Breakout box auto water change script help

[fns]

Well, i wanted the ability to automate a water change in my biocube, and am having a mental block with the programming.

Here is what I have planned, and want to make this effective.

- Use maxijet to pump water out of the tank
- Use my mixing pump to pump fresh salt water back into the tank.
- Use 1 float switch with Min time and defer statements regulate how much pumps out of the tank.
- create a virtual outlet to where I turn it on, and it starts the water change process.

Basically, I want to be able to hang the float switch in the display, and hit a button, pump water out for 1:10 minutes with the maxijet 1200 (takes 1 minutes to pump out about 5 gallons of water). After a minute is done, pump fresh saltwater back into the tank from my salt reservoir.

Here is my script so far, I'm having a brain fart, so it isnt complete.


switch 1 OPEN (float at the top)
pump_out (pumping water out of the tank)

switch 1 CLOSED (float at the bottom)
pump_in (Pump water into the tank)


Fall Back OFF
if switch 1 OPEN then pump_out ON
Defer 001:10 then OFF
Min time 010:00 then OFF
If outlet Water_Change = ON then ON
If outlet Water_Change = OFF then OFF



Fall Back OFF
if switch 1 CLOSED then pump_in ON
if switch 1 OPEN then pump_in OFF
defer 003:00 then ON
If outlet Water_Change = ON then ON
If outlet Water_Change = OFF then OFF



virtual outlet

Water_Change

Fall Back OFF
If feed D then on

my return pump, skimmer, and koralia will all be set off for feed D

I want to be able to control the water change via Feed D, or the virtual outlet I can switch on or off from the app on my phone.


So I read this script as:
- when the float switch is at the top, water will pump out of the tank for 1:10 min
- It will stay off for 10 minutes
- It will wait 3 minutes before the fresh salt water will be pumped back into the tank from the time the float switch starts dropping giving adequate time to let it drain out.
- Fresh salt water will then be pumped in until the float switch is back to the top again.


If you see any problems with this let me know. This was my first attempt to try something like this, I just want to make sure this programming is sound before I test it out with water, and make a mess everywhere.

Thanks!

[fns]

Anyone? please?

[fns]

bump. please help

[unbreakable]

I know this is backwards but maybe adding water first then taking out water might be better? Of course you'd have to first measure if equal amounts come in and out. This is how I had my liter meter so I would avoid turning on the ato. Maybe you could have the return pump shut off when the waterchange happens if you want to avoid the ato pump from turning on and possibly delay it somehow through a virtual outlet

[eisaiasjr]

I would strongly suggest you dont create a water change system based on time, its unpredictable and unreliable.

I would suggest that you study the GENESIS RENEW system and copy it.

Best Regards,

Estefano

[fns]

thanks for the responses. I think my problem was I was using 1 float switch. To make this easier, I incorporated a 2nd float switch to avoid using time for an auto water change. Here is my script that I would like to use now

Pump_Out
set OFF
if switch5 closed then ON
If switch5 open then OFF
Min time 010:00
If outlet Water_change = ON then On
If outlet Water_change = OFF then OFF

Pump_In
Set OFF
if switch4 open then ON
If switch4 closed then OFF
Min time 010:00 then OFF
If outlet Water_change = ON then On
If outlet Water_change = OFF then OFF

Switch 4 will be sitting at the top of the water level, switch 5 will be down a few inches. The Water Change outlet is a virtual outlet so I can turn the program on and off.

The way I read this is water will pump out of my tank until the bottom float switch is bottomed out, then shut off for 10 minutes. Fresh saltwater will pump in until the float switch at the top is back at the top.

I plan on including in my programming for my ATO, return pump, koralias and skimmer for them to shut off when I do the water change to prevent them from running dry, and keep my ATO from pumping fresh water in.

let me know how this new script sounds!

thanks for the feed back!

[fns]

I figured out my auto water change!!!

Well here is the script for what I have accomplished

Pump_In

Set OFF
If Switch2 CLOSED Then ON
If Switch2 OPEN Then OFF
If Outlet Water_Change = OFF Then OFF
Defer 008:00 Then ON



Pump_Out

Set OFF
If Switch3 OPEN Then ON
If Switch3 CLOSED Then OFF
Min Time 020:00 Then OFF
If Outlet Water_Change = OFF Then OFF


- All I have to do is put my 2 float switches into into the tank, and plug in my two power heads, one in the display to pump water out, and one in my salt water reservoir, and turn on my virtual outlet from my phone, or my computer.

- The way this reads is, I have a float switch at the top of the water level in my tank (switch 2) and I have another float switch a few inches below the water level (switch 3).

- The outlet Water_Change is a virtual outlet I can control on and off when I want.

- Once I turn on my Water_Change outlet, it turns on my Pump_out outlet pumping water out of my display tank until the float switch 3 is at the bottom. This will then stay off for 20 minutes.

- The outlet Pump_In waits 8 minutes before turning on once float switch 2 drops to allow enough time for the water to successfully pump out of the tank.

- Once the 8 minutes is up, fresh salt water will pump back into the tank until float switch 2 is back to where it originally was.

- I then turn my water change outlet off, pull my float switches out, and unplug my power heads. water change done!

- I also have scripts for my auto top off, skimmer, koralias, and return pump that will turn off when I turn my water change virtual outlet on to prevent it from topping off when I start pumping water off, and running pumps dry.

I hope this helps someone. I've tested it out, and it works.