Monitoring pH levels... how ?

[Davey]

My cooker supply has that. No electricity involved, it's all done by pressure differential.

[GB]

That's *really* helpful. :)

Do you have to return the used barrels? Otherwise, you could easily make a second hole in the top for an additional sensor. Or even a ruddy big hole so you can look inside and see how much is left. With a little camera, so you can view it from the house.

[GB]

The present indicator has a float switch? Maybe you are pushing it too far into the barrel?

[Adrian Brentnall]

Not possible - the float switch and the intake filter are mounted on a bracket, float switch above the filter. Problem is, as soon as the float switch detects a low level it tells the dosing pump to stop pumping - so the pH drops like a stone.

[Adrian Brentnall]

All possibilities. No - the barrels are one-trip only - they get cut in half and used for storing stained-glass scraps..

If I could find a semi-transparent tank.... but then there's the business of lifting the barrels to pour them into the 'permanent' barrel - as I say - it's b* dense stuff!

[Jonathan]

Syphon?

Jonathan

[Baz]

A chap I worked with. Lived in a house that when everything was just right.

If the toilet was flushed, the water tank called for water which started the water pump and if the batteries were low, that would start the jenny. And if that was the middle of the night ................................

Baz

[Adrian Brentnall]

Bet that was popular!

[Adrian Brentnall]

Still got to lift it, though....

[GB]

I wouldn't try pouring this stuff any more than I would try pouring a 25 litre container of battery acid.

I might just drill a hole in the top and put a plastic stick in with a float on the bottom. Easy enough to calibrate against an empty tank with a line at say 10% left. Something really low tech like that.

Or some old bathroom scales and stick the tank on that.

[GB]

Is there any alkali left in the barrel when it switches off? How much, is that costing you at Euros 55 per barrel?

So, a gauge that tells you it will be finished soon is not much good. You won't want to waste any more alkali than you have to. You really do need to know as soon as it stops pumping and then take immediate action.

[Bill]

In message , Adrian Brentnall writes

as a quick fix, until you get a permanent one, could you rig the existing sensor to also stop the water pump? Inconvenient but it would stop acid water from reaching the rest of the system.

[Onetap]

If you will insist on going all Heath-Robinson.......... rig up a beam, bit of timber (3 x 2") or whatever's in the shed as a balance. Hinged at the mid point or suspended from the ceiling on a rope.

Microswitch operated by the beam moving. Counterweight; an empty container with sand in it, adjust the weight so it balances when there's a couple of inches left in the acid container. It only has to move slightly, not enough to rip the tubes out.

[dennis]

It won't taste of anything. Its probably the nearest to pure water you can get without distilling it.

[GB]

I like the water we get locally from the mains - Afinity, used to be 3 Valleys. I leave a jug in the fridge, to let the chlorine go away, and whatever's left (which is obviously not pure water) tastes great.

Totally pure water is not very nice IMHO, but YMMV.

[Adrian Brentnall]

Don't worry - any that's left at the bottom of the barrel gets tipped back into the next barrel, once the level in the new one's dropped a bit.

Well - maybe - but if/when it stops you get this 'airlock' situation, and have to fiddle with the pipe unions to get the air out - so it'd be preferable if it 'never' got into that situation...

[Adrian Brentnall]

Suppose so - but that'd mean getting a 'power' output from the control box, rather than the current 'underpowered' led - which'd probably be as complicated as doing the job properly

Kitchen cold tap does come directly off the pump (via a pressure vessel)

- so it would give a 'hard-to-ignore' warning! (but probably wouldn't be popular...)

[Adrian Brentnall]

One of my heroes!

Yes - do-able.... I'll have a play with the proximity sensor 1st - but the 'weight' system does have its merits

Thanks

[bert]

Look at caravan systems for on-board water tanks especially the older ones. Should be possible to tap off when tank falls to say quarter full and trigger an alarm. Worst case you should be able to rig up a gauge to check occasionally.

[bert]

Hang the container on a spring balance?