Evaporation

So I was planning out my sump design and came to worry about evaporation and being on vacation. Can the sump make it a good week without running into trouble with the pumps running dry? what do you guys typically do when you are gone for extended periods?

 

hmmm....mark the desired water level in your sump, prep a bucket of RO water, make a copy of your keys and call a good friend

 

I have someone else fill the tank when I'm away. I just did that this past weekend, since I was in New Hampshire. I don't have an ATO, though, so that's not an option for me ATM. I do plan on getting one at some point.

Your particulars, like how long it takes to run dry, depends on your layout, the dimensions of the return section, how much flow is going back to the DT, and how high the pump inlet is from the bottom of the sump. There's no "one size fits all" for how long it'll last.

 

My ATO cost like $50 new....

Kent Float Valve

7-gallon water jug

Add some tubing and connectors....

Instant ATO... had mine for a year and never a problem. Doesn't need to be complicated.

M

PS -- 7 gallons lasts me a bit over a week....

 

Cool is that set up pretty self explanatory? Looking at that float valve does the tubing just connect to it and then when the water drops the float it allows the fresh water to flow? Or do I need a pump that the valve turns on? DO you leave this on all the time or just when you are out of town?

 

Looks like it's set up as a gravity feed system.

You can also buy one (already made for you) from Autotopoff.com for about $50 dollars. Add a cheap pump (I think I paid $7 for mine) and you are good to go. I bought mine used for about 1/2 the price of a new one and just added my $7 pump to it. Having dual switches is better than a single float switch (just in case the 1st one fails), as the 2nd one is a backup that will "kick in" if the 1st one doesn't shut the system off properly.

 

Mine is gravity feed..... and yes it is that simple....

I have mine set up all the time... water jug is set up on a shelf above the water level of your sump water level. Tube goes from water level to float valve. Float valve mounted in the sump.

To connect the water jug to a 1/4 in tube, fortunately, you can unscrew the spigot portion of the water jug cap and screw in a standard PVC adapter.

M


BTW --- You don't have to use this design.... my only point is that ATO's are very inexpensive. You don't need to spend a lot of money.

 

I would say no... It depends on how much evaporation your are getting per day & how deep is your water level compared to your pump inlet. Either case I wouldn't for three reasons. 1: When your water level goes down due to evaporation, your salinity goes up, which is bad. 2. You run the risk of burning out your pump & killing your livestock, since now there is no more circulation of your water. 3. How do you plan on feeding your livestock? A week without food is not good. Always try to keep you livestock happy, if not they will find something to munch on.

When I go on vacation or not going to be around. I have a friend come by & feed my bengal cat & livestock, check the water level & make sure everything is fine. You never know what may happen when you are gone. Leak may happen, pump sucked in a shell, timer on light failed, power outage. It does help if the people stopping by knows about saltwater/reef aquariums. If not give them a crash course 101 on what to do & what not to do. Remember every single system is unique, so what I do on mine, is not what someone else may do on theirs..

On a second note, I would invest in a ATO. I myself loose a gallon per day due to evaporation.