billdogg
11/07/2016, 07:26 PM
NEVER NEVER NEVER get so complacent that you think nothing can possibly go wrong. The perfect storm can ruin any of us, and almost got me after more than 25 years.
Here is my story. Take from it what you will.
I do not trust automatic anything. No auto feeder. No auto water change. Certainly no ATO. But I have also been doing this long enough that I want to make it all as easy on me as I can so here is how I handle top-offs and water changes.
When I set up my current system, I hard plumbed a 3/4" PVC line from my 55g mixing barrel in the basement up to the wall behind the DT that ends at a PVC spigot that overhangs the sump. It has a short lenght of vinyl tubing that extends down into the water to minimize splashing. There is a Mag18 in the barrel that connects to the PVC. There is also a couple of T's in the line to supply the frag tank and a fill up station in the basement fish room. It is controlled by a remote control switch that I keep upstairs for easy access.
I turn on the pump, open the spigot, and top off the tank. Close the spigot and turn off the pump using the remote. Easy Peasy. Can't possibly fail.
Sure it can't.
Here's the perfect storm that got me. I topped off last night and as I was doing so, got called in to work - I work in the Cath Lab and somebody was having a Heart Attack, so off I went. I of course first closed the spigot and turned off the pump (or so I thought). Today about 4pm, my wife (who thankfully works at home) called because the inside the stand water alarm was going off and the sump was overflowing. I came home and cleaned up the mess. About 20g of fresh water went into the system (~140g total volume). Dropped the sg from 1.025 to 1.020. Luckily enough, all seems fine.
Here's how it happened - I must have forgotten to shut off the pump in my rush to get to the hospital last night. In the past, closing the spigot had prevented any problems. This time, however, there was just enough gunk built up on the sealing surfaces to keep it from closing completely, allowing a small trickle to go into the sump.
To keep this from happening again, I first replaced the spigot. I will be putting a small hole (anti-siphon) in the vinyl tubing from the spigot to the sump to allow any water in it to drain out. That should (I hope) prevent the buildup of gunk so that the next time the pump remains on, it won't try to fill my living room with fresh water.
REMEMBER - IF IT CAN FAIL, IT WILL! Be prepared, try to think of all the ways it might fail, and stay vigilant!
Here is my story. Take from it what you will.
I do not trust automatic anything. No auto feeder. No auto water change. Certainly no ATO. But I have also been doing this long enough that I want to make it all as easy on me as I can so here is how I handle top-offs and water changes.
When I set up my current system, I hard plumbed a 3/4" PVC line from my 55g mixing barrel in the basement up to the wall behind the DT that ends at a PVC spigot that overhangs the sump. It has a short lenght of vinyl tubing that extends down into the water to minimize splashing. There is a Mag18 in the barrel that connects to the PVC. There is also a couple of T's in the line to supply the frag tank and a fill up station in the basement fish room. It is controlled by a remote control switch that I keep upstairs for easy access.
I turn on the pump, open the spigot, and top off the tank. Close the spigot and turn off the pump using the remote. Easy Peasy. Can't possibly fail.
Sure it can't.
Here's the perfect storm that got me. I topped off last night and as I was doing so, got called in to work - I work in the Cath Lab and somebody was having a Heart Attack, so off I went. I of course first closed the spigot and turned off the pump (or so I thought). Today about 4pm, my wife (who thankfully works at home) called because the inside the stand water alarm was going off and the sump was overflowing. I came home and cleaned up the mess. About 20g of fresh water went into the system (~140g total volume). Dropped the sg from 1.025 to 1.020. Luckily enough, all seems fine.
Here's how it happened - I must have forgotten to shut off the pump in my rush to get to the hospital last night. In the past, closing the spigot had prevented any problems. This time, however, there was just enough gunk built up on the sealing surfaces to keep it from closing completely, allowing a small trickle to go into the sump.
To keep this from happening again, I first replaced the spigot. I will be putting a small hole (anti-siphon) in the vinyl tubing from the spigot to the sump to allow any water in it to drain out. That should (I hope) prevent the buildup of gunk so that the next time the pump remains on, it won't try to fill my living room with fresh water.
REMEMBER - IF IT CAN FAIL, IT WILL! Be prepared, try to think of all the ways it might fail, and stay vigilant!