AWC Pumps

[gotwins86]

Looking to implement AWCs. Would like to use the Hydros controller to do so. Have about 7ft vertical and 20ft horizontal between tank and water storage. Would also like to use 1/4 RO tubing. So a couple questions.

Any pump recommendations that could handle this? Smaller footprint pump to fit in sump would be nice, that could handle the 7ft head.
Is there an adapter that could be used to connect the pump and the 1/4 tubing?
Is it smart to use a pump and small tubing this way?
For the distance, would it be smarter to look at dosing pumps to do the AWC instead?

 

[blaxsun]

Quite a few people use the Neptune DOS for RO and AWC.

 

[Shorething]

I have an auto aqua water change system with ato function and love it. Mine is the older version. They have a ne version out now.

 

[t5Nitro]

Spectrapure. Don't let anyone tell ya different.

 

[gotwins86]

Spectrapure. Don't let anyone tell ya different.

Looking at it, would have to get the starter kit and an extra dosing pump? Pretty expensive option.
Is it easy to set up and get going?

 

[t5Nitro]

Really easy install after getting the RO lines drilled and tubing routed through the floors.

After initial start up you are able to calibrate each pump individually to dispense 500 mL. This was the toughest part for me since my water In line goes into the sump, and the water Out / tank drain line empties in a sink in the basement.

I wanted to calibrate the full length of the tubing for resistance reasons so I ended up needing another person to be in one place while I was in the other and be on the phone to say when 500mL was reached, then you tell the pump to shut off. Its then calibrated.

For example, person A is by the tank with the water In line into a volumetric flask or scale or other measuring device. You're in the basement or wherever the main litermeter is located so you're at the main control box. You turn that pump on that you decide is the new saltwater In line and when person A tells you that you've hit 500 mL, you hit a button on the litermeter to stop, and its fully calibrated ready to go. You repeat for the other pump draining the tank. Then set it and forget it.

Edit: the prices definitely have gone up with the pandemic. You do need an extra pump as well as the main litermeter, which is a pump in itself. There's A, B, and C pumps. The main LM device acts as pump A. You can then add an accessory pump and plug them into the litermeter and have them do whatever you need. In the case of AWC thats 1 extra pump into the B slot.

 

[GarrettT]

Looking at it, would have to get the starter kit and an extra dosing pump? Pretty expensive option.
Is it easy to set up and get going?

I'll liking be selling mine on the equipment forum for $420 shipped. Will include the Litermeter 4 and G7 doser remote pump. All new. I wanted to use it as a kalk doser, but don't think these units were designed to go that low (50ml rate/min). You would still need another remote pump in order to do a AWC. Just throwing it out there.

 

[t5Nitro]

Is the LM4 itself not a pump any more? The LM3 is a pump and control unit in one box. One extra remote pump was all thats needed. That gets a bit pricey then if LM4 isn't a standalone pump. Could also look for a used LM3.

 

[a.t.t.r]

If your drain is lower then the tank you could use my method.
I pump in some water and overfill the sump then use a dosing pump to prime a siphon that goes up and around the room. Joining the in and out of the dosing pump is an airline check valve so the siphon maintains itself after primed. Result. Auto water change with no worry about matching input and output all for the price of a jabeo dosing pump

 

[BZOFIQ]

Is the LM4 itself not a pump any more? The LM3 is a pump and control unit in one box. One extra remote pump was all thats needed. That gets a bit pricey then if LM4 isn't a standalone pump. Could also look for a used LM3.

LM4 is just a control module. I think Spectrapure priced itself out of the market (or they dont care to sell just a few) with an $800 water change solution.

At little over $300 people are willing to deal with some noise from the DOS.

 

[n2585722]

How much do you want to change at a time? You can always use two Hydros dosing pumps to do this. The only thing is they have a 43ml per minute flow rate. I currently use a modified Intllab pump to do this and it set to 80ml per minute. It runs for 11 minutes at a time three times a day on a 42 gallon tank. If I doing it now I think I would just use two hydros pumps and use the water change output and schedule on the Hydros. The pump with the green pump heads in the photo is the AWC pump. The pump with the green heads is my AWC pump. These are in the garage. The tank is 35ft away. The tubing is run through the attic in PVC pipe that is insulated. The drain head also pumps the water back up through the attic and down inside the wall to the kitchen sink drain. The pump to the right of the AWC pump is the ATO pump. The one above the ATO is for All For Reef doing. It uses the same tube as the ATO pump to reach the tank. The other two pumps are spares. I have replaced the ATO pump with a Hydros pump since the photo was taken.