Apex DIY ATO complete with float switches
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Me thinks I got everything working now (what an adventure!). I hooked up the ATO Pump and the Return Pump to my EB8. My next question is do I need to hook up my Skimmer Pump and the Skimmer to the EB8? Is there any situation where I would want to turn them off? How would they contribute more towards flooding if the situation did arise?
Thanks....
Thanks....
Completely depends how you have your skimmer setup ... most importantly your waste container overflow. If it empties out into a sink, external drain, etc. you definitely want to have your skimmer feed hooked up to your apex. If your skimmer ever goes crazy and starts over flowing due to an "event", you'll end up draining your tank and your ato will run continuously to dilute your salinity down. If not caught, down to such a low level losses occur. I know of 2 well known and respected hobbyist that lost entire tanks due to this. You want to be able to shut it down if this occurs. I also hook it up for the added benefit of when I feed my corals and do maintenance - shutting it down in several of my feed modes
Btw - The safest way to plumb your skimmer overflow is back into your sump. Some folks don't want to do that because if not cleaned out regularly you are dumping skimmate back into your tank, but you avoid the catastrophe I described above.
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What about putting a float switch in your waste container overflow? You could conceivably shut down your skimmer if the level gets too high in case of an Avnet to prevent draining your tank? Disclaimer: newb here but a process control engineer in real life, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night 
Yes, you could put a float switch to do that. I've also seen a manufacturer that had a float close the air intake when the waste container filled up. Same approach just more mechanical than electrical.
You're in engineering, I'm in IT ... one thing we both know is that devices fail. Gravity always works and Murphy is always around the corner. That's why the overflow feed to the sump is the ultimate safety net. You can still do what you described, but if it failed you are covered.
You're in engineering, I'm in IT ... one thing we both know is that devices fail. Gravity always works and Murphy is always around the corner. That's why the overflow feed to the sump is the ultimate safety net. You can still do what you described, but if it failed you are covered.
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Yes I am using the programs as listed. I made a few tweaks but the code in this thread was a copy and paste of working code. What problems are you having? Do the 3 virtual outlets work when the floats go up and down?
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There is more than one way to protect your tank from diluting with an ATO. What you describe only protects you from an overactive skimmer. What about when something goes wrong with the float switches? This is why my program limits the ATO pump run time and the amount of water available to the ATO. I think those two additions provide an excellent fail safe at little to no additional cost.
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Exactly. The other 2 warn you when the level in the sump is too high or too low.
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Nsconductor;802968 wrote: What about putting a float switch in your waste container overflow? You could conceivably shut down your skimmer if the level gets too high in case of an Avnet to prevent draining your tank? Disclaimer: newb here but a process control engineer in real life, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night
This is exactly what I have. Additionally, the apex sends me an email when the float closes telling me the container is full.
