Hydros AWC sanity check

cwerner · Apr 13, 2023

Hello,

I'm currently planning the build out of an AWC system with my Hydros and wanted a quick sanity check to make sure what I was planning is possible within the app. Currently I have a 50 gallon IM AIO that I'd like to start performing 2% daily AWC changes for with my Hydros. I have the WaveEngine LE currently deployed right now, and due to arrive today is the X4/XP8 combo pack with the ATO module, which is basically just an optical sensor and a Drive pump from my understanding.

I am planning on purchasing two cheap, dumb peristaltic pumps to pump water from my saltwater reservoir in my basement up to the fish tank on my first floor, and obviously one of the pumps would first drain water from the tank into a drain in the basement.

My plan is to purchase an additional optical sensor and one of the Wifi bars. I would then program the Wifi bar to power one of the pumps to drain the tank down to the level of the lower optical sensor I would place. Then once that was 'Dry' it would shutoff the drain pump, and turn on the fresh seawater pump that could pump it back up to my ATO level sensor.

I think this is possible in the app from the research I've done, I'm just unsure if it can be done simply by powering different outlets on my Wifi Bar and utilize the optical sensors at the same time. I also plan on putting in timers for safety reasons as well. Don't want a flood on my floor.

n2585722 · Apr 13, 2023

cwerner said:
Hello,

I'm currently planning the build out of an AWC system with my Hydros and wanted a quick sanity check to make sure what I was planning is possible within the app. Currently I have a 50 gallon IM AIO that I'd like to start performing 2% daily AWC changes for with my Hydros. I have the WaveEngine LE currently deployed right now, and due to arrive today is the X4/XP8 combo pack with the ATO module, which is basically just an optical sensor and a Drive pump from my understanding.

I am planning on purchasing two cheap, dumb peristaltic pumps to pump water from my saltwater reservoir in my basement up to the fish tank on my first floor, and obviously one of the pumps would first drain water from the tank into a drain in the basement.

My plan is to purchase an additional optical sensor and one of the Wifi bars. I would then program the Wifi bar to power one of the pumps to drain the tank down to the level of the lower optical sensor I would place. Then once that was 'Dry' it would shutoff the drain pump, and turn on the fresh seawater pump that could pump it back up to my ATO level sensor.

I think this is possible in the app from the research I've done, I'm just unsure if it can be done simply by powering different outlets on my Wifi Bar and utilize the optical sensors at the same time. I also plan on putting in timers for safety reasons as well. Don't want a flood on my floor.

I would not use wifi power bars for ATO or AWC purposes. The reason is if for some reason there is a communication issue between the controller and the wifi strip the wifi strip will remain in the stat it is in until communication is restored no matter how long that takes. So if one of the pumps is on when that happens it will run until communication is restored, The XP8 outlets and drive ports are on controllers so the controller can use a fall back setting to turn it off or on if the input that controls it is unavailable.

I use dosing pumps that are in my garage for all three pumps and they are also in the garage. I use drive ports for powering the pump but you can also use XP8 outlets to do it also. The drain pump pulls water from the tank 35ft from the pump in the garage. The tubing goes through the wall up into the attic then down to the pump in the garage then back up into the attic down inside a wall to the drain under the kitchen sink. The fill pump pulls water from the fresh saltwater reservoir up through the attic down inside a wall then to the sump. The ATO pump pulls water from the DI reservoir then up through the attic down inside a wall then out to the sump. All three pumps are above the water level of the reservoirs and the sump. Also all three have check valves in the output side of the pumps. I have been doing this for several years. Now the Hydros controls all three pumps.

cwerner · Apr 13, 2023

Both my controllers and the pumps (not to mention the WiFi) would be connected to a UPS, so that wouldn't be a huge concern, but best practice would probably be a hard wired connection.

n2585722 · Apr 14, 2023

cwerner said:
Both my controllers and the pumps (not to mention the WiFi) would be connected to a UPS, so that wouldn't be a huge concern, but best practice would probably be a hard wired connection.

If you use dosing pumps they can be near the tank and have the tubing run where you want. Just make sure that the pumps are above both water levels in case the tubing splits and it starts leaking. The tubing that is pinched by the rollers will eventually split. Like mine it is pulling water from the sump up through the attic to the pump in the garage 35ft from the tank. I have 5 controllers in the garage and 5 at the tank. I do have a data only command buss cable between the controllers in the garage and the ones at the tank so they are all part of the same collective.