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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: DaveG on April 09, 2015, 05:05:32 pm

Title: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: DaveG on April 09, 2015, 05:05:32 pm
Can anyone recommend a shut off/solenoid to turn RO and booster pump off when static tank is full?

Is there a kit or do I need to buy the bits and do it myself? Are they easy to wire up to booster etc?

Cheers
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: KS Cleaning on April 09, 2015, 11:03:21 pm
I was hoping someone was gonna answer this. I haven't long set up my static with booster pump. I have got the solenoid shutting my water off ok, but my booster pump doesn't switch off  ???
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Clever Forum Name on April 09, 2015, 11:13:15 pm
I use the auto fill from
Gardiner.

Gardiner sell all the bits.
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Michael Peterson on April 10, 2015, 06:02:32 am
the cheapest and best thing I have found that does this, is the smart water from gardiners, its under 100 pounds turns off your ro and booster pump when full and turns them back on when empty , best thing I hve bought in a long time they come in both voltages so you can use them with littlre ros and 4040
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: sunshine windows on April 10, 2015, 07:30:47 am
Michael, I'd be careful with that setup if you're not flushing in between.  The tds is always significantly higher when turning water back on if you don't flush meaning you'll go through loads of resin
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: DaveG on April 10, 2015, 05:56:16 pm
Cheers boys
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Afterglow Window Cleaners on April 11, 2015, 02:32:31 pm
To do this I bought a float valve and a float switch.

The float valve turns off the water when the back pressure builds up.

The float switch turns off the pump when a desired water level is reached.

I set it up so that the float switch activates before the float valve (pump turns off before back pressure stops water)

Works well on my 300gpd ro, the float switch cost under £3 and the float valve about £5 if i remember, both available on ebay.
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: DaveG on April 11, 2015, 05:05:23 pm
Thanks for that Afterglow... Do you have any links for the parts?

Many thanks
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Afterglow Window Cleaners on April 11, 2015, 08:33:54 pm
On ebay...

Float Switch for turning off pump
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Side-Mount-Water-Level-Sensor-Liquid-Horizontal-Float-Switch-Tank-Pool-Fish-Bowl-/151579582183?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234ad8dee7 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Side-Mount-Water-Level-Sensor-Liquid-Horizontal-Float-Switch-Tank-Pool-Fish-Bowl-/151579582183?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234ad8dee7)

I did buy that from a different seller, but it came without the washer and backnut so I have linked to one that comes with both.

Float valve for turning off water with back pressure
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Float-Ball-Valve-Shut-off-1-4-Automatic-Fill-Feed-Fish-Tank-Aquarium-RO-Water-/221713747147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item339f2b4ccb (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Float-Ball-Valve-Shut-off-1-4-Automatic-Fill-Feed-Fish-Tank-Aquarium-RO-Water-/221713747147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item339f2b4ccb)

That ones from china, but you can buy from UK sellers for a bit more money

Oh and to solve your flushing problem (you just need to make sure you get the right one for your RO output)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300cc-Automatic-Flush-Valve-300ml-per-m-Valve-Auto-Flush-24v-Reverse-Osmosis/121499668926?_trksid=p5411.c100167.m2940&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140131123730%26meid%3D25fcacd914264499a947346d6991c8a1%26pid%3D100167%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D111530292418 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300cc-Automatic-Flush-Valve-300ml-per-m-Valve-Auto-Flush-24v-Reverse-Osmosis/121499668926?_trksid=p5411.c100167.m2940&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140131123730%26meid%3D25fcacd914264499a947346d6991c8a1%26pid%3D100167%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D111530292418)
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Fieldsy on April 12, 2015, 02:43:09 pm
Excellent, thanks for the links. Think I will have to set this up on our 4040, cos at the moment we get about 900 litres in 4 1/2 hours, so can only really be at home when water is running. Excuse my ignorance, but how does the float switch connect to the pump ?  I assume you have the float switch and float valve at approx same level in the tank. Thanks
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Fieldsy on April 12, 2015, 02:50:26 pm
Probs need this one as its 1/2" feed  :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Float-Ball-Valve-Shut-off-1-2-Automatic-Fill-Feed-Fish-Tank-Aquarium-Water-/151558185982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item23499263fe
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: DaveG on April 12, 2015, 05:28:40 pm
Thanks Afterglow, much appreciated
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Afterglow Window Cleaners on April 12, 2015, 08:24:51 pm
Excellent, thanks for the links. Think I will have to set this up on our 4040, cos at the moment we get about 900 litres in 4 1/2 hours, so can only really be at home when water is running. Excuse my ignorance, but how does the float switch connect to the pump ?  I assume you have the float switch and float valve at approx same level in the tank. Thanks

Float switch to pump, you have to cut the wire to the pump and put the switch inline so it controls it on and off. My float valve is higher than the switch so it turns the pump off first just before the float valve operates. If the float valve operates first it tries to stop the water even though the pump is still on

I dont know how this would work with a 4040 as my RO already has a auto shut off valve fitted
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Fieldsy on April 12, 2015, 10:23:37 pm
No problem, I've found a similar item with a 1/2" barb connection, so will connect my present 1/2" pipe to the barb and just route the float valve into the tank.

With regards to the float switch, it only has two wires. I'm assuming these will connect inline of the live side feed of the pump wiring with the negative remaining untouched ?

cheers Paul
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Spruce on April 13, 2015, 08:33:25 am
I have a float switch from Machine Mart. Its an 230v unit and the same was a submersible pump except that it is wired the other way around (full tank = off,  empty tank = on.)

It an 8 amp unit and it activates a 230v normally off solenoid valve situated before the prefilters.
 
I've suspended from the top of the IBC tank using a length (around 300 mm) and 2 gland connectors.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-male-comp-gland-white-20mm-pack-of-2/45943

The conduit is a push fit into the connector made tighter with a couple of turns of PTFE tape.  The lower gland is tight on the cable of the float valve with enough slack to hold the float switch into the vertical position at the top of the tank. My tank fills to about 150mm of the top of the IBC tank. The float switch actuates when the IBC tank is about 75% full.

These connectors also act as a pivot for the cable of the float switch.

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/alarm.html

This is the same action in the diagram but the pivot is from the top.

being 8 amp, your booster pump can be wired directly in parallel with this switch so will switch on and off at exactly the same time as the solenoid valve. (max amps of booster pump =- 1800 watt) 
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Afterglow Window Cleaners on April 13, 2015, 12:26:37 pm
No problem, I've found a similar item with a 1/2" barb connection, so will connect my present 1/2" pipe to the barb and just route the float valve into the tank.

With regards to the float switch, it only has two wires. I'm assuming these will connect inline of the live side feed of the pump wiring with the negative remaining untouched ?

cheers Paul

Yep, cut the live and join with the switch
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Fieldsy on April 15, 2015, 09:54:12 pm
Well, got the switch, fitted it all by cutting live, fired it all up, pump kicks in fine, but lifting the float to level position doesn't cut the pump off :(.

Shows that wiring is all connected ok, because pump is working via the switch.
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: KS Cleaning on April 29, 2015, 10:12:49 pm
Think av fecked ma booster pump :'(  Because it's not been wired up to shut off along with the water,  it was running dry for a couple of minutes the other day, worked fine yesterday but today it wouldn't work, think the rotor has seized :(
Title: Re: RO Shut off/Solenoid
Post by: Fieldsy on April 30, 2015, 09:30:42 pm
I went with Spruce's option and just changed a couple of bits, pics are in this thread  :) ;)

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=195277.msg1696432#msg1696432