Mixing Station

[GDD66]

I'm getting ready to build my first mixing station.
Tank is 75 gallon, and I normally change out 15 gallons every four weeks.
My mixing station will be in basement, and tank will be 10' above on 1st floor.
I want to pump water up in hose for changes.
I'm worried that the pump that has enough head height, will pump too fast.
How do people make sure they can turn off the water without flooding upstairs? Wi-Fi control?
I'm assuming a shutoff valve on output of hose could harm pump?

 

[dank reefer]

Welcome to R2R by the way.
Smart Plug with mobile app is what I would do if I were in your shoes.

 

[Reefer1978]

Are you planning to pump water into a storage container, or right into the tank? Wifi Controllable pump, or a pumped hooked into an Apex Outlet (or Smart Plug as mentioned above) would all work. But I don't think you would harm the pump if it was "clogged" for under a minute while you go downstairs to shut it off. I've been stopping my pumps for 5-10 seconds with ball valves for years on my mixing station and it's still running like a champ.

Transfer pumps are also great in that regard. But they are loud and expensive.

 

[GDD66]

Thanks for the advice guys. My plan is to siphon the 15-20 gallons into the sink upstairs, and then use an external transfer pump with a 75' hose to refill the tank. At 800 or more GPH, I'm worried that it will fill very quickly and if for some reason the wifi doesn't shut it off, I have many gallons of water in my main floor. Sounds like I might just be being paranoid. Any suggestions on what kind of pump to buy?

 

[Reefer1978]

Thanks for the advice guys. My plan is to siphon the 15-20 gallons into the sink upstairs, and then use an external transfer pump with a 75' hose to refill the tank. At 800 or more GPH, I'm worried that it will fill very quickly and if for some reason the wifi doesn't shut it off, I have many gallons of water in my main floor. Sounds like I might just be being paranoid. Any suggestions on what kind of pump to buy?

Are you going one floor or 2?

 

[GDD66]

My 75 gallon is one floor up, and looking to add a 150 gallon.
My son is dying for a tank in his room, which would be 2 floors up......so trying to build for the future

 

[Reefer1978]

For 2 floors I would go with a slower, but more powerful transfer pump. They can lift above 30 feet.

 

[K7BMG]

We use flow pumps, not pressure pumps.
The impeller will spin in the water.
Put a valve on the end of your hose.
No harm will come to your pump.
When you say hose are you talking about a garden hose?
If so your flow will not be anywhere close to 800gph.


If you use electronics you will have water on the floor.

 

[GDD66]

I'd like to use something better (looking) than a garden hose; but haven't researched those yet.
Any advice on that is appreciated too. I'm assuming I'll need to reduce from a 3/4 or 1" pump outlet down to a 1/2 or 5/8 hose up to the tank....but really haven't gotten that far yet. My 75 FOWLR is going on 3 years, and is perfectly healthy.......just getting a little tired of producing water and wheeling it around house every 4 weeks......too many buckets and Brute containers in the living space

 

[K7BMG]

I'd like to use something better (looking) than a garden hose; but haven't researched those yet.
Any advice on that is appreciated too. I'm assuming I'll need to reduce from a 3/4 or 1" pump outlet down to a 1/2 or 5/8 hose up to the tank....but really haven't gotten that far yet. My 75 FOWLR is going on 3 years, and is perfectly healthy.......just getting a little tired of producing water and wheeling it around house every 4 weeks......too many buckets and Brute containers in the living space

Understand that one.
Is it possible to run a hard line?
Even outside the house and back in.
I know buckets are a pain but wait untill you start wrangling a hose around.
All the more reason to have a valve at the end of it. Otherwise you will have a water trail through the hall and up the stairs.
I have lived this. Lol.

 

[K7BMG]

Maybe I am thinking you have a different idea.
I just caught the line something better looking than a garden hose.
That statement has me think this will be a permanent instalation?
All the better.

 

[Brew12]

I think I would stick with hauling buckets if I couldn't do a basement sump to go with the system. But...

If you are going to run a hose from the basement to the tank, why not invest in an extension cord of the same length as the hose? You can plug the extension cord in near the tank and run it down to the pump. Control the pump by plugging in or unplugging the extension cord. Even better, plug it into a power strip near the tank and turn it on and off via the switch.

 

[mike550]

@GDD66 Couple of thoughts here, you need to include all head pressure losses (hose diameter, length, vertical rise, etc). So adding head pressure losses, etc. you end up looking for a pump with pretty good head which then results in a high flow pump. But keep in mind that flow readings (like 800GPH) is for zero head. A pump with 20’ of head pressure will have 0 flow at 20’. A lot of pumps will have graph of flow vs. head. So you probably won’t be moving 800GPH in your kitchen sink.

To what @K7BMG said, you could put a valve on the end of the hose since it simply puts back pressure into the pump. I would do a combo of a valve on the hose to regulate flow and then have a remote AC switch to turn the pump on / off while you’re upstairs.

Regarding hose, look for something that is drinking water safe. RV hoses and “Flexzilla” hoses are worth a look.

Good luck!

 

[GDD66]

Thanks EVERYBODY! I'm going to go with the idea of a valve on end of hose, and remote AC switch to turn pump on/off.
My goal is to put a 150/200 gallon tank in down the road, so am over building this mixing station to eventually be able to plumb into a sump for that tank. That might be a year or two away. Ordered storage tanks today, so hopefully this build starts in 5-7 days. I'll start a build post, and hopefully will continue to get good ideas along the way.

 

[K7BMG]

I think I would stick with hauling buckets if I couldn't do a basement sump to go with the system. But...

If you are going to run a hose from the basement to the tank, why not invest in an extension cord of the same length as the hose? You can plug the extension cord in near the tank and run it down to the pump. Control the pump by plugging in or unplugging the extension cord. Even better, plug it into a power strip near the tank and turn it on and off via the switch.

You are a brave man lol.
I would never recommend that being i am an Electrical Contractor, as soon as I did someone would do it and shock the you know what out of themselves. Then I would find myself in a court of law. ROFL....

 

[Brew12]

You are a brave man lol.
I would never recommend that being i am an Electrical Contractor, as soon as I did someone would do it and shock the you know what out of themselves. Then I would find myself in a court of law. ROFL....

I'm not sure why someone would take you to court for recommending the usage of an extension cord.

 

[Bfragale]

I’m not much help regarding pumps and any of your questions lol, but reading thru this made me get to thinking: is it possible to hard plumb a closed loop and just open the end at your tank? I’m thinking of doing this as well. But I’m on same floor as mixing station only about 30 feet away. My thoughts are a loop from mixing station to tank with a ball valve and then back into mixing station with another ball valve. Put a little head pressure on the station side, then open valve at tank, it should fill and not add any extra stress to pump since it can still flow back to mixing station thru the loop.
In your case you could even add a spicket in the upstairs.

not sure if this makes any sense, but in my head it sounds plausible?

Edit: I’m not a plumber nor have any technical knowledge to support my theory. Just a thought that may work?

 

[GDD66]

Hard plumbing just not possible where my tank currently is; unless I did major construction.
Next tank, will be hard plumbed with sump in basement.

 

[ReefBeta]

Hard plumbing just not possible where my tank currently is; unless I did major construction.
Next tank, will be hard plumbed with sump in basement.

What about running 3/8 or 1/4 RO tubing from mixing station to your tank? Cause if you can, might as well setup an automatic water change solution instead.

 

[K7BMG]

You will need a good pump for this.

I am no plumber and head pressure and friction calculations I could do but have no desire.

What I can say is this.
I have a Varios 8 return pump.
Rated at 2700gph.
Installed it using 1 inch PVC pipe, over all length from pump to end was 8 feet in length with 5 feet of head pressure two 45s one 90 and the flow meter.
I got 800gph from that.
Changed it out to 1-1/2 and it went up to 1300gph.
So I would gather that if I reduced the diameter to a garden hose and went up to 10 feet or more of head pressure and 75 feet of it, well who knows if it would even get there.

The point I am getting at is do your homework on hydraulics, or hopefully someone with the knowledge will pop up and help.