Anyone ever set up a surge tank / control tank for F&D so can have tables lower to the floor and use a larger remote reservoir instead of reses under the tables? I tried switching over to top feed cos I was over getting down under tables to dump the res etc but I prefer F&D.
Which are the best float valves to use?
@OzyM8?
I’ve built surge / purge tanks before for recirculating top feed and DTW, the “Rule” brand of bilge pumps and float switches are cost effective and reliable. Just got to install and plumb into a suitable tank, wire it up and use a 240v to 12DC pack.
Hahaha, a remote res for F&D did my head in for a while. The loop for when the system is feeding is easy as you can just use the above type set up to pump the overflow return back into the res. The hard part is when the feed pump stops and normally you need gravity to drain the table back via the pump feed line into the res. I.e table height has to be higher than res.
The only “in theory” way I’ve thought of is installing another low point drain on the table that plumbs back into the surge tank, and use a normally open solenoid valve on this line. Use a normally closed solenoid valve on the pump feed line. Relay. So when power is applied to pump that line opens and the table floods, and the low point drain closes. When the pump power is dropped that line closes and the other low drain point opens and drains into the surge tank and pumped back into the res.
That way the only gravity you need is the overflow from when tray is flooding and from the new drain line back into the surge tank.
I’d like to find a simpler way and not introduce fail points, but that’s the best I got so far that would work.
Have you thought of just putting a low point bulkhead with tap on your res and then use a inline pump to empty and fill the res’s? I think the x-tray res’s have a position for the bulkhead if you’ve seen them, bit $$ for a res though at about $150 for a 100 litre.
I just undo the pump line from the res pump and use that to pump out enough water to when I can move the res easily. And reverse that when filling from 60 or 120 litre drums. Got a long hose to use.
Edit: Another possible way would be to flood the table from the top, that way can eliminate the feed line solenoid and the additional low point drain. Just use a solenoid on the normal low point drain that wouldn’t have a pump on it now.
Dunno, just throwing ideas out.