DIY Auto-Top off with Solenoid

[Foster]

This is a great thread, I have just purchased my solenoid.

Zeph - Did you post that you have a small surge?

Im setting this up on my new tank that will have a 40gallon surge and a 160 gallon sump, but the water level is stil going to rise and fall in the sump along with the surge.

I wanted to know how is yours working with the flux in the sump? Does it just come on every time the surge is about to go?

thanks

[Foster]

Is this the correct speed fit adapter for #7877K53 solenoid?

It is #58151

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...ipe+Connectors

[Old Yeller Tang]

platapus,

You can also find the adapters at Home Depot.

[Zephrant]

Originally posted by platapus
Zeph - Did you post that you have a small surge?

Exactly. As the sump level falls, the float switch trips and dribbles in a little water. The surge hits and the float turns off. This means the float switch cycles pretty often, but it never stays "on" for long either. My "surge" is about 1/2 to 3/4" (3-4 gallons).

I have been considering putting the solenoid on a timer so that it can't be "on" except for 15 minutes every hour or less. The draw back there is that I dose Kalk, and would rather the top-off trickle in over a large period.

1/4" speed-fit to 1/8" NPT is what you need, it looks like #58151 on that page (two needed of course).

Zeph

[Foster]

Thanks - Ill order them.

Is there any reason why I cant use a Ultra-Life float switch instead of the one that you used from mcmaster.com? Mainly because I have had an untralife switch for about a year and never used it.


thanks

[Old Yeller Tang]

Originally posted by platapus
Thanks - Ill order them.

Is there any reason why I cant use a Ultra-Life float switch instead of the one that you used from mcmaster.com? Mainly because I have had an untralife switch for about a year and never used it.


thanks

I have mine hooked up with an Ultra-Life Float as well! Works just the same, just less wiring.

[Zephrant]

Recently I've noticed that there are better float switches around than the one I used. Due to the design of the float, it more prone to having a small snail jam it closed, then other designs.

I suggest looking for a design that looks more like type "D" on the McMaster page 447. (mine is a type "A".)

The "D" type looks to not have the pinch-point that can capture a snail.

Zeph

[Foster]

I got my solenoid.....Is this the right one?

Also - this one has a "IN" stamped on it, I remember some people saying they were hooking them up backwards?

[Zephrant]

Looks good to me- Yep, there is a backwards. I did not notice an IN on mine, I'll check tonight though.

Zeph

[H20ENG]

Platapus, hows the flow through that little solenoid? Isnt it only 1/8"FPT?
THX
Chris

[Foster]

yes - It will control the inlet of my RO/DI, which is the same size.

[RicoJ]

Well it looks like my solenoid has gone bad. In the closed position it still allows a small trickle of water to go through.

Does anyone know what kind of warrantees there are on these?

Rico.

[Zephrant]

I don't know- Did you try to take apart and make sure there wasn't some grit on the seal?

Mine is still going strong-

Zeph

[RicoJ]

Well I emailed them about my problems and they determined that it was a defective solenoid. They shipped me a new one free of charge and told me just to discard the defective solenoid. The new one is working great as designed!

[Zephrant]

Good to hear- Thanks for the update.

Zeph

[pendulum]

great thread. I plan to use some of these ideas. I appreciate all the brain power that has gone into the design (and the pics) :-)

thanks

[GROSSR]

When your solenoid turns on, does it make any noise? Mine buzzes? Can it be adjusted?

Rich

[Foster]

Just s slight click when it opens, and another when it closes....No buzzzing.

Do you have this exact solenoid?

[Zephrant]

Mine clicks when it opens, I can't hear it when it is holding open, and I can't even hear it when it goes closed.

I'd like to say again for anyone who has not read the entire thread- Make sure you use two switches in series (wire one to the next one, then wire both to the solenoid and cord as shown.)

Over the last year, a snail has caused my single float to stick closed three times. Each time I've caught it before it caused problems, because I have the ball-valve upstream set to just a drip. It has to stick open for almost a day before it adds more than an 1" to the sump.

I keep telling myself that I've got to fix it, but have not made time yet. Maybe this weekend.

Zeph

[GROSSR]

Yes, I ordered it from McMaster and used the that model number. I guess I can give the company a call.

Rich

[tgreene]

Neat thread... I wish I had seen it earlier, so I wouldn't have had to "re-invent the wheel" earlier this week, while designing my own system. Funny thing is, I used the very same solenoid!

The biggest difference for me, is that my system will be externally housed in a small project box, with 2 indicator lights and a SPDT toggle switch for quick shutoff when working in the tank. As an additional precaution, I have added a panel mount fuse.

The reason for the SPDT switch & green indicator light, is so that I will always know when there is a constant supply of power. The 2nd circuit will be controlled by the HI/LO float switches, and they will have an amber indicator light, to show when the circuit is complete and the solenoid is open and feeding water into my kalk reactor.

Initially, I was going to use a peristaltic pump, but got to thinking a bit more, and came up with this idea instead, as it has better failsafes.

Here's my complete unit. The water INLET is on the right, and the OUTLET is on the left...




In my diagram below, it will be hooked into the system where the DOSING PUMP is currently shown...

[Zephrant]

Very nice design!

I found a timer today and plugged my solenoid in to it. Now it can only run for 15 minutes at a whack, twice a day. I'll up the time it runs until it just maintains the water level. Then if it gets stuck again, it will take many days to move the water level significantly.

This is just another temporary fix though- I need to go to a setup like the above, with fail-safes and all.

Zeph

[GROSSR]

I went with the 12vdc model, no need for relays and such. I just use a 12vdc transformer, used the double float switches like tgreene, and it works great.

I contacted McMaster about my buzzing and they are sending me a new unit. Great company.

Rich

[tgreene]

I completed the unit today, after figuring out that a DPDT was required for what I wanted, and not the SPDT that I bought earlier in the week, so that required another 60 mile trip to town and back...

I also took a bit of retro-thinking in order to be able to actually get my design to function exactly as i had planned, and after a couple of hours of testing different configurations, I got the bugs worked out. YAY ME!

It's now installed and working perfectly, so the days of manual anything are long gone!

* I'm currently unemployed, so I'm giving serious consideration to making these to sell, but would like your honest opinions as to feasibility and pricing. I'm leaning towards $125-$150 per setup, and rather than having the floats hard wired like mine, I would use 1-piece locking quick connects.

[szwab]

tgreene
do you have the float assembly attached to the sump via a suctioncup? If so I would think of a different way to attach the suction cup will eventually give letting the entire unit sink into the sump.