Flooded the bedroom

[cjanlui]

All right. Thought I was smart adding the new Auto Top off kit that was circulating around the forums. Great thought! Except....My tank which was just moved to my "newly completed" spare bedroom decided it had other plans.
My overflow box pump clogged, my sump pumped all the water up which was okay at first, UNTIL my new ATO decided to kick in thinking "the more the merrier" which then flooded the brand new carpet.
SO now the question. Does anyone know of any dealer that has a float switch that will INTERRUPT power? That way a high water float switch in the upper tank will disconnect power to the return pump.

Any ideas?

[Paul28]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~dosing_pumps_top_off_jbj _ATO_automatic_top_off_water_level_controller.html you can set the time how long it will stay on so that it wont over flow if the float fails i love the option

[ErikH]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~dosing_pumps_top_off_jbj _ATO_automatic_top_off_water_level_controller.html you can set the time how long it will stay on so that it wont over flow if the float fails i love the option

I have it and love it.

Did yours come with two switches? If so you may need to flip the switch on the main control.

[cjanlui]

Like I said above, my main tank overflow clogged and lost suction so the main tank was not returning to the sump.
ScorpiNO, it did come with 2 switches but the switch was doing it's job. The sump WAS empty... It just kept pumping all of the new water up and up and up..


Now I have another problem too...one of my ballasts for my MH's obviously shorted. keeps tripping the wall GFCI. works on non GFCI though but that makes me nervous. Even replaced the GFCI, not it. Ballast is made by JKS but cannot find them....

[aquasport24]

that happened to me too , mine external overflow got gloged up ,but i caught it on time
.The water line was right at the rim of the main tank . So now i went with the calfo box with two 2" drains.

[caferacermike]

Like I said above, my main tank overflow clogged and lost suction so the main tank was not returning to the sump.
ScorpiNO, it did come with 2 switches but the switch was doing it's job. The sump WAS empty... It just kept pumping all of the new water up and up and up..


Now I have another problem too...one of my ballasts for my MH's obviously shorted. keeps tripping the wall GFCI. works on non GFCI though but that makes me nervous. Even replaced the GFCI, not it. Ballast is made by JKS but cannot find them....



Well Cjan before you lament the purveyor of said implemented device please understand that as you even said, it worked flawlessly. You had a tank problem, not a problem with your ATO. If you are referring to Top-off.com's product many many people enjoy the ease of use of said product and you would be implying that in some way shape or form that product malfunctioned and caused your problems, when in fact you have an issue with the way you plumbed your own tank and or the cleanliness of said tank. I understand that you may have been very upset at the time but it would be very unfair to lay blame on a product that worked just as it should have. You could easily wire in another high flow switch into the tank itself if you feel this problem could arise at another time.

The best advice in this entire thread is to keep any screens you run clean as a whistle, prevent snails from entering your suction lines, and don't lay blame on those that don't deserve it.

[cjanlui]

The best advice in this entire thread is to keep any screens you run clean as a whistle, prevent snails from entering your suction lines, and don't lay blame on those that don't deserve it.

Caferacer mike, I understand you have been around this forum for quite some time now but I do not understand how you mistook my original or updated post as any attack against the auto top off systems. I simply asked if anyone knew of "ANOTHER" type of float switch that I can install in addition to the auto top off system that I currently have, but will work in reverse as a safety measure to shut off my return pump in case this happens again. I also wanted to point out to any current users that this may be a possibility with their systems as well. I am currently speaking with the manufacturers of this product to see if they can design me an additional float switch for the main tank for the purposes I had previously stated as well.
I do apologize if it appeared that I was "lamenting" anyone in your opinion. BUT, I thought since this appears to be San Antonio's wealthiest sight of reef information that someone before me had come up with a solution.

[jroescher]

"My overflow box pump clogged"
Surely you don't have a pump in your overflow, if so that's problem #1.

The solution is to have 2 overflows. Each one capapble of handling all the flow if one gets clogged.

To make a float switch 'interrupt' power you simply turn the float upside down. Pull the clip off the bottom and the float slides off.

[cjanlui]

I do have a pump to my overflow. It's a CPR overflow with a pump connected to an air suction line. It has saved my rear end in the past during numerous power outages because when the power comes back on it restarts the flow cycle. I did install a second overflow at the other end of the tank but it is a smaller one not capable of the flow rate of the return pump.

Mhhm..maybe I might have to locate my electrician-happy boyfriend to see if he can engineer me something. Aquahub just got back to me and gave me lots of "internal" drawings of how their float switches work and ideas about how to do this but I think they're hesitating on drawing me anything. That's a bad sign.
I have a feeling if left up to my own devices, I will burn down the house! I'll figure something out though!

[sharkboy]

I have managed to flood my bedroom on "several" occasions. To the point where I had to remove the carpet and put in tile flooring...its one of those things that is inevitable in this hobby. good luck!

[coraline79]

I do have a pump to my overflow. It's a CPR overflow with a pump connected to an air suction line.


If you have the right overflow, there is no need for a pump. My overflow has a partition in the back, the tube goes on one side and the drain on the other. when the power goes out, about 3 inches of water is left in the tube side of the partition, and the suctoin is maintained. Had a 4 hour outage the other day w/o a drop on the floor, and it went right back to work when everything came back on.

[matt]

The CPR external overflows are infamous for flooding. I suggest you replace it with something much more reliable. There are well made j-tube overflows, I think life reef makes some good ones, but the best by far is an internal overflow like a calfo or a couple of boxes. You'd have to remove everything from your tank, get it drilled and fitted with the overflows, so it's probably easier to just buy a new tank that's drilled, transfer everything to the new tank, then sell the old one. It's not too bad a job, and no matter what it costs it's worth it.

I don't know what kind of auto top-off you have, but it kind of sounds like it worked the way it was supposed to. Your sump emptied, it filled it. There are switches that turn your return pump off if your sump level gets too low; the best ones are conductivity switches, not mechanical float switches. Mechanical float switches that are mounted under water will almost always fail eventually. See if tunze has something like that with the osmolator.

[Bill S]

You might also consider limiting the volume of your topoff. On my 55, it's a 5 gallon salt bucket. On my 215, it's about a 35 gallon container. These are both such that even if they were completely full, my systems should be able to handle the extra volume from them in the event of a stuck float switch. A stuck float switch AND a subsequent power failure might give me a problem though!

[labrown]

If you have the right overflow, there is no need for a pump. My overflow has a partition in the back, the tube goes on one side and the drain on the other. when the power goes out, about 3 inches of water is left in the tube side of the partition, and the suctoin is maintained. Had a 4 hour outage the other day w/o a drop on the floor, and it went right back to work when everything came back on.

What kind of overflow do you have? Looking to buy...

[coraline79]

What kind of overflow do you have? Looking to buy...

I have an Eshopp U tube overflow. I picked it up at Aquarium Designs for 45 or 49 bucks can't remember. It comes with the U Tube, the bulk head, and a prefilter for the drain.

[BIGBIRD123]

I spent 4 yrs listening to my wife gripe at me about the HOB overflows...the wet carpet...the having to drive 4.5 hrs back home from my job because the tank was overflowing...the putting red tape on all the things she needed to unplug...the lack of a "truly" good HOB overflow and had my tank drilled for a calfo with 2- 2" bulkheads. My tank works fine even if one of them clogs but it would take something massive to clog one. I say bite the bullet...and have the back of the tank drilled. JMHO from EXPERIENCE.

Steve

[Darth-Tater]

Ace can drill your tank for you. btw I have flooded my classom floor twice in the past. The last time I ruined all of lessons I have been using for 10 yrs ( ikept them on the floor near me. 20 gallons screws up salinity and books. :rofl: So I bought a top-off unit and now everything is working super. But Ace drilled the tank for me. :bighug:

A soggy tater (but not anymore Thanks www.top-off.com (http://www.top-off.com)) :whew: