need help with diy ATO

reefnewbie54321 · #1 01/02/2008, 09:47 PM

I bought the deluxe auto top off kit from aquahub....

comes with 3 float switches,

2 for sump (one placed lower then the main switch incase it sticks in the up position)

1 for resevoir to shut off my auto top off pump if it runs to low and there will be later plans to hook it up to an led flashing light so I know my resevoir needs to be filled

now heres the problem,

I followed the directions and wired the 2 float switches together and then to the transformer and to the relay creating a loop but the way the directions set it up makes the floats run in sinc with each other.

They both have to be in the down position for the pump to turn on wich defeats the purpose of one being a back up.

I want one float to stay in the up position and have my second float higher and regulate the flow. The bottom one will only go in the down position if the main float sticks in the up position and cuases the water flow to drop below the set level.

How can I do this?

funman1 · #2 01/02/2008, 09:57 PM

Yes most of the time they will FAIL ON not Fail Off..
So if the one switch fails to break the current when the water level rises the second one will rise up and break the circut..

It's designed to be a positive shutdown, meaning is fails to Off rather than fails to On; and then flood the tank with fresh water cause salinity to drop....

Did that help any?

reefnewbie54321 · #3 01/02/2008, 10:11 PM

Thanks,
I feel pretty dumb now .... this is my first go at a DIY top off. I had it wired right the whole time and my brother was watching me test it and talked me in to thinking the second float was a backup for the first if it failed in the off position and yah it could cuase my salinity to get a little higher but I would rather have that then flood the sump with fresh water and ruin my hardwood floors.

funman1 · #4 01/02/2008, 10:28 PM

Wow..
Reading my last post I don't know how you read that..
Phew, talk about confusing sentences!!

Anyways, cool; glad you got it all figured out now.

GuySmilie · #5 01/02/2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefnewbie54321
.....I had it wired right the whole time and my brother was watching me test it and talked me in to thinking the second float was a backup for the first if it failed in the off position......and ruin my hardwood floors.

If you really want to play it safe, include one of these where your top-off water enters he sump and sleep easier.

stugray · #6 01/03/2008, 09:51 AM

GuySmilie,

what brand are those?

They look a lot higher quality than the Kent marine ones.

I tried to go to the webbsite from the pic's watermark, but the site is under construction.

Stu

skype · #7 01/03/2008, 01:02 PM

i got one from purelyh2o.com

http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.php...8&cat=0&page=1

working great for me so far.