DIY Auto top-up

[edwardchuajh]

Hi,

Looking for 5gallon or more airtight containers, best is if someone can let me know where I can get those round water dispenser tanks (those in offices) with a screw top cover available.

Or maybe jerry cans?

Intending to make a DIY auto top-up system with a battery operated airpump, float switches, airline tubing and a water container =)

[felix_fx2]

edward, you tried IKEA?
Do you mean the water refill bottles? With Screw top?

If jerry-cans, can get from the sungei road region if i not mistaken. search the forum to be sure.

Try looking at evlin's thread. everything auto.

[edwardchuajh]

Yep those water refill kinds, the big round kind. Checked ikea already don't have leh

and I got the idea from ervine's thread but he didn't explain the diff components

[tawauboy]

have you considered running a small pipe from a tap to your tank?
eliminates a big 5 gallon container. and all you'll need will be a float valve.

[edwardchuajh]

have you considered running a small pipe from a tap to your tank?
eliminates a big 5 gallon container. and all you'll need will be a float valve.

that would be the best, but Singapore's water is so chlorinated I don't think I can run it directly into the tank, thus the 5gallon to hold aged water.

[sheng]

Possible to share with us your design?

[bossteck]

Yeah, interested in seeing your design too.

Try Toyogo at Toa Payoh.

Here's their website: http://www.toyogogroup.com/TYGSG/tygsg_main.php

[tawauboy]

i have been topping up directly from the tap with no dechlorinator. and up to 20% tank volume. no issues at all. however, this may not work for you.

if you worry about chlorine/chloramine, just rig up a small bottle of dechlorinator with a continuous drip tap.

[edwardchuajh]

sheng, bossteck: here it is, a rough drawing of it. thanks for the toyogo link also can go check it out.

It still requires some DIY for some form of snail guard to prevent snails from messing the float switch, and I'm using more than one switch in series such that all must be "switched on" before the airpump will activate, to reduce chance of a FLOOD in case one gets stuck.

I got this idea from a overseas forum post. And I'm using a battery operated air pump for portability, remove yet another wall plug, and also I've seen some forumners use a relay to turn the pump on and off and I'm quite scared of rapidly switch a 240Vac supply on/off.

When the switches are both on when the water level is low, the airpump will work and pump air into the airtight water container. The air pressure will then push water into the longer airline tubing and into the tank. Once the water level reachs a sufficient level, the switch will open and the airpump will stop.

wonder if fellow forumner ervinelim can share his auto topup system also =)

thomas: hmm I have had problems with using using chlorinated water before, so I think I will stay safe =) and I'm only using a 1.5ft tank, so a 5gallon tank should last a long time. (lastly also cuz my tank area is near balcony, nowhere near kitchen or pipes =( )

[sheng]

That type of containner in your picture, if i am not wrong, there are many hardware-shops along the stretch of Jln Bersa selling it.

[SmallFish]

have you considered running a small pipe from a tap to your tank?
eliminates a big 5 gallon container. and all you'll need will be a float valve.

Sorry to hijack this thread but given the same concern (the need for auto top up), I am interested about the "float valve" which Thomas mentioned.

Hi Thomas, are you (or anyone else) able to explain how the "float valve" works?

I am currently running an ordinary hose pipe directly from the tap to the tank, but manually 'calibrating' the tap such that it drips ~2 drops of water per minute, which is about the rate of evaporation of my 3ft tank, running on a 2xDIY DC fan.

Thanks.

[SmallFish]

that would be the best, but Singapore's water is so chlorinated I don't think I can run it directly into the tank, thus the 5gallon to hold aged water.

Strangely you mentioned that as I never had any problem adding water directly from the tap, even with a 20% water change (I have a 90x45x45 tank).
The only caution I take is not to fill the tank too fast ie. slow flow.

PS. I run a pipe directly from the tap to the tank, also serves to top-up the tank 24by7 from evaporation.

[edwardchuajh]

That type of containner in your picture, if i am not wrong, there are many hardware-shops along the stretch of Jln Bersa selling it.

thanks sheng! I'll go check it out.


SmallFish: It works like the float valve you will have in your toilet bowl cistern. The ball is on a swivel neck and float on the water. Once the level is reached, the arm will go up and close the valve. I think can find small ones 8-10cm which works with tanks on eBay. If I'm not wrong a few HK/China vendors have them online.

e.g.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Adjustable-Pla...223139002r2722

[ervinelin]

Hi guys,

I've built a few kinds of DIY auto-top ups before and after a few tries I've narrowed it down to 1 type.

Float switch which when activated opens a relay which then fires up a cheap waterpump to pump water up to the tank. The reservoir is situated under the tank.

The float switch itself is protected by a 35mm film canister to prevent snails and grime from affecting the float switch. Some people think it's a myth that a snail can cause the float switch to malfunction but trust me, I've had a snail cause a flood before!


See how I mounted the float switch & the air-tubing which is where the water comes out from. The pump of course uses regular water tubing, which I reduced by shoving a one way air valve into it.

If you are kiasu, can put 2 float switches in series, to make sure that both need to activate before the pump does.

If you are even more kiasu, there can be yet another float switch to make sure the pump doesn't run dry should the reservoir become empty.

I've also tried water pressure type auto-top ups, but to be honest most of them are very risky and might cause flooding. I'm not entirely for the air pressure method either, even the tiniest of leaks will render your auto-top up useless.

I hope this helps.
Erv.

[edwardchuajh]

Ahh I see.. thanks for the insight!

so your water pump is inside just a bucket of water?

regarding the relay, how often does it deactivate/activate? when the water level is just about there, does it keep popping on and off frequently?

[felix_fx2]

edward,

if you need to visit toyogo.
Take Bus 238 from Toa payoh interchange, its near the car showrooms.

For the jerry cans. I think sheng is pointing to the same place as i say. I know from sim lim walk towards the Flea market, I saw them around there. ( i think that's sungei, right? )

You might wish to "steal" some of Ervine's ideas, also i've had 1st had experience with changing float valve of my toliet flush. Maybe i can help more.

P.S: Ervine bro, sorry. I mis-spelt your user id in my 1st post.

[edwardchuajh]

felix:

Thanks!

But I won't be able to go down anytime soon =P Final year project and midterms heh.. most probably next weekend. Will update then!

And yes, but I'm not too familiar with relays, wil try the air pressure method and see how it goes =)

[ervinelin]

Ahh I see.. thanks for the insight!

so your water pump is inside just a bucket of water?

regarding the relay, how often does it deactivate/activate? when the water level is just about there, does it keep popping on and off frequently?

Hi again, yeah the water pump is in a togo (toyogo or something) tub. I've a hole at the top that lets the power cord and hose come out.

As for relays, since there is hardly and water movement on the surface, it turns on and off only once in a while, I would say once every half hour only. Also, the film canister also prevents the accidental wave from bobbing the float switch.

Of course if you want you can fire it up via microcontrollers and have a duration between activation. That's what I did with my fan controller, so it makes sure at least a few minutes go by before a change of state.

Yups!
Erv.

[BFG]

have you considered running a small pipe from a tap to your tank?
eliminates a big 5 gallon container. and all you'll need will be a float valve.

Thomas, there is a high risk factor to using this setup. Float valve are not generally fool proof and if a snail happen to be where the float valve suppose to 'close', there will be an uninterrupted supply of water being fed into the tank. Knowing that the tap is connected to the water tank, the tank will soon overflow with water and flooding the house it is kept in. The missus will not be happy when she reaches home. I remembered our former moderator Kelvin had this happened to him.

For my freshwater water top up for my marine tank, I am using this product http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C..._tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter036

It has an infra-red sensor as well as a float valve as a secondary safety sensor. Supplied with a pump too and an indicator alarm. Pricey but it takes load off my mind. If anyone wants to use a float valve, use 2. I believe it is very rare to have 2 snails disrupting 2 float valve but if it happens to you, go and buy 4-D!

Hope this helps!

[edwardchuajh]

wah.. nice equipment =) pricey as you said tho..

and for me I am using a 5gallon tank for fear of an unlimited water supply also.. actually my ideal fail safe is to place the tank on a shallow tray, with a tubing in the tray leading out to my balcony. in case of overflow, it overflows into the tray which then goes tot he balcony..

but too lazy to do so yet =P