Do you protect your pump from running dry? How?

[NateHanson]

How many people here have a mechanism to shut down their return pump if water level gets too low? How do you accomplish it?

I've got auto-topoff, so it's not a likely accident, but all the same, I'd hate to burn up the pump if something were to go wrong with the water supply while I was away.

Anyone have suggestions? Maybe a floatswitch and a 12V relay?

 

[Yaktop]

thought of the same but another gizmo to fail. maybe a low water alarm that sends me an email, what a minute the octopus people will now be chasing me down.

 

[NateHanson]

Octopus people chasing me down? Are you trying to keep me up at night?

 

[SHOmuchFUN]

Just invert a float switch and tie it into the plug of your pump.

 

[Piscevore]

nice SHO

 

[nunofs]

Just invert a float switch and tie it into the plug of your pump.

That would mean having 110V going through a float switch that's in the water all the time... sounds a bit risky to me, not sure how waterproof these switches are longterm.

Nuno

 

[NateHanson]

I'm not really comfortable with that one SHO. That's a lot of current to jerry-rig through the sump. It also means making unsealed 120V connections in a salt creep area.

I'm actually starting to think along the lines that Ed mentioned. Maybe this solution for a very remote possibility introduces more risk than it eliminates.

Still not sure though. Keep the opinions coming.

 

[Yaktop]

ever have a float stick

 

[NateHanson]

What do you mean Ed?

 

[Yaktop]

floats can stick even with a regiment of cleaning. they give a false sense of security and in your case may not work when you expect them to, or for others with top offs over run the tank with fresh water and lower the salinity OR possibly overflow the sump and ruin your entire household and then flood the neighborhood.............. j/k - but I had one stick and wouldn't trust one again.

 

[NateHanson]

I'm pretty comfortable with my float valve, since there's two backups. First the RODI line is turned down to a trickle. Second if water level gets too high in the sump a solenoid valve will close.

What's the alternative if floats are out of the question Ed? Do you use an optical sensor Ed? Or, gulp, top off manually?

 

[Yaktop]

works for me - adjusted now and again to make up for the seasons and can push the water a great distance if needed.

http://www.championlighting.com/e/e...tems/dosing_systems.html?link=reeffiller.html

since you have a backup for the float switch I would certify that as acceptable

 

[mattn007]

I am considering a setup similar to Nate's. I apologize for hijacking the thread.
Yaktop had said: "floats can stick even with a regiment of cleaning"

I was considering electric solenoid valve on RODI and a power relay on the return pump. I want to use the float switches from www.floatswitches.net. I hear that they might clog due to salt creep. Would there be any advantage to flipping them over and mounting them upside down so the mechanism stays mostly in the water. I assume you cannot get salt creep on submersed parts.

The other option I want to investiage is using an ulttra-sonic distance sensor mounted above hte tank to detect the water level. There would be no moving parts to jam except for the solenoid valve.

 

[Reef55]

I have a float switch normally submerged in my overflow. If my return pump fails / clogs, the water level in the overflow box drains past the float switch, causing it to complete the circuit. The float switch is hooked up to my aquacontroller. So when the switch closes, I get sent an email, the power to the pump is turned off, and all the lights on my main tank are turned off (so nothing boils).

Additionally, after this weekend, I'll have 2 return pumps operating at all times anyway.

 

[NateHanson]

The other option I want to investiage is using an ulttra-sonic distance sensor mounted above hte tank to detect the water level. There would be no moving parts to jam except for the solenoid valve.

Matt, there are some level controllers that use a photoelectric eye to detect water level.