Todd's DIY ATO...new pics and post #16!

I hear ya about lugging water every day. I had a 265g & it would evaporate 3-5g a day. So I took my water jug & found a ball valve to fit on the jug & just built a stand over my sump to let it slowly drip throughout the day or two. I wish I had ATO then.

 

Yes, similar concept, 'cept my DIY ATO Resevoir is on that shelf near and above my sump, and uses a $9.95 shipped Heavy Duty float valve to regulate the water and keep it constant in the return section of my sump.

 

Update,
I have since switched all those brass fittings and valves in the pics to plastic John Guest types.

My SG stays rock solid where I want it-
mainly because MY system drips a little RO/DI in instantly when the sump gets a hair lower from evaporation- filling a frag baggie with a bit of water, etc.

It's still working better for my system than I ever could have bought a system.
I'm kind of like Tim the Tool man Taylor- not matter what, gotta design a system and make it work better!

Funny, all the naysayers early in this thread, still no mishaps, no SG rises or drops, etc.
It's all about the design.

 

ha wish I had my own fish room and space to do that myself.. but unfortunately got to go with ATO unit.

 

If you have an instand sump, you might be able to mount a small container above the water level of your sump in the stand- and let gravity do the rest.
PUt a float from your RO/DI, or refill it manually when needed.

The beauty of this is that it only adds water when the volume is evap.- and only in small amount, so no swings at all in SG.

 

I now have 2 RO/DI systems and both came with float valves. Currently I use one to fill my 32 gal water pail (still use a ball valve in the outlet line, just use float as a shut off bc I always forget I'm making water lol) but have been afraid to use as an ATO. I have read that making small volumes of water frequently can cause TDS creep, causing early exhaustion of the DI. Have you seen or heard anything like that?

 

I have heard that. But I have an RO, and RO/DI in one.
After over 2 years- all original- a few weeks ago my RO alone still read 0TDS.

It's not something I worry about.

My system feeds all our drinking water, the icemaker, and the RO/DI, which combined on the average day, see's alot of use.

IME/HO- a good float valve works just fine for you ATO also- mine does excellent and has for over two years.
NO sensors, no pumps, no electricity, etc. Just gravity.

 

I do something similar. I have a 5 gallon bucket, float valve and an aqualifter. No issues a year later.

Safety precautions are nice, but typically uneccessary. Things can happen even when "safe guarded". Relying on redundant electrical components is not always a sure bet. They fail too. Sometime simple is best

 

How did you set up the aqualifter with a float valve? Does the pump shut off or keeps running?

 

Keeps running.