Question on Float and Automatic Shut-off Valve Kits

vonjankmon

vonjankmon

Reefing newb
All kinds of kits out there but when ever I look at the info on them it always is a 1/4 in connection. My coralife RO unit uses a 3/8 in input, the connections between the different stages of the RO unit and the water and waste outputs are all 1/4 in.

What I don't get is for a float system hooked up to my RO unit wouldn't I want the water cut off at the input side (the 3/8 in tube) and not on the water output side (1/4 in tube) if you just cut it off at the output side wouldn't you just waste a bunch of water as you would have to leave water pressure to the system at all times and just have it all push out through the waste output? Or am I missing something here?

Right now I just run my RO unit when I need to fill the spare tank I keep for water change water or when I need to top my tank off but looking for a more automatic method that doesn't involve me having to do it manually all the time but I really think I'm missing something here.

Thanks,

Matt
 
Tthe float valve is placed in your RO water container or sump or whatever you are filling.
How do you propose putting it on the input side if it can't tell when your container is full on the output side?
 
What I would like to do is have the float in my extra tank for water change water and have it shut off or turn on the water supply for my RO unit. Thus the water in my water change tank stays full if anything evaporates from it thus keeping the salinity stable in it and when I drain it to do a water change on my main tank it will turn back on until it is full again without me having to worry about watching it every couple of hours to make sure that my RO unit doesn't over flow it.

All the float valves I've managed to find so far seem like they're just for using between a tank that is already filled and your main tank, which is not really want I am looking for.
 
Are you also sending water to a separate fresh water container? Maybe you could tee off the output line, sending a line to both containers with float valves in each.
 
I currently send my RO water directly to a 32g brute trash can which is my salt mixing container and a float valve is installed in the brute. My new set up will have the RO water going to my freshwater 65g tank and then i will manually pump it to another 65g tank for saltwater mixing.
 
MOST RO units have a pressure regulated backflow switch that prevents them from continuously running water down the drain through the waste line. The correct place for the shut-off is on the output (1/4) side as the RO system is designed to remain pressurized and full of water. If you place the valve on the input side, the RO system will continue to drain water after the shut off turns the supply off until all of the pressure is removed from the system and you'll constantly have changing levels or overflows.
 
Not trying to hijack here, but I was wondering the same thing. How can you tell if your RO will stay pressurized once the float valve is engaged without continuing to dump water down the waste line? Is there some piece of the unit (pressure regulated backflow switch) that you can look for to see if this is how your unit is set up? What does it look like?
 
vonjankmon said:
What I would like to do is have the float in my extra tank for water change water and have it shut off or turn on the water supply for my RO unit. Thus the water in my water change tank stays full if anything evaporates from it thus keeping the salinity stable in it and when I drain it to do a water change on my main tank it will turn back on until it is full again without me having to worry about watching it every couple of hours to make sure that my RO unit doesn't over flow it.

All the float valves I've managed to find so far seem like they're just for using between a tank that is already filled and your main tank, which is not really want I am looking for.
Click to expand...

I think what you need is an ASO (automatic shut off) on your ro unit which is activated by back pressure from a shut off float valve on your water tank. ST29 - 1/4" AUTO SHUT-OFF QC AQUARIUM RO WATER FITTING - eBay (item 180391903691 end time Feb-27-10 12:38:57 PST)

That's what Justin is referring to also!
 
Last edited:
Mine did also, but I don't have enough pressure to the unit to engage the ASO. I hope to get a booster pump soon. That should increase my GPD and enable to make the ASO work
 
andysgirl8800 said:
Not trying to hijack here, but I was wondering the same thing. How can you tell if your RO will stay pressurized once the float valve is engaged without continuing to dump water down the waste line? Is there some piece of the unit (pressure regulated backflow switch) that you can look for to see if this is how your unit is set up? What does it look like?
Click to expand...
As simple as it sounds, I can tell on mine just by the sound. I can hear when the water is trickling into the drain from the waste water line. The other test would be to pull the waste line temporarily off of the drain and just hang it in a bucket. You should see it quit running after the system pressurizes. The ASO or switch I am referring to on mine is white, round, 3" long, and about the thickness of a small cigar. It's in line after the last filter. I'm sure they come in different shapes and sizes, but as stated most of them come with them. If it's not shutting off, I'd bet that it's due to your home not having enough water pressure as opposed to your RO unit not having the ASO. If that's the case, you can turn the pressure up at the water main on most houses. You will find a dial on the regulator. Beware that you can cause leaks in your home that never leaked before by messing with the water pressure so only attempt this if you are knowledgeable about your plumbing, otherwise it may be best to talk with a plumber.
 

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