Avast DIY K2 kalk stirrer,assembly and review

[redtop03]

this is a really nice kalk stirrer

operational instructions

http://www.avastmarine.com/literature/K1_manual.pdf

assembly instructions

http://www.avastmarine.com/literature/Kalk-Kit_manual_v1.1.pdf


first opening the box to examine the parts...very well packaged and got to me in excellent shape

after unpacking and test fitting all the pieces and finding they were all a perfect fit,first order of business was to glue the base to the clear tube,making sure the output hole was on the opposite end of the base

it needs to set for an hour to give the glue time to cure out....

with that section of the build out of the way,I started on the other end...

I glued the motor cover tube to the lid,the instructions say to use silly cone or hot glue here so it can be removed if the motor ever needs replaced,I glued it down permanently but will hot glue the lid on so it can be removed later if needed...I then mounted the motor and wired it up

the motor has 2 red wires,1 black wire,and 1 yellow wire...the yellow wire is not used,both red wires connect together and connect to 1 lead from the power cord,the black wire connects to the other power cord lead

 

[redtop03]

I went ahead and mounted the stirring rod,paddle and drive connections to the motor shaft....as well as adding the fittings to the lid for the RO/Di water to enter and a probe holder

 

[redtop03]

next was to glue the 1/2" elbow,the union and the pipe wall washer into the body....

make sure this warped washer is on the outside of the reactor body,it is a perfect fit to the body,this is there to strengthen the pipe wall for the little extra effort it may take to remove the union......the elbow on the inside has a small air hole that has to be turned upward......



and the finished product....

once I've done a leak test and some cleaning,I'll get this baby running and give my thought on how it performs...stay tuned LOL

 

[redtop03]

I noticed this cool zippered pouch but never thought to look in it for the directions,but they were in there LOL

 

[redtop03]

here it is all hooked up and running

had to work some magic on my feed line(the blue RO/DI tubing) it was trying to siphon after the pump was off,quick fix was to add the T at a point higher that the RO/DI container so that it would break the siphon...this tip was also mentioned in the instruction that came with the stirrer...

 

[cdness]

Nice! I have been really considering this kit. Looks pretty simple to assemble too.

 

[redtop03]

yes,it is really easy to assemble and it works great....I wish it had came with a little more glue but it has just enough,so be careful when filling the applicator bottle and don't spill any,I suggest gluing all the acrylic pieces first,if you run out before you glue the plumbing pieces,you can at least use PVC glue on them

 

[creefer]

Thanks for the review. I just ordered the K1 last night.

Quick question.....Do you run your ATO water through this thing at all times, or only in the evening for certain periods of time? I'm a bit confused on proper set up of the stirrer. My evap rate is about 3/4 gallon every 24 hours and the ATO is on a float switch. I planned on running the ATO though the stirrer and running it 24/7 as opposed to night time only to spread out the dose. Your thoughts?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Great review!

 

[Seasonedreefer]

I own one of these and it is the best thing for kalk users since sliced bread. It is without a doubt one of, if not THE best product I've ever purchased for my reef.

 

[redtop03]

Thanks for the review. I just ordered the K1 last night.

Quick question.....Do you run your ATO water through this thing at all times, or only in the evening for certain periods of time? I'm a bit confused on proper set up of the stirrer. My evap rate is about 3/4 gallon every 24 hours and the ATO is on a float switch. I planned on running the ATO though the stirrer and running it 24/7 as opposed to night time only to spread out the dose. Your thoughts?

I think you'll be extremely happy with the K1,they are a well built system

I have a Toms aqualifter on a timer to dose only at night time for my tank,I didn't like the Ph drop at night time so I only dose kalk when the Ph is starting to drop,my main objective was to stabilize the Ph swing in my tank as I also dose 2-part for Ca and Alk replenishing.....for the Ca and Alk benefit kalk provides,24/7 in your ATO system is the best way to dose it

Great review!

thank you rev,glad I could share my experience with it although this is not a completely DIY product,I understand why Troylee loves working with acrylic,it's really cool to take a pile of plastic and create something useful with it

I own one of these and it is the best thing for kalk users since sliced bread. It is without a doubt one of, if not THE best product I've ever purchased for my reef.

I agree,I love mine and it's still working flawlessly...very nice stirrer for sure


sorry guys that it's taken me so long to reply,I've been busy and haven't been spending a lot of time on-line the last few months