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_Aquari...ontroller.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_Aquari...ontroller.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!