayer]

nice Jon.... will have to use this..

 

[jeffh]

:thumbs:

A huge thanks for taking the time to type this out! I was setting up my ATO last night, and with the four levels of ON/OFF in play...it was really confusing me. I finally decided to search and this thread straightened everything out!

I really like how the Sump_2_Full alarm sounds and shuts things down in the circuit is opened. I tested it, and sure enough if you disconnect the Sump_2_Full switch, things shut down! Most of the people on RC in the Neptune forum are coding the Sump_2_Full switch to activate when the circuit closes...no backup if the circuit is broken or comes disconnected!

Great post! :thumbs:

 

[schwaggs]

Thanks! Glad you could use it!

 

[schwaggs]

The Defer is only to prevent the outlet from rapidly switching on and off when the water level is close to the float switch. You can reduce the length of the Defer if you like, in fact I have reduced it to 30 seconds. These 2 are the warning indicators and a few seconds delay will not hurt.

 

[shafiq_hossain]

Very informative. Exactly what I'm looking for. One request though. Any chance of emailing a picture of your sump? I'd like to take a look at how the whole system is positioned within the sump.

 

[schwaggs]

Ask and ye shall receive! This is a picture of my float switches mounted to a 2X4 (that supports my CA reactor) in my rubbermaid sump.
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[shafiq_hossain]

Thanks for the picture. It's a big help. One quick follow up though. How did you keep the wires which were connected to floats from getting exposed to salt water?

 

[schwaggs]

Not sure I follow your question? The wires are routed up through the PVC pipe and the float switches screwed into the PCV pipe caps with threaded holes in the ends. Is that what you are asking?

 

[shafiq_hossain]

Okay, I see what you mean by "screwed into the PCV pipe caps". But the caps that I've come across are hollow on the other end. Are these special caps or did you close the hollow end with something, drill a hole through it, then screw in the float? If so, what did you use to seal the hollow end?

Thanks...

 

[schwaggs]

If the fitting you have has a hole on both ends, it isn't a cap. Caps are used for closing off a pipe. Keep looking for a cap...

 

[shafiq_hossain]

Thanks. I got that part. My question was regarding how things are placed inside the cap and pile. More specifically:

1. How is the float secured inside the cap. Typically the floats are designed to be attached to a bracket where the plastic stem on the top side of the float would slide through a hole in the bracket. Then the nut which comes with the float would be used to secure the float to the braket. Did you secure the float in any similar manner or all you did was slide the float inside the pipe/cap?

2. Did you place anything around the float (inside the pipe/cap) to prevent the contact between the float and electrical wires from getting wet?

Thanks....