RODI AND SOLENOID TO ATO CONTAINER

[Branespikin]

I got the floats switches and latching relay and solenoid at autotopoff .com. Its been flawless two years now. Float switch in ato on bottom for low and float on top for high. When water level drops it sends signal to solenoid to open and turns on rodi unit when it fills to top it triggers top float which in turn sends signal to close solenoid and shut off rodi. Its good for about 5 days and repeats the process avoiding constant turning on and iff RODI and tds creep

 

[kinetic]

My setup:

5 Gallon reservoir (HPDE)
5-stage RODI
Neptune Solenoid
Neptune OS-1m (2x) for low and high sensors
Mechanical float switch on the output in case solenoid fails

I have the Neptune ATK that then goes from the reservoir to the sump

I have plenty of programmed failsafes for filling up the reservoir (timing, etc). I have high confidence in the mechanical float switch as well.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

one last note before we beat this topic to death. snails, detritus, etc can easily clog float switches.. basically anything that floats can clog them. I lost an $80k crop of marijuana a couple years ago.. fine on friday, came back on monday.. every single plant dead and brown.. surprised it didnt start a fire it was so dry.

So anyways.. I hot glued a platic colander around my set of float switches in my fuge.

better safe than sad.

 

[Fritzhamer]

I don’t trust float switches at all, the infrared switches I trust slightly more but float valves, those are great.

 

[Branespikin]

one last note before we beat this topic to death. snails, detritus, etc can easily clog float switches.. basically anything that floats can clog them. I lost an $80k crop of marijuana a couple years ago.. fine on friday, came back on monday.. every single plant dead and brown.. surprised it didnt start a fire it was so dry.

So anyways.. I hot glued a platic colander around my set of float switches in my fuge.

better safe than sad.

U got snails in ir ATO container?

 

[Mark Gray]

Good Thread I am going to do the same thing my RODI container will be 100 gallon I have a booster pump on my RODI, I have the pressure switch for the booster pump on the discharge side of my RODI, I want to put my solenoid valve to turn the main water on on the incoming side of the RODI. Not sure I may have to move the pressure sensor for the booster pump to before the main water solenoid. I will have a low level sensor and a high level sensor and a float valve in the RODI container

 

[MJNTWise]

This is what I did....

I run a RO Buddy, With 2 solenoids. With a 30 sec delay (Apex) the RO Buddy comes on. Then after a 45 sec delay the supply solenoid opens to allow for the flush to do its thing. Then after 60 second delay the RODI Solenoid opens and feeds the sump. The reason I’m doing this is for TDS. I feel the kind of guarantees 0 TDS going into sump.

 

[Mark Gray]

This is what I did....

I run a RO Buddy, With 2 solenoids. With a 30 sec delay (Apex) the RO Buddy comes on. Then after a 45 sec delay the supply solenoid opens to allow for the flush to do its thing. Then after 60 second delay the RODI Solenoid opens and feeds the sump. The reason I’m doing this is for TDS. I feel the kind of guarantees 0 TDS going into sump.

Not sure I quite understand, where do you have your solenoids placed?

 

[MJNTWise]

I have one at my supply side(next to water valve) and the other at the end where the rodi comes out....So one at each end of system...

 

[Mark Gray]

I have one at my supply side(next to water valve) and the other at the end where the rodi comes out....So one at each end of system...

OK makes sense now you turn on the supply side first so all the water comes out your reject then turn on the good water guess I will get another valve good idea

 

[ryboy707]

This is what I did....

I run a RO Buddy, With 2 solenoids. With a 30 sec delay (Apex) the RO Buddy comes on. Then after a 45 sec delay the supply solenoid opens to allow for the flush to do its thing. Then after 60 second delay the RODI Solenoid opens and feeds the sump. The reason I’m doing this is for TDS. I feel the kind of guarantees 0 TDS going into sump.

So if you turn the supply valve on but leave the outlet side off, then all the water will flush out of the waste outlet and flush out the TDS ?

 

[MJNTWise]

Nope...The Buddy does a 18 sec flush and stops.....until the other one comes on and fills sump....Buddy has a built in auto stop off

 

[MaccaPopEye]

For those of you who don't have an apex and want to do the same thing this is what I have done (full credit goes to Sam Parker for the design) it's quite easy with some float switches, 2 solid state relays, a solenoid and a 12V wall wart. Works perfectly.

Wire it up as per the below diagram. When the water gets low the bottom float will turn the solenoid on and start the flow of RODI. When the water level gets to the lower top float it will turn the solenoid off, just in case that float fails there is an emergency high float as well. And then to really make it safe I have the RODI come into the ATO reservoir through a mechanical float switch too so if the water level gets above the main float and the emergency float that should cut off the flow of RODI.

Safe with 3 points to stop the RODI coming in, stops TDS creep and never have to fill up your top off reservoir again

Then from the ATO reservoir to the tank I have an ATO with 3 float switches. A normal level float switch, an emergency backup float switch, and a good god please turn off already float switch. I'm pretty happy to say the risk of all 3 float switches failing at the same time is extremely minimal. Whenever I empty the skimmer cup or change a filter sock I just glance at the return section to make sure the level is where it should be and I know the main float switch is working.

 

[Mark Gray]

So if you turn the supply valve on but leave the outlet side off, then all the water will flush out of the waste outlet and flush out the TDS ?

Here's what I am doing I hope this weekend. I have a solenoid on the supply side, I also have one on the discharge side. I will have a low water sensor and a high water sensor and a float switch. When my system calls for water I will turn the supply side on for 30 seconds and then the discharge side on this will flush some of the TDS out mine will run on an Apex. Good luck

 

[ryboy707]

I did but it was quickly resolved by Neptune it was doing something like changing my flow sensors to water on floor sensors everytime it turned on but Neptune promptly fixed it.

I am doing exactly what u are trying to do I beleive
So with the two empty ports on my ATK I used one of Neptune’s optical sensors for the bottom of my trash can and one optical sensor for the top. And I set up my 35 gallon rodi water container to run exactly like the ATK does in my sump. I just measured how long it takes to fill up 35 gallons and put that in the programming instead of three mins the ATK does. So when the bottom sensor is triggered the solenoid turns on until the top one senses water or the allotted ime expires I think it was three and a half hours fills up my tank.

My rodi is also Hooked up to a smart buddie booster pump and I have a float valve so if my sensors don’t work or the solenoid gets stuck on the smart buddie will sense the back pressure and shut off the rodi unit.

I love it being set up this way as the 35 gallon rodi water will last a month and a half and I don’t have anything to mess up like forgetting the water on or running out of water also makes it easy for an emergency ten gallon water change as I have the bottom sensor always turning on with ten gallons left in my trash can.

Every month or two I just try to rember to look at the TDS to make sure I’m still at zero

I finally set everything up, but I programmed the solenoid to come on when the low switch is open and then the solenoid to go off when the hi switch is closed. But as soon as the low switch closes the solenoid goes off? How do I get it to run all the way until the hi switch closes?

 

[Fritzhamer]

In my setup the low sensor triggers the solenoid to open for 55 minutes then close. It takes less than 55 minutes to fill the five gallon container but my float valve builds pressure and shuts off the RODI once the container is full.

I’m a big fan of simple. The more parts and “fail safes” the more possible points of failure.

 

[Mark Gray]

I finally set everything up, but I programmed the solenoid to come on when the low switch is open and then the solenoid to go off when the hi switch is closed. But as soon as the low switch closes the solenoid goes off? How do I get it to run all the way until the hi switch closes?

Check to see how the low switch is listed

 

[ryboy707]

Ok, I read on neptune systems forum to take out the command
SET OFF.
So now the command list says
Fallback Off
If LO_6 Open Then ON
If Hi_3_3 closed Then Off
If LDK Closed Then Off

 

[Fritzhamer]

Are you also using a float valve? If the Hi doesn't trip you could have a flood (till the LDK trips). I wouldn't place all my eggs in the high sensor basket.

 

[ryboy707]

Are you also using a float valve? If the Hi doesn't trip you could have a flood (till the LDK trips). I wouldn't place all my eggs in the high sensor basket.

Yes I have a float valve