Float valve suggestions for kalk topoff.

[Reefinmike]

Hey all, I started dosing kalk a couple months back and my tank is now at a point where I feel comfortable switching from scheduled hourly dosing to using kalk for all topoff. My topoff system is gravity fed with my apex and two float switches controlling a solenoid with a regular ol float valve as a backup. My tank’s evaporation is very consistent- within a few ounces every day. My 10g gravity reservoir has a float switch to send an alert, sound an alarm or shut off a solenoid if tripped. The height of the intake line is easily adjusted every few days to minimize any risk of accidental overdose. I feel pretty darn safe using kalk in my ATO with all these precautions but I’m not too certain my float valve will be a 100% reliable mechanical backup. I’ve seen the crusty buildup on the end of my doser’s line and I bet it’ll be the same passing by the rubber stopper on the float valve. Are there any “remote” float valves where the seal of the valve is in kalk at all times? Such that it isn’t exposed to air or saltwater. These cotton pad leak valves pictured seem like an option but i’m not sure how they’d do in a humid environment.

Alternatively I’ve been toying around with the idea of completely forgoing the valve and implementing a second solenoid and possibly a third “emergency” float switch an inch above the other two floats. I feel this would be plenty safe but i’d prefer using both a solenoid and a float valve.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hey all, I started dosing kalk a couple months back and my tank is now at a point where I feel comfortable switching from scheduled hourly dosing to using kalk for all topoff. My topoff system is gravity fed with my apex and two float switches controlling a solenoid with a regular ol float valve as a backup. My tank’s evaporation is very consistent- within a few ounces every day. My 10g gravity reservoir has a float switch to send an alert, sound an alarm or shut off a solenoid if tripped. The height of the intake line is easily adjusted every few days to minimize any risk of accidental overdose. I feel pretty darn safe using kalk in my ATO with all these precautions but I’m not too certain my float valve will be a 100% reliable mechanical backup. I’ve seen the crusty buildup on the end of my doser’s line and I bet it’ll be the same passing by the rubber stopper on the float valve. Are there any “remote” float valves where the seal of the valve is in kalk at all times? Such that it isn’t exposed to air or saltwater. These cotton pad leak valves pictured seem like an option but i’m not sure how they’d do in a humid environment.

Alternatively I’ve been toying around with the idea of completely forgoing the valve and implementing a second solenoid and possibly a third “emergency” float switch an inch above the other two floats. I feel this would be plenty safe but i’d prefer using both a solenoid and a float valve.

My experience with float valves and kalkwasser is a bad one. Back in the nineties I was using kalkwasser in my ATO and over time it did exactly what your worried about. The pintel that keeps the float valve from opening when the water line is up, didn't close all the way one day due to the kalk build up and flooded my system with all the ATO contents.

In my honest opinion I wouldn't ever do that again.

I've since been using a autotopoff.com redundant electronic float switch that powers a small Jebao pump in my ATO reservoir that I use kalkwasser in. It's never failed me in all these years.

If you have to use a mechanical float valve with kalkwasser, clean the float valve at least once every two weeks with water vinegar solution to keep it clean. Keep as little top off water in your ATO reservoir as to not overflow your sump if it fails. And watch it like a hawk.

 

[Reefinmike]

My experience with float valves and kalkwasser is a bad one. Back in the nineties I was using kalkwasser in my ATO and over time it did exactly what your worried about. The pintel that keeps the float valve from opening when the water line is up, didn't close all the way one day due to the kalk build up and flooded my system with all the ATO contents.

In my honest opinion I wouldn't ever do that again.

I've since been using a autotopoff.com redundant electronic float switch that powers a small Jebao pump in my ATO reservoir that I use kalkwasser in. It's never failed me in all these years.

If you have to use a mechanical float valve with kalkwasser, clean the float valve at least once every two weeks with water vinegar solution to keep it clean. Keep as little top off water in your ATO reservoir as to not overflow your sump if it fails. And watch it like a hawk.

I’m worried about relying on a normal float valve because as with you, I KNOW it will fail in weeks. My ato uses the float as a secondary emergency shut off. The solenoid controls the flow. Like I posted above, i’d like to have some sort of reliable shutoff valve independent of the apex and float switches. Dual redundant solenoids would be very reliable but I prefer a mechanical shutoff as well.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I’m worried about relying on a normal float valve because as with you, I KNOW it will fail in weeks. My ato uses the float as a secondary emergency shut off. The solenoid controls the flow. Like I posted above, i’d like to have some sort of reliable shutoff valve independent of the apex and float switches. Dual redundant solenoids would be very reliable but I prefer a mechanical shutoff as well.

They may need to be cleaned as well over time. Kalkwasser will coat everything it touches. Nature of the beast.

I'd go redundant electronic float valve, backed up by the apex. Small pump to top off. Simpler, less working pieces to worry about failure and less costly. Jmtcw.

 

[Reefinmike]

My topoff reservoirs are gravity fed and in a closet 30’ away with my ro unit and sw mixing bin. I dont like moving water.

What do you mean by a redundant electronic float valve? A second solenoid controlled by the 2 float switches i use?

 

[Flippers4pups]

The “double” is what I use.

http://autotopoff.com/Standard/index.html

 

[Orm Embar]

I used to add kalk to my open (float valve/gravity fed) ATO, and it would regularly clog.

I gave up on that and tried adding the alkalinity part of 2-part to the ATO, which let me add calcium directly to the sump (bolus, not dripped). That worked better, and I had no clogging issues.

I would have stuck with that until I read about "one part" (calcium formate,where formate is metabolized into alkalinity), which is what I add now. Small tank, relatively modest consumption, and as easy as I can imagine - Tropic Marin makes it in a Bettix bottle where I squeeze roughly 4 mL and dump it into my sump once a week. I do need to do some testing to see how well it's working, though.

I'm not sure how to make kalk additions (reasonably) foolproof; I'll leave that to others more experienced in that than I!

 

[Reefinmike]

BUMP. Still looking for ideas for a non electronic float valve with a seal that wont expose kalk to air or saltwater causing precipitation. For now i’m using two solenoids controlled by two float switches in the sump and one in the kalk reservoir. I have the solenoids on an osc code to open to open only one minute an hour. Even if all three floats fail, this should limit it to 25% more kalk than normally dosed.

 

[Water Dog]

Use an Avast Pressure Switch or the Avast ATO (comes with magnet for pressure tube) with the wiring for a Apex breakout box.

https://www.avastmarine.com/products/pressure-switch

https://www.avastmarine.com/products/ato-kit

No moving pets to clog!

 

[Reefinmike]

Thanks for the suggestion water dog. That in combination with my current setup would be plenty reliable and redundant.

I’m also considering getting an apex ldk setup and an optical sensor. I have a ton of baby trochus snails in my sump and I recently noticed my high level float stuck. I check the switches every few days but i’d sleep better with something snail proof.

 

[Water Dog]

Be cautious with the Neptune optical sensors as they have a poor reputation in terms of quality and need to be cleaned often.