I wrote the post about the auto-top up system a few days ago, and only got around to posting it today. Since a few components have yet to make it, I have finished the assembly and will simply open up the box and add the speed control later, as it is only a 5 minute job with a soldering iron.
So here is the almost finished system inside and out.. Not too shabby, I'm impressed with the way it turned out. I might make a few more and flog them on eBay to generate some much needed funds.
Over the Crimbo holidays I also coupled my skimmer air intake airline to a bottle in order to automatically empty the skimmer collection cup, Since the skimmer has a air intake line, I realised this suction can be used to remove the skimmate, so that the vacuum produced by the skimmer pump causes low pressure in the bottle, sucking through any skimmate in the collection cup. I have been dosing vodka daily in a bid to reduce my nitrates from 20ppm to 0ppm for the last ten weeks, and when my nitrate levels started to drop about seven weeks after the first dose my skimmer went mental. Previously the collection cup would take four days to fill, now it can fill it in half that time. Since I can be away for a several days at a time, this would mean my skimmer dumping the skimmate back into the tank, which would be disastrous. So I simply used a two litre drinks bottle, silicone air line and some Festo fittings. I use Festo fittings to plumb the fuel lines for my jet engines and they are ultra reliable and because they are push fit they are very simple to use. You can see the set up in the pictures below, from the skimmer collection cup, to the air intake and skimmate return. The skimmer return is placed below the intake, and is fitted with a wide nozzle, so there is no risk of it being splashed into the air intake. I added an inline adjustable valve to tune the bubble size/rate for the skimmer. When this cup is empty, air is drawn through a small breather hole in the top of the cup. The bottle now sits behind the tank, out of sight and only needs emptying once a week. Although the skimmate in the pictures below is that produced over the last eight days, giving me a comfortable two weeks maximum between emptying!
That's all for now fellow fungoids!
Edit!!
Parts arrived and I finished my revision at three in the morning and decided to finish the top up system. I even made a short video! Here is the system in all its glory!
