Difference Between Float Valve and Float Switch?

[Urabggr]

From what I understand, a float switch is hooked up to a pump and when the water level drops, it activates the pump for a short period of time to add a little top-off water. And a float valve is just hooked up to piping and when the water level drops, it opens the valve and allows water to go through. Is this correct? And if so, which would be more advisable to use in an auto top-off system, probably with limewater. I would think the float valve because you could gravity feed the water and not have to worry about either the pump clogging (you will still have to clean the valve of course though) or the pump pumping too much water at once (its limewater). If you gravity feed througha small tube, only a little water will go at a time, while as with a pump, I would think it would pump somewhat large bursts of water at a time. Am I correct with this? Any help would... help. Thanks!

[69vette]

Yes you are correct on everything.

[Urabggr]

Oh... thanks... heh.

[Reeforbust]

Yeah...I've got a float valve that I'm gonna use for an auto top off and it is just a simple little rubber stopper that gets pushed into the tube to shut the flow of water off.

[Urabggr]

Would there be a way to put the freshwater storage container under the cabinet next to the sump? Or would I not have enough room for an effectively sized storage container to be placed so that it could gravity feed the water? It will be a 4x2x3 cabinet with a 20long sump (might be upgraded to a standard 30g). Since I kinda need to have everything under the cabinet, would it actually be better to go with the pump/float switch combo so that the container would not have to be above the sump? Thanks!

[Reeforbust]

???

I'm just runnin a line into the float valve from my laundry room where it is mounted. I dont have the water tank...

[Urabggr]

Well what I'm gonna do (because I'll have to mix kalk into the topoff water) is like once a week, I'll refill one "large" container with limewater, and that container will be hooked up to the auto top-off device. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this container under the cabinet, but I'm not sure (hence my above post).

[Reeforbust]

Its tough to fit it all in there!!

[keefsama2003]

im looking into a guess a float switch.

im going to have a slopsing in my fishroom and its too far of a run to plumb into the sewage and i dont want to buy a sump pump break up concrete and then pump the water across the house. i will put like a 55gallon container under the tank and have a switch go on when the water level gets too high and once it goes down kick off. ill plumb the drain out of the house onto the driveway so i dont have to worry about anything.

Question 1 is how would i go about this
Question 2 is this something thats fairly easy and practical