Ecotech Versa AWC Fail-safes Without a Controller

[bluerider098]

I want to setup auto water changes with a couple of Ecotech Versa pumps. I don't have a controller, but I want to have some Fail-safes to help prevent accidentally alerting the tank salinity.

I currently have my ATO on a smart power strip and plan to have it automatically power off during the daily scheduled water change. Other than that I am not sure how I can prevent under or overfilling the tank which would cause my ATO to add too little or too much rodi water.

I would appreciate any advice/experience.

 

[Poochaku]

I run the versas continuously with saltwater in and saltwater out equal. This way I don't have to worry about the ATO

 

[Wolters_88]

I do the same as poochaku. I have them on a smart power strip and they turn on and off at the same time.

 

[bluerider098]

I guess I was worried that over time of they didn't pump exactly the same amount that you would slowly overfill/underfill.

Are you pulling and adding both from your sump?

 

[Wolters_88]

I guess I was worried that over time of they didn't pump exactly the same amount that you would slowly overfill/underfill.

Are you pulling and adding both from your sump?

I have a 32 gallon brute about three feet away that’s full of saltwater. One goes from there and ones on my sump going to the drain in the middle of my floor.

 

[Poochaku]

I guess I was worried that over time of they didn't pump exactly the same amount that you would slowly overfill/underfill.

Are you pulling and adding both from your sump?

Yes. I calibrate 1x per week. Takes literally 5 minutes. Make sure to put the saltwater out upstream of the saltwater in.

 

[bluerider098]

Yes. I calibrate 1x per week. Takes literally 5 minutes. Make sure to put the saltwater out upstream of the saltwater in.

What are you filling from aka, what's your saltwater resivior? Do you have anything on it to prevent the water change from happening of there's no saltwater.

 

[Poochaku]

What are you filling from aka, what's your saltwater resivior? Do you have anything on it to prevent the water change from happening of there's no saltwater.

I have a 70 gallon water storage barrel outside. Nothing preventing the water change w/ no salt but i look at the water station at least 1x a week when i do water changes on my freshwater aquarium so i'm not worried about missing it.

 

[Joe31415]

Yes. I calibrate 1x per week. Takes literally 5 minutes. Make sure to put the saltwater out upstream of the saltwater in.

Do you really have to do it that often? I've had mine running for a few weeks now. It did take me a couple of tries to get it calibrated properly but just the other day I was starting to wonder if it was off a bit. In fact, I was going to start a thread about it. I was curious if it pumps more accurately when pumping fast or slow or no difference at all. I have mine running just slow enough that I don't hear it (4L over two hours, I believe). One of these days, instead of relying on the calibration, I've been meaning to just move the hose filling the tank into a separate bucket for a cycle and compare it to the bucket that it drains the old water into, except I have to figure out how to do it without introducing a bunch of bends or too much more tubing or I'll risk adding enough head pressure to throw off the results.

Anyway, the reason I bumped this thread is because of the OP's ATO question. At the moment, I'm just running mine for 2 hours, once a day. To deal with the ATO issue, I have the one that brings in the new water first and then 15 minutes later I start the one that drains the old water. This way the ATO sensor stays underwater for most of the time. In fact, yesterday when I checked the sump while it was about an hour in, I noticed that the sensor wasn't quite as submerged as it was at the beginning, which is what made me question if it's drifting.

 

[Poochaku]

Do you really have to do it that often? I've had mine running for a few weeks now. It did take me a couple of tries to get it calibrated properly but just the other day I was starting to wonder if it was off a bit. In fact, I was going to start a thread about it. I was curious if it pumps more accurately when pumping fast or slow or no difference at all. I have mine running just slow enough that I don't hear it (4L over two hours, I believe). One of these days, instead of relying on the calibration, I've been meaning to just move the hose filling the tank into a separate bucket for a cycle and compare it to the bucket that it drains the old water into, except I have to figure out how to do it without introducing a bunch of bends or too much more tubing or I'll risk adding enough head pressure to throw off the results.

Anyway, the reason I bumped this thread is because of the OP's ATO question. At the moment, I'm just running mine for 2 hours, once a day. To deal with the ATO issue, I have the one that brings in the new water first and then 15 minutes later I start the one that drains the old water. This way the ATO sensor stays underwater for most of the time. In fact, yesterday when I checked the sump while it was about an hour in, I noticed that the sensor wasn't quite as submerged as it was at the beginning, which is what made me question if it's drifting.

Not sure how often I should do it. I started doing it bc i detected a salinity problem once but i think it was due to blockage not calibration. Fwiw, its been solid for 2-3 months now

 

[Joe31415]

Not sure how often I should do it. I started doing it bc i detected a salinity problem once but i think it was due to blockage not calibration. Fwiw, its been solid for 2-3 months now

Ok, good. I don't have any problem with regular maintenance or having to re-calibrate it when there are other changes that affect it (ie changing tube lenghts, adding elbows, moving the reservoir etc) but for $150, it ought to be able to maintain it's calibration for a good long while. That's one of the huge advantages to using a stepper motor.