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'overflow preventer' / water contact = auto power out

dino21 said:
To provide minimal visual presence, mount it vertically though a hole in your main baffle, so just the face of the sensor is in the main tank
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I'm a little unsure what you mean here, there is almost zero room between the rim and shut off level.
dino21 said:
As you mention in your other post, a pair of wires/probes etc acting as a conductor will not be practicalbe/ reliable
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I'm unsure where I've said this, maybe I got confused and wrote it by mistake but still see using the water to complete a circuit as the most efficient method if I can work it out and source parts easily.
 
Hi,

Just a footnote - our TDS probe has finally arrived, its just the bare probe and ciruit board, not like a complete HM pocket meter.

As you can see even with its very small pair of metal probes its still as big as the opto and probably looks as obvious.

While the probe(unclaibrated) was quiet accurate, due to the distance between the two metal probes it holds some water between them after its been lifted out of the tank, , and so senses a reading, if used as an oveflow preventer it might take some time before it senses 00 again and switches your pump etc back on.


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dino21 said:
As you can see even with its very small pair of metal probes its still as big as the opto and probably looks as obvious.

While the probe(unclaibrated) was quiet accurate, due to the distance between the two metal probes it holds some water between them after its been lifted out of the tank, , and so senses a reading, if used as an oveflow preventer it might take some time before it senses 00 again and switches your pump etc back on.
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I wouldn't need them to be so close, one could remain submerged at all times (if I chose).

IF I decided to go this route and it works I could drill a small hole through the acrylic below water level for one part and the other could be discreetly 'hung over the edge'

Undecided which option to persue.
 
Just something that might be of interest to others well as yourself.

Had chance to test out this level sensor, to give an idea of scale, its a 2 ltr container, the sensor is 28mm in diameter and it has a red led to indicate hi or low, as well as an output for other control.

The difference seems to be just 1-2 mm both ways, taking 25ml of water to effect a change, so really quiet accurate. Test repeated several times, but no idea if different thicknesses of glass has any effect on this level?

The top of the sensor above the level sensing point is about 13-14mm, so with your running 10mm level and I would suspect an overflow level of 5 mm (?) so the sensor would project about 8-9 mm above the glass.



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dino21 said:
As you mention in your other post, a pair of wires/probes etc acting as a conductor will not be practicalbe/ reliable imho
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It seems Innovative Marine disagree and is the method they choose for their 'HydroFill ATO' - maybe a method I've given up on (or thought I had) but found this by mistake.

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https://www.innovative-marine.com/shop/HydroFill™-Ti-ATO-Controller-p184824859
https://www.innovative-marine.com/shop/Parts-HydroFill™-Ti-Replacement-Controller-Sensor-p185023950
 
With so many folk reliably using the float switches , opto and contact sensors, think its unlikely you will find much info on the metal probe sensors for aquarium.
You will have to try it out for yourself, after finding a suitable circuit, ac or dc, to control things, though making something yourself thats not well proven would not seem the best approach for an emergency device ?
 
dino21 said:
With so many folk reliably using the float switches , opto and contact sensors, think its unlikely you will find much info on the metal probe sensors for aquarium.
You will have to try it out for yourself, after finding a suitable circuit, ac or dc, to control things, though making something yourself thats not well proven would not seem the best approach for an emergency device ?
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You do /did hear of disaster's using optical devices not so long ago, however I've been using them for ATO sensors in several aquariums for a while now and so far, so good.

Finding an optical device that is smaller in size including mounting is the challenge with regards to infrared, AutoAqua make them and route I've looked into and all being well will work out how I'd like.

Capacitive sensors from information I'm given needs being held secure to the glass and gluing is recommended I'm told. Also would be unable to have the sensor in my filtration partition as there is water in there also. This is all just information given to me by retailers/manufacturers.

I completely agree using something that's not well proven wouldn't be a good idea and would of course be tested before, regardless of the method I choose.
 
Hi @Andrew Butler

The photo shown in post #20 uses a vertical float switch just like the one I have in my main tank (out of action pending a revamp). It's based on tried-and-tested reed switch technology. When I first started using this, I was concerned that it would stick out like a sore thumb because it was white. But, after a couple of months, trusty biofilm has changed all this. I also haven't found it necessary to have a guard around it but, if large/heavy fish were to land on it, this could switch it from ON to OFF or vice versa.

If you're still hesitant about the capacitive sensor re gluing it to the tank, could you not clamp it to the glass or use a magnet perhaps? Neodymium magnets come to mind but they are very powerful and I haven't yet mastered working with them. Handle with care!

JPC
 
jaypeecee said:
If you're still hesitant about the capacitive sensor re gluing it to the tank, could you not clamp it to the glass or use a magnet perhaps? Neodymium magnets come to mind but they are very powerful and I haven't yet mastered working with them. Handle with care!
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It's the position it would need to be in, at the back of the clear glass I look through in the main display and would stick above, something I'd rather avoid if possible. As for mounting them I know something is being worked on by someone, exactly what I'm unsure.
Yes, I've shattered a few when trying to gently put them together; have you ever tried any kind of rubberised coating?

I think I have something sorted that will be a compromise and if it doesn't work/look how I want then can be changed easily.
I do still wonder about my original idea and the simplicity of the method, can always try it and see how it goes alongside.
 
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