Float Switch - IO Breakout Box

[dgmanny]

Hi, I recently purchased a Neptune Apex and just had a problem when i was out of town where my gravity fed auto top got clogged (i include kalk in the ato and now realize i need to add cleaning that to my maintenance schedule). So the water level dropped over the course of a few days. I had my heaters in the part of the sump with the return pump and I fried the heaters. Eventually, I was able to see that something was wrong because of a drop in the termperature. I guess it's better to learn now on a new tank. I was hoping to get some advice to set up a more fool proof set up.

I assume I should set up a a float switch to turn off the return pump on low water. Do I have to purchase the IO breakout box to accomplish this level of control?

I had the heaters and temperature sensor in the return section of the sump. Should i place the heaters in a different location? Should i place the temperature sensor in a different location?


Thanks

[niko5]

I have had that or simmilar items happen all the time on my past setups. On my current setup I have 4 Floats in my sump...

Sump Low
Topoff Low
Topoff High
Sump High

The sump low shuts off the skimmer, return pumps and heaters
Topoff Low triggers the topoff water
Topoff high shut off the skimmer (so it wont overflow) and notifies me of a possible topoff failure
And Sump high just sets off an alarm (not much i can do there without an actuated dump valve)

The easiest way is to get a IO Breakout box unless you are decent at electrical then you can make your own breakout box or cable to hook to the apex I forget the name of the wire needed but its the apple printer type cables.

[dgmanny]

thanks - where do you place the heaters and temperature probes?

[RussM]

I forget the name of the wire needed but its the apple printer type cables.

Mini DIN-8

[Jake007]

I place my temp probe in the section of my sump that stays full (skimmer section) and my heater is in my overflow box. Actually, since I live in FL my heater is usually in a rolled up coil in the storage bin for most of the year.

One thing to consider with using float switches is that they also fail. My experience is that if the float switch is frequently completely submerged the failure rate is even higher. Review your failure modes and decide if you can live with the consequences. Do you really want your main return pump turned off if you have a failed low sump level switch? or would you prefer an alarm so you can investigate and make the decision to turn off after checking? Just things to consider.........

[dgmanny]

thanks for the feedback. i will work on an updated plan.

[niko5]

I keep my heaters in the refuge section of my sump the only way the water can get low in there is if the sump breaks.

Also as Jake007 says the floats can fail, I had a bunch of cheeper float switches after replacing 3 of them in about 6 months I found some better quality floats and havnt had much trouble with them.

Jake, ss far as shutting the pump off if it fails, mine will shut off and email me an alarm then I can visually check it and if it is just a failed float I can override it, however if its not a failed switch I just saved my return and skimmer pumps, Iv already had to replace a skimmer pump from running low it sux.

[GlassReef]

I'd like to join the warning about cheap floats switches. Look for a Madison M8000. Never had one go bad.

You can get them here: http://www.aquahub.com

(I edited the link above - sorry I had the wrong one)

[Specialtang]

Yes you would need an I/O box if you want your Apex to control a electric switch.

If you do not want to buy a breakout box you can buy the entire set up at autotopoff.com. The good thing about their set up is if you ever get a breakout box you just cut the floats off and plug them into the i/o breakout box. They use the madison 8000 float switches so you do not have to worry about quality.

I would recommend using the dual float system they have.
http://www.autotopoff.com/products/DS1/

then you would need the Solenoid Valve itself.
http://www.autotopoff.com/solenoid/

$85.00 and you got a good quality ato set up.

[wesley6610]

How do you wire the float switches to the breakout box?

[ciphros]

How do you wire the float switches to the breakout box?

one wire of the switch goes to ground, the other to input 1 or 2 depending on which you used/will use for programming the statments for the switch.