Need assistance with RODI float switch wiring

[eww]

Well first off run a 12 v relay to trip the circuit (power to the relay)
then take one lead from one float switch and then ..... awww crap I'll just call you!.

Thanks for calling Adam. Give me a call back when you get your thoughts together.

 

[DonW]

Ok the replay part number is 275-0218 or here is the link to it 12VDC/10A DPDT Plug-in Relay - RadioShack.com

We are running two of these float switches Liquid Level Switch, Side Mount - Float Switches - Pump Controls - 5DYC2 : Grainger Industrial Supply Both are installed horizontal but upside down from the picture shown in the link. I can easily turn them so they are the same as the picture as well if needed.

This is the RODI unit we are running Vertex Aquaristik > Products > Water Purification Systems > RO / DI Systems > Deluxe Puratek 100 RO / DI It needs 120vac power to make any water as it has a booster pump on it as well as a computer for monitoring TDS and automatically back-flushing the membrane periodically.

There is no solenoid in the water line. The line just stays open and when the RODI unit gets power it starts making water.

I think you know what we are trying to do with the bottom sensor tripping the RODI unit to turn on and the top one tripping it to turn off. We also don't want the RODI unit to trip on when the water level drops slightly. We want it to wait until the bottom sensor is tripped again. That way the RODI unit is make 40ish gallons of water every time it turns on and not a few gallons at a time.

Easy enough I'll make you another drawing.

Don

 

[DonW]

Here ya go quick and easy.

 

[jrgilles]

I've seen people topping off straight from the RO/DI unit before. Was always confused about this.

I thought you wanted to waste the first gallon or so every time because it is junk you are washing out from the filter?

I work in a biology lab and we measure the water purity by running a current across it and measuring how it conducts electricity. Even on extremely expensive filter units ($20,000+) you always have to run for about 2 minutes before the water is actually pure (and these are on filters where people get water 5-10 times a day, so very actively used.) I know that if we don't wait that long and try to use it right away, it has catastrophic effects on our experiments.

Never understood why people would put the initial water right into their fish tanks. Maybe reef systems just aren't as sensitive to it as the organisms we grow at work.

In the manual for my filter setup at home (filterguys.biz Reef Miser 6 stage) it does say to not use the first couple of gallons.

 

[eww]

Rob... We aren't topping off directly from the RODI unit. The unit is filling a 55 gal drum and this drum supplies our 55 gal SW mixing drum and it also serves as the ATO reservoir. I guess if there are impurities at first when the unit kicks on then we are mixing those with the rest of the pure water as we are doing it. I have not seen any ill effects from this though. We are trying to make this as automated as possible and I don't know how I would have it dump the first few gallons automatically. The RODI unit does run a 30 second membrane flush every time it starts up and I have tested the TDS of the water that first comes out and it reads zero so ???

 

[eww]

Here ya go quick and easy.

Thanks for the drawing Don. I don't know how it works but that's why I'm asking right? I will take a look at the relay and let you know if I have any questions.

 

[jrgilles]

Rob... We aren't topping off directly from the RODI unit. The unit is filling a 55 gal drum and this drum supplies our 55 gal SW mixing drum and it also serves as the ATO reservoir. I guess if there are impurities at first when the unit kicks on then we are mixing those with the rest of the pure water as we are doing it. I have not seen any ill effects from this though. We are trying to make this as automated as possible and I don't know how I would have it dump the first few gallons automatically. The RODI unit does run a 30 second membrane flush every time it starts up and I have tested the TDS of the water that first comes out and it reads zero so ???

Cool. That sounds a bit better. If there are impurities getting washed from the filters, they are then getting diluted way down, since you are filling a large reservoir.

I visited ApolloTheSun when he still had his tank up, and he had his rodi unit going right to the sump doing small top offs. Always confused me, since it was only topping off a half gallon or so every time, and was all the initial wash, but his tank seemed to be ok with it (well, had a bryopsis issue.... could be related or not)

Anyway, more more just curious about it than anything. At work it is a big no-no, but the water we are using probably has to be way more clean. ($20,000 filter units and the water going in is DI not tap.)

 

[eww]

Ok for those of you wondering what ended up happening here... IT WORKS!!! After a few wiring blunders, a bad relay out of the package, frying one 12v transformer (refer back to the wiring blunders), discovering another 12v transformer I was trying to use was inadequate for the application (cheap piece of %$#@), IT WORKS!!! The wiring diagram above does work and does not put anything other than 12v to the float switches (I checked). One thing I will comment on is to make sure of the positions of the C, NO and NC poles on your relay. This one threw me for a loop as ours was not in the same order as what the drawing Don did for us showed. Not Don's fault what-so-ever. It was mine for not checking it. So now we have a 55 gallon drum that is full and acts as the ATO reservoir and automatically refills when the water level drops to where we set the lower float valve in the barrel (about 4/5ths of the way down). This way we are making roughly 40ish gallons any time the RODI unit kicks on. Here are some pics of the set up.

The whole water change set up. White barrel is SW mixing, Blue barrel is FW storage and ATO reservoir NOTE: no respectable grown man does a water change without a hard hat... SAFETY FIRST!!!

Float switches and other plumbing

Making water and the top float switch

View down inside the barrel

Small little project box and power supplies

Inside the project box

I just have a few more power strips to mount on the wall to sort out stuff for switching on and off certain pumps when they are wanted/needed. We also picked up a remote control switch for turning on and off the pump that pushes the water from the SW barrel out the hose to the tank for a water change. This way one person can stand at the tank in the house holding the hose (usually Becca ) and remotely turn on and off the pump from there without having someone stand in the garage next to the barrel to unplug the pump (usually me ) when you yell.

Now... on to the next DIY. I'm thinking an automatic continuous water change system that slowly changes 2-3 gallon per day in the tank all by itself but that is another thread.

 

[dawgwe1]

Very nice set up - glad you guys were able to get the wiring all figured out. - By the way - the lighting fixture I got from you is working great. Heading to the sales tomorrow to see what I can add to the tank...