A quick and easy DIY fix to a big problem

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by anpgp, Oct 19, 2010.

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  1. anpgp

    anpgp Dragon Wrasse

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    Well after installing my fuge for the first time and hooking up my ATO system, I noticed that the water level in the fuge kept rising and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out that the Tom's Aqualifter pump doesn't prevent a siphon from forming if you have the input higher than the output. My ATO resevoir was on the shelf above my fuge and since there was a tube in the resevoir connected to the pump, which was fed down to the fuge, water just kept flowing down through the pump even though it was off. So, I needed some kind of fix to prevent this from happening and I came up with this idea. I took two plastic cups, inverted one and glued half of another one of top of it. I punched a hole through the bottom of the two and inserted an airline tube in it until it was flush with the bottom and sealed around it. Then I took the output tube from the aqualifter and glued it down to the inside of the top cup. When the ATO is turned on, the pump sends water into the cup which then drains down through the second tube to my fuge. This way, the pump is going to a location higher than the resevoir, thus no siphon forms and problem solved. Here are some pics and for those wondering why I just didn't switch the ATO resevoir and fuge locations, the shelf that is holding the resevoir is not something I would trust with a 12 gallon fuge on it.

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  2. Click Here!

  3. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    brilliant solution anpgp

    how is it performing so far

    Steve
     
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  4. anpgp

    anpgp Dragon Wrasse

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    It's performing great so far. Everything is working as it should.
     
  5. rogersjw

    rogersjw Skunk Shrimp

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    Nice! haha - YOu may also try adding a small air hole and affixing some airline tubing to the end of your hose into the return... so when it gets done the siphon is broken.
     
  6. anpgp

    anpgp Dragon Wrasse

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    No need for that now, the fix is working like a charm now. And the best part about the whole fix was it was free.
     
  7. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    Beautiful engineering
     
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  8. Click Here!

  9. anpgp

    anpgp Dragon Wrasse

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    Thanks 2in10! I am going to school to be an engineering so it's only fitting.
     
  10. norg.

    norg. Kole Tang

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    Great idea. Sometimes the simplest tool can fix big time problems. Now I just need to start thinking the way you do. Haha. Thanks for sharing.
     
  11. Pickupman66

    Pickupman66 Tassled File Fish

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    I had that same issue with mine. the sump water level is a bit lower than my water bin unless it is getting close to empty.I ended up putting the tubing on my workbench and then letting it drip about 2 foot into my sump. however, when the water level in teh bin gets low, I lower it to another location as the lift of 3' and 12' of tubing is a bit hard on the old aqualifter.