Kalkwasser Reactor finished

[Mugster]

Hi everyone. I just finished building my own DIY Kalkwasser Reactor and it works like a charm. If anyone has considered working with acrylic but was hesitant due to fears of working with it I suggest you give it a try.

IMO the key to being successful is taking it slow. When drilling, take it nice and slow. If you drill too fast the acrylic will melt and bind on the bit.

I used 4.5" OD acrylic tubing ($85 for a 6' length) and standard plumbing parts found at HD ($25). A MJ600 is used to "stir" inside the reactor and a MJ1200 for the RO supply from a 5 gal bucket. All I need now is a float switch to activate the supply powerhead when top-up is required. The reactor holds approx. 5 gals. The total cost is approx. $225 mainly because of the two MJ powerheads and acrylic tube.

I will post pics as soon as I get a digital camera. If anyone is still hesitant or not very handy, email me and I will build one for you.

No more mixing up and dripping Kalk every couple of days. :dance:

Kev

itsmemug@rogers.com

[DogueDeBordeaux]

How many gallons do you evaporate? How much kalk are you going to add in the reactor? How many times a day do you plan on mixing the kalk? Post a pic if possible.

[Mugster]

DogueDeBordeaux, my system evaporates approx. 2-3 gals a day. Instead of using a float valve, I opted for a digital timer which runs for 10 mins twice a day. I'm still experimenting right now as the unit has only been running for a week. I started with 4 heaping teaspoons of Kalk which so far has lasted almost a week but will progress up to 4-6 heaping tablespoons to extend the refill intervals. Stirring is done via a MJ600 which runs on a timer set for 4 times a day for 30 mins each time. Ideally I would like to only mix for 15 mins but standard timers have a min increment of 30 mins and digital timers are for more expensive. I will post pics asap and more results regarding amounts of Kalk added.

HTH

Kev

[stephane]

Hi dogue I mix mine six time a day for 4 minute and I find that it is enought for me my evaporation is 2 gal a day maybe more whith the new canopy and the add of a tird MH bulb

I refil the reactor every 10-12 day and add about 1 cup full of kalk you see the refill rate by the PH of you tank when you PH get lower you refil it that all. I fairly recommend a PH monitor when you play whith Kalkwasser but anyway I tink PH monitor is a ting you should have in saltwater

If your PH get to hight only drop the mixing time but dont drop less than 4 time a day to not get the kalk clumping.

If you could maintain a ph of 8.3 to 8.4 I found that in my tank
the calcium is 420 - 450 it seem that the ph is a very good measure of how to adjust the reactor

I atach a pic and way to set the all ting

I will try to explane how it is done the best whith my poor english
sorry Im french

All the evaporate water should paste in the reactor so that made the ting more simpler
the sheapest way to do it is take a makeup reservoir fill whith the RO water plug it on a pond float valve (15$ home depos) that is fix in the sumps
and then plug the output on the reactor (those valve are not the safest but they could be trust IMO unless you dont have a to big makeup reservoir)

mine is a bit more complicate but it is set and forget
I have plug the RO direct inline whith the reactor . I made this by DIY what I tink to be the saffest electrique valve selenoid setup
I take a Maytag dishwasher solenoids (50$) The Maytag have safety feature that other types don't have which is 2 electric solenoids to shut the water off .I have then made a float swith whith a Mercury float switch there are old fashion switches that used to be on washing machine top doors that would shut-off the machine when the top would be opened. I got mine free from a appliance repair shop. I fix the mercury swich(after I have sealed the it in a PVC 1" tube filled whith epoxy) to a plexiglass swign arm that have a toilette float vale on the end. The reason I use this is it is very cheap and the size of the ball exerts a lot of force while floating because of it's size. This way even if there is some salt building up or a big snail on the hinge part, the ball has enough strength to not let it stick. I put the float the nearest to the return pums I do this because the wave it make made the float to alway move up and down so it shutt the float to on and off more often and put very small amout of water each time
this made the PH more stable.

So in simple term the selenoid is on tap water that was activate by the float switch in the sump then the water goes in the RO after in the
reactor and then in the sump. (you need a check valve between the RO and the reactor to prevent the RO to suck water from the reactor in the membrane if the RO drain is lower than the all setup) I have this setup for a couple of years it very work good and less than 200$ for all.

a Friend of mine (toutouche on RC) have built is own a couple of month ago after seen it and he is very hapy I send you a link on
RC from him after he got all the ting set up


See you!
Stephane




http://mars.reefkeepers.net/Images/PhotoReacteurCalcium/VisioCalcSB.JPG

[Mugster]

Stephane, your setup sounds pretty good but IMO I have one concern about it. The reason I opted for a digital timer rather than a solenoid/float valve configuration was that I didn't want the top-off to take place at the same time of the stiring, possibly sending cloudy Kalk solution into the system. By using a digital timer I can assure that the stiring is finished at least 2-3 hours, letting the Kalk settle to the bottom again, leaving a clear solution to be pumped into the system. My Kalkwasser reactor is almost identical to your's with the exception mine is about a foot taller.

I am considering using your solenoid/float valve configuration for my RO water make-up.

Kev

[stephane]

even if it go in same time there only clean water that go out
it depend probably on your design or you probably add to much at once. The cloud alway stay down the 1/3 of the height and never reach up even if the pumps stir for on houre.
you probaly see a PH swign when you timer start and I dont like to have any rapid swing in my tank

the mercuri switch is so presise that it only put in no more than 1/4 cup at each time that mean you never gone have any peak PH
when the kalk get in. it goes on nearly every 15-30 min. for only a small add

I found to that this way my TDS is alway good I found that if the RO is off for one houre or more the first half liter to go out have a hight TDS about 40ppm or more and the way I run mine it stay between 0 and 10 That way I save on the DI cartrige the output
of the DI is alway 0 in both way but exaust very faster when the RO is stop for long time

[DogueDeBordeaux]

here's a pic of my kalk reactor.