Kalk Reactor drip's

[Skimmerking]

Ok I have had many Kalk Reactor's since I have started and want to make sure that I get a good solution and some what accurate levels out of it.. SO when I had my top off Kalk going, 24/7 it was mixed to 1 tsp per gallon of RO/DI water. to give me 430 CAlcium and 9.0- 9.5 DKH. and that was with a drip setting of 1 drip every 2 seconds around there. Now with the Kalk reactor what drip should I shoot for I know that the reactor solution will be alot stronger then the tub that I had going. Right now i have it with a drip of every 4 seconds I have 1 drip.

[atcguy]

just noticed your post/ wondering how you are getting it to drip??? I have only heard of people using it combined with a top off device. like I said I have a res. full of ro water , no salt, I was at one time running a float valve in my sump. Now i use aquatronica controller with float switch. Have the resevoir above the sump so when the float drops the line opens water flows from res. into the kalk mixer and into the tank dosing kalk . So as your tank evaporates water fresh water with kalk is added.. Thats how most do it....

[Skimmerking]

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e122/asmodeus338/120%20gal%20mixed/DSC03825.jpg

see where the TEE is on the right the RO/DI Line pushes water in and the bottom the Line was to the float switch to the sump. And the left is where the line goes into the Reactor with a small gate vlave allowing the water to go in slow so I can control the water coming out for what ever drip I want. The reactor has not pressure what so ever... I have done this before on my other Kalk reactor.

[atcguy]

when the float drops doesnt the water just go in through the bottom of the tee and bypass the reactor. why not skip the tee and just put the float on the output of the kalk output line. Then the water justs pumps through the reactor until float closes. Interesting I have never seen it done like that. I only had on kalk mixer in my time so I guess you know what your doing. Looks good though

[Skimmerking]

The Reason that I have it that way is for security reason's, I know that the float switch will never clop up and pour kalk in to the tank. SO i have a clean line that runs straight RO/DI water. like I have stated that the reactor has the gate valve on it so all i get is what comes out of the in put so If I want to turn it up to 3 drips per sec I will get it on the out put. basisly I have it that way so what ever the kalk doesnt give the Top Off will finish off.. I hope that that makes sense to you Gerad.

[dsaundry]

I think I see what your set up is like. If I have this right the top off line is open all the time and the Kalk line is switchable?? Good idea:biggrin:

[Skimmerking]

yes that is right its just easy to control the kalk to what ever i need so Im not getting much if im not using it with a top off you are just adding it and causing the levels to go up. with it this way if you top off is not enough then turn up the Kalk

[atcguy]

cool, seems like a good plan. enjoy the kalk mixer....

[untamed]

yes that is right its just easy to control the kalk to what ever i need so Im not getting much if im not using it with a top off you are just adding it and causing the levels to go up. with it this way if you top off is not enough then turn up the Kalk

Yup. Exactly. Since often Kalk can't keep up with Ca/Alk demand on it's own, people frequently end up matching the Kalk input to their evaporation (which is the maximum)

The problem is that only works if your needs are that high. Somehow, it gets misunderstood that Kalk should just be used as evaporative replacement without regard to Ca/Alk demand and that gets people in trouble.

Mine is hooked up just like yours. Completely independent of the evap replacement system. I just happen to use a pump to dose what I want, and only dose at night.

I would assume that the Kalk in your reactor is the same as the Kalk you used to make in the tub. A saturated solution is a saturated solution. (assuming the temp is the same...)

[PoonTang]

yes that is right its just easy to control the kalk to what ever i need so Im not getting much if im not using it with a top off you are just adding it and causing the levels to go up. with it this way if you top off is not enough then turn up the Kalk

What are you using for a pump? or are you connected directly to your RO unit?

[Skimmerking]

no there is no pump running the reactor. If you look at the pic on this thread there is a TEE on the top of the reactor on the right side of the TEE there is a line that is from my RO/DI the one on the bottom it feeds my float switch in the sump. and you see the line going to the reactor, from there see the smal gate valve that is there to only allow in so much water to go through it So i have control on how much will come out. If I want 3 drips per sec i just tunr it and watch the out put line and adjust it until i have 3 drips per second. and this way if I didnt have the gate valve there the reactor would explode. The reason I have it this way so what running the reactor this way will give me the proper level in the tank as the tank requires more CAL / ALk i will turn up the reactor.

So at the end of the day, what ever the reactor doesn't give the sump the Float switch will finish off. I hope that this meake s sense...

[PoonTang]

Very nice setup. The only thing i would be worried about was if the float were to stick/fail then you would be putting endless amounts of makeup water into your tank. Have heard many horror stories of this happening. I would suggest putting in a back up float and a solenoid valve that cuts off the FW to your RODI unit.

[Skimmerking]

Poon I do have a back up I should have said something. oops

I have it on my RO/DI its a solenid on there in case it mulfunctions