I finally am tired of doing my water changes by lugging buckets and Brute trash cans around and running hose out my window to drain my tank. After doing some research and watching videos on Youtube, I decided it was time to build an Auto Water Mixing/Changing System. Last summer we took down an old deck and I saved the wood from it. Started the build today and took some iphone pics.
Here is what my system will consist of…
Interested to see how this turns out. I’ve always been a big fan of doing less work.
Question though - why do you have a valve / return from the SW side going back into the RO reservoir?
I am going to follow this thread as well. I was just telling my husband the other day that there has to be an easier way than carrying buckets from the garage into the house.
How autonomous ru going? Water change at the touch of a button?
If the valve you are referring to is on the right side, when I have made 40 gals of R/O water it will get emptied into the salt mixing tank, then I can shut the valve and fill the R/O water tank with 40 gals of old water from my main tank and drain it out. Then just pump 40 gals of NSW into the main tank.
The system will be operated by a switch that will turn on the pump for mixing NSW and pumping NSW into main tank. I have to run electric over to a outlet and switch yet.
I will try and number the vales for reference.
How are you gonna get the old water out of the DT or sump?
Looks good
Don’t be steeling my design though 
Looks nice John
A, since the WC system is in my garage right behind my main tank, the main tank sits higher than the top brute can, so the line going to the main tank will fill the Top R/O tank by shutting valve 1 and opening valve 2 by gravity.
Bill, didn’t know you had one already. LOL
LOL
I just have elevated 60 gallon barrel with a pipe plumbed though the bottom with a couple valves mine is pretty basic . I like yours better :
:
Thanks Bill, we’ll see how it works. Looks good in theory
I mean the water out of the DT not going into the DT.
There is only one pvc pipe going to my DT(display tank). That one pipe will do both processes. It will take water out of the DT by closing valve one and opening valve 2
Looks awesome john. Ive seen some guys on RC use duel dosing pumps for AWC setups, 1 pulling from the DT and one sending water to the DT both at the same rate and have it setup on their controller and never touched it again. Little to techy for my taste buds at the moment.
Cant wait to see it in action. Good luck
[quote=“houndsbayman, post:12, topic:7068”]
There is only one pvc pipe going to my DT(display tank). That one pipe will do both processes. It will take water out of the DT by closing valve one and opening vale 2[/quote]
I got it now. Didn’t see how the DT water was coming out.
[quote=“BigCase, post:13, topic:7068”]
Looks awesome john. Ive seen some guys on RC use duel dosing pumps for AWC setups, 1 pulling from the DT and one sending water to the DT both at the same rate and have it setup on their controller and never touched it again. Little to techy for my taste buds at the moment.
Cant wait to see it in action. Good luck[/quote]
Paul (moliken) use to have a setup like that. flip one switch and the water drain and fill at the same time. All he had to do was mix the NSW in another tank.
Thanks Casey.
I am lucky that my DT is higher than the top R/o tank, only way this can work.
Nice John. do you already have an auto top off? or can you work one into this scheme?
Hey , do you need a 50 gallon blue poly barrel? i got one for you. with a screw on top.
Thanks,and yes,my auto top off is incorporated in my stand as a 20 gal tank.
Yes, Ken. If it has a screw on top that would be great. How much do you want for it?
Nada! Its my contribution to your nice project!
I like seeing picture posts of your great tank. thats all i ask.
If we get a warm day soon, il’ll hose it out. been in the back porch collecting dust. I got it from The barrel Man years ago. It was a food barrel, it still had some fresh, sliced black olives in the bottom when i brought it home to clean. its not the straight sid, but the natural barrel shape, tapered a bit at both ends. if thats ok.
It looks pretty much like this one
Thanks Ken, that is perfect. No need to clean it out, that’s the least I could do for getting it for nothing. Just let me know when it would be a good time to pick it up.
Just one ?
How high does it stand?