How To - Automatic water change

[aqua_digital]

Many thanks to Lorin from canada for supplying this important information.

OK here is a tutorial on how to do a Automatic Water Change also know as AWC.

Hardware requires:
Profilux Plus II
1 sensor splitter
2 level sensor
3 pumps.

First install both sensor in the desired locations

1st sensor should at the level that you desire to keep your aquarium.
2nd sensor need to be install lower than the first sensor.

HINT: The second sensor is what will stop the pump from discarding water the old water from your aquarium to the drain.

Suggestion: Get a bucket that matches what you want to change, then fill it up with the pump you just install. Pump manually (plug in wall) the old water out that will allow you to know 3 very important thing will come out of this exercise.
1st the amout being change
2nd the time it takes to remove the quantity you want, so that you can set your "max on-time" to avoid disasters.
3rd It will indicate where to install your 2nd sensor, when installing the second sensor, set your profilux in diagnostic mode under the level menu.
Here is how to get to the diagnostic menu.





Now if you have done it according to my suggestion the sensors should read like this: 1- 2- 3-.

Now let start doing to programmation for the profilux side.

1st lets do the programmable logic for the AWC.
You will need to create to 2 programmable logic, for this purpose.
One is used for the day-to-day "Automatic Top-Off" aka ATO.
the other one is used only the case off a water change



Programmable Logic 1
Input 1 = Water 1
Input 2 = Water change (inverted)
Function AND



Programmable Logic 2
Input 1 = Water 1
Input 2 = Water change
Function AND



Programmable logic part is done

Level Menu
Now in this menu we need to configure the level sensor function.

Level 1 need to be set to 'ATO & Water Change'
And level 2 NEEDS to be set 'not enabled' otherwise the AWC will not work.

The max on-time is a very important feature to configure it avoid disasters.
If you have followed my suggestion in post 1 you will now know how much time it take to purge your old water from your tanks and set this as your max on-time (add 1 minutes)
As seen in the picture below, it takes about 3 minutes to purge my old water from my system.

[aqua_digital]

*** OPTIONAL CONFIG ***

You can have a Timer start your AWC, all you need to do is to select 'Event start' in the timer windows and your AWC will be done according to that schedule.
Mine is set to Timer 8 and it does it on saturday and sunday @ 8 pm



Next the socket definitions
Now you have to set the appropriate socket with the right definitions.

For instance my socket are the following.

Socket 15 is for my ATO



Socket 16 is to pump water into the drain.



socket 21 is to pump fresh salt water back into the aquarium



Thats it - Good luck

[chippypah]

That is a great article.
Cheers
Pete

[kidney514]

I think I know the guy that wrote that article....

[aqua_digital]

All credit to a chap named Lorin

[90reefernyc]

Is this the same way you would do this with the dosing pumps? Or it cant be done with the dosing pump? I currently am using only two out of the four dosing pumps and was wondering if I can do something like this with the other two free pumps? Like lets say turn on dosing pump three for 5 minutes that will take out the old water and then turn on doser 4 for 5 minutes and add fresh mixed salt water?
Thanks , JImmy

[Jc16]

hello nice forum you guys got here btw. So if i do use a powerhead for this application i will have some problems. my sump is on the floor and wouldn't the powerheads creat a siphon since my resevoir is taller than the sump? any ways to stop the siphon form happening? i always planned to use powerheads for awc and for top off but just figured about the siphon part today!! what can i do help!!and the second problem would be the water level in my sump, i have a 150g sump if i want to change out 3 or 4 gallons out each day i don't think i would even notice the difference in water levels could i not use the second sensor and just program the profilux to turn off the sensor and turn on the pump for the ammount of time it will take me to drain out the desired amount of water. Then fill it back up with another pump that is turned on for a period of time it will take to fill it back to the same level? Thanks again

[aqua_digital]

Hiya

It is not advised to use dosing pumps as you can over drive them.

In regards to power heads and anti syphon, the best solution is to fit a non return valve.

[Jc16]

a non return valve wouldn't work as water will siphon out of the reservoir into the sump the same way it's being pumped as the reservoir is taller than sump what do you guys use for top off?

[dipan]

Plumb a solenoid inline with your powerhead. You can get one fairly cheap from various places (I have a few from autotopoff.com). It will restrict your flow to a small extent, but will completely cutoff flow and completely prevent a siphon (either way, regardless of what water level is higher than the other) I would just plug it into the same controlled socket as the powerhead, that way, when the powerhead is controlled to the on position, so would the solenoid.

I have yet to try this, but this is what I'm kindof planning as my RO/DI reservoir will be about 7ft tall ... way taller than my sump.