So the solenoid would prevent back siphoning? Is that the purpose? So a timer and an aqualifter pump would not work without the solenoid? If Im getting this right you are adding water to the tank and the excess would fall into the standpipe then into the tank. The reservoirs I was going to use are above the tank and the sump so I could just gravity feed them I suppose..
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</u></em> There you go that was the missing info that I left out. Yes gravity feed and the solenoid will shut off the gravity fed line. Honestly though James I did not experience that dramatic of a ph drop between day and night or lights / lights off only about.05 just enough to switch it from 8.34 to 8.29 but if you still want to the solenoid was just a way to shut down the drip at daybreak . Sorry about that I was thinking gravity fed instead of aqualifter fed. By setting the drip rate just under evaporation rate the ato on my system only comes on once every 39 hours or so. I set that drip rate during the high humid summer months so the ato comes on a little more often in the dry winter months. there is a siphon on the standpipe but not much because the water level stays above the u turn in the standpipe. The uturn is there just to keep sediment from settling in the pipe when the mixing pump turns on.
As I understand it, that is the typical configuration for a Nilsen stirrer.
ATO pump ->Nilsen Stirrer->entry point for topoff water (sump/fuge/tank)How else would one configure it?
I've never heard of folks doing continuous drips thru a Nilsen Stirrer. Is that how you do it?
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I am with you now Dave I guess the nilsen has to be fed somewhat under pressure and the ato pump would supply that pressure?
Yes my tank (not reacto)r is supplied by a ro pressure tank and a float valve keeps it topped off. I guess the ro tank could supply the reactor as well as long as the reactor could handle the pressure from the tank.
I guess there is no reason you couldn't use a Nilsen with manual dosing like that. I guess I had never really considered that because of the cost of the unit.
I think if I did manual dosing I'd probably just add some kalk to my drip water container, mix it up, and repeat the next time I filled the dosing reservoir, but hey, no reason you couldnt use a Nilsen.
Mine is configured like this: My RO dumps into my ATO Reservoir. The RO Reservoir has my Osmolator pump. The pump pumps into the Nilsen, and from the Nilsen into the sump.
I think if I did manual dosing I'd probably just add some kalk to my drip water container, mix it up, and repeat the next time I filled the dosing reservoir, but hey, no reason you couldnt use a Nilsen.
Mine is configured like this: My RO dumps into my ATO Reservoir. The RO Reservoir has my Osmolator pump. The pump pumps into the Nilsen, and from the Nilsen into the sump.
James,
I have seen Grouper's set up and it is pretty fail safe except for the "DON'T MOUNT OVER THE SUMP COMMENT!" (HaHa) GT I had to throw that in there for you! Will run something similar on my set up because it is pretty simple design and building it should be fairly easy and if it fails it will just stop dripping all together.
I have seen Grouper's set up and it is pretty fail safe except for the "DON'T MOUNT OVER THE SUMP COMMENT!" (HaHa) GT I had to throw that in there for you! Will run something similar on my set up because it is pretty simple design and building it should be fairly easy and if it fails it will just stop dripping all together.
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Mine system is all automatic I never touch it except to open the top of pickling lime and pour in the top and to drain and clean once a year. Water comes in the top from ro tank is shutoff via a float valve. Gets mixed once a day by a pump on timer exits via a needle valve at the same rate 24/7.
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One of the down sides of my set up is it requires a lot of space, it is not for under the stand applications.
Acroholic;403862 wrote: I guess there is no reason you couldn't use a Nilsen with manual dosing like that. I guess I had never really considered that because of the cost of the unit.
I think if I did manual dosing I'd probably just add some kalk to my drip water container, mix it up, and repeat the next time I filled the dosing reservoir, but hey, no reason you couldnt use a Nilsen.
Mine is configured like this: My RO dumps into my ATO Reservoir. The RO Reservoir has my Osmolator pump. The pump pumps into the Nilsen, and from the Nilsen into the sump.
Very similar to what I plan on doing...the reason why I dont add kalk directly to my reservoirs are because I have both of them plumbed from the bottom, then they fall into the sump using gravity and a valve to manually add topoff water. I see what you mean about just adding kalk to a large container and not buying a kalk reactor...but I was under the impression that the nilsen's were more efficient with the way they mixed the kalk and the reactor would take up alot less room??? Maybe I should just use a rubbermaid trashcan and skip the reactor???
Here is a pic so you can see what I mean...
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That looks like it would work just fine. A nilsen reactor takes up far less room than the system I use and is perfect for limited space situations like most people have under their tanks. As for efficiency they are but very little and not enough to justify the cost of one IMO. If the tanks are in a location that would not allow effluent in to the system if they started leaking then the only other thing that could go wrong is the TWO needle valves simultaneously malfunction. If the timer did not turn the pump off for some reason and it ran continuously the stand pipe design prohibits the slurry or non dissolved lime from entering the drip line to the tank.
I have to add 2 cups of kalk powder to my reactor every 2-3 weeks. When I have about 1/2" left in the bottom, I take the Nilsen off, dump the remainder, rinse it, and add fresh. Hardest part is no breathing in the fumes from the powder....yuk.
With less than 1/2 inch of slurry in the bottom, my tank pH stays a bit lower than I'd like. I'm sure it would be better if it were not for the sulfur denitrator. It has an effluent pH lower than my calcium reactor effluent.
With less than 1/2 inch of slurry in the bottom, my tank pH stays a bit lower than I'd like. I'm sure it would be better if it were not for the sulfur denitrator. It has an effluent pH lower than my calcium reactor effluent.
So your using needle valves to slow down the drip? What pump are you using? And just to be clear , you are not pumping it into your tank, your just overfilling the reservoir and letting gravity do its work into your sump???
I kind of like the idea of saving some money and using a large reservoir, I mean I have plenty of room, I was just under the impression that the reactor's were the most efficient way.. Hell I may just use my Tunze bucket that came with there osmolator's, it holds a good bit of water...then just pump it out of the bucket with my aqualifter into my sump.
If you don't mind post up that diagram you were going to make up or some pics so I can get a good sense of your setup. I may just copy what you have.
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I hope this makes sense to you James not sure why the words solenoid valves did not show up but they would be next to the word two in the drawing
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I had the older style, same tube as the new Nilsen small, with a mini jet built into the top, but the mini jet stopped working, so Tim put on a new acrylic top, and retrofitted one of the Blueline pumps. So imagine one of the new Nilsens without the timer top. I use a receptacle type digital timer that the Blueline plugs into.
I like the way it works. The little pump is cool.
Dave
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Back to the topic..
what about Reef Fanatic PH Controllers?
They are a little pricy...
has anyone used one?
B
what about Reef Fanatic PH Controllers?
They are a little pricy...
has anyone used one?
B
