Auto shut off float valve for a garden hose?

[CannaRed]

I'm trying to use the water from my dehumidifier in the grow room, to help save my back from carrying 5 gallon buckets up the windy staircase. Sometimes I must adjust pH, but it's good low ppm water.

the dehumidifier is a 60pt a day model. The dehuey has a small collection bucket that needs to be dumped multiple times a day.
Some mornings, the high humidity alarm in the grow is sounding because the dehuey shut off once full.
The shape of the collection bucket makes it impossible for me to pour its contents into a 5 gallon bucket without spillage.
So, my idea was to put the dehuey on a table and put a heavy duty tote on the floor underneath. Attach a short garden hose to the dehuey and run it into the tote. If I had a float valve attached to the end of the hose under the lid of the tote, it would shit off the hose and start filling up the dehumidifiers built in collection container. Then if I didn't get to it in time it would automatically shut off. I emailed the dehuey manufacturer to make sure that my model worked that way if hose was shutoff, and it will work.

Any good float valves for this application? I've seen some battery powered ones but I was thinking something more like a toilet float valve.
What's everyone's opinion?

 

[Growenhaft]

my English is very bad. and I can't make sense of the translation. are you looking for something like that?https://www.amazon.de/Kondenswasserp...c=1&th=1&psc=1

 

[CannaRed]

I found this. I think I can make this work https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012CIY77...abc_H2RBAGV6FQ9PGRF3KEFZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[flylowgethigh]

They use hose float valves in the SIP control boxes. Check the sticky SIP tread in organic soil.

 

[CrushnYuba]

What you need is a good old fashioned, regular ole BALLCOCK. Some call it a float valve or a ball float valve(slang)... But don't u want to walk in and say "show me your finest ball cocks".
If you just go to the plumbing supply store they have them. Most hardware stores also do.

i looked at that link you posted on Amazon. I have no idea what that thing is, but on that page under "you also might like" there were all sorts of great cheap float valves that have little bulkheads built right in! Considerably cheaper then the plumbing supply store and you don't need to buy the bulkhead separately. That's right my friend bulk head for ballcocks.

You are gonna have to drill into that tote.

 

[f-e]

I have not seen an enclosed float like that. It looks alright though. If you can position it to stay in place. I don't see a locknut or washers provided to bolt it through the tote wall, and it will need a good seal as it may be under water. It's orientation is unclear. I think I would give it a miss and go for a more traditional float design. One you can mount out of the water, so only the float bit gets wet. I have seen many a multiflow go over because the salty water evaporated off, and the remaining salt stuck the float. Leaves or debris will float up and get in the amazon item, where you can't see them. It's a service problem I would rather avoid.

With such a low head you don't need a big float arrangement. They often come in one of two categories. For low or high pressure shut-off capability. Which is just torque really.

 

[Growenhaft]

the english and me won't work anymore.

I still don't understand what's going on.

Do you want to prevent the dehumidifier from automatically switching off when its condensation water tank is full?

and you want the water from the tank to be pumped into another tank. the pump should be able to do that on its own with a float switch?

I understood it like that. and the linked pump has such a float valve installed. switches on and off automatically.

or what is meant here illuminate me.

 

[f-e]

He would like to use the dehu's permanent drain.
He would like to fill a bigger bucket.
He would like the dehu to know when the bigger bucket is full.


His drain point must be the rubber bung type. He takes the bung out and the water leaves through the hole. He would like top use a float in his big bucket to stop the water getting out the dehu so it fills it's own tank.


Edit: The approach is the problem is ingenious. Not a wire in sight.

 

[Growenhaft]

thanks.
I piss off again in the German forum.

tzzz english

 

[CannaRed]

He would like to use the dehu's permanent drain.
He would like to fill a bigger bucket.
He would like the dehu to know when the bigger bucket is full.


His drain point must be the rubber bung type. He takes the bung out and the water leaves through the hole. He would like top use a float in his big bucket to stop the water getting out the dehu so it fills it's own tank.


Edit: The approach is the problem is ingenious. Not a wire in sight.

I have a little door on the side of the dehumidifier that swings open to reveal the garden hose connection.
The way it looks to me, is the water comes out of that male hose connector no matter what. If there's a hose attached it will drain out the hose.
If there's no hose attached it just drips into the built in collection container.
There's no rubber bung. At least not when I got it from my uncle.

 

[CannaRed]

I have not seen an enclosed float like that. It looks alright though. If you can position it to stay in place. I don't see a locknut or washers provided to bolt it through the tote wall, and it will need a good seal as it may be under water. It's orientation is unclear. I think I would give it a miss and go for a more traditional float design. One you can mount out of the water, so only the float bit gets wet. I have seen many a multiflow go over because the salty water evaporated off, and the remaining salt stuck the float. Leaves or debris will float up and get in the amazon item, where you can't see them. It's a service problem I would rather avoid.

With such a low head you don't need a big float arrangement. They often come in one of two categories. For low or high pressure shut-off capability. Which is just torque really.

You are correct about no lock nut and washer. I thought sure it has one. Now I need to go back and see if that's the one I ordered, I looked at several models like that.

Salty shouldn't be a problem the ppm is very low. It ranges from 12-26 ppm.
The pH swings are crazy. Sometimes it's as low as 5 sometimes as high as 7.3. Not sure why
I would assume I would need low pressure right? It just drips out.

 

[f-e]

Yeah, a low pressure one (from the days of tanked water in the loft) would be fine. You won't have the pressure to defeat it.
The salt story was just a story. It's other debris like bits of leaf I'm really thinking of. It's surprising what finds it's way in.
The plumbing arrangement inside the dehu doesn't sound like it will work. Typically, a duhu has a catch tray under the part the condensation drips from. This tray has a hole in the bottom that forms the external drain. Only if blocked, will the tray start to fill up until it reaches the trays overflow pipe, which fills the internal container.
What you describe is an interruption to the path from tray to container. I can't imagine how blocking your hose would reinstate that path. Maybe there is a second path but it seems unlikely that the tray would have a second overflow, just in-case the first blocked. That would be like wearing belt and braces. I know the ones I have owned have no alternate route. One even flooded last year.

There is a simple answer. Run your machine with the hose blocked and prepare for a wet floor. Hopefully it works, but it may wet it's own electrics. You could go one further, and fill the dehu via this hose connection. Really slowly... Like with a hose and funnel so you can pour in a liter or two at a reasonable rate. No internal fountain stuff.

If it does flood, you may need to look at an overflow pipe on your tote. Maybe into the system? which would presumably be due for some water.
People sometimes wire to the float switch in their dehu for external control. This is useful when machine won't restart after a power outage, but will after it thinks it was emptied.
At worst, I could knock up a water level sensor that turns off an extension cord for you. If you don't feel it's a job you want to tackle

 

[exploziv]

Well, you could have an electronic float switch in the tote that when activated stops a relay from powering the humidifier. I know how to do those the diy way, but if you have no electronic knowledge I don't know if there are any devices that can do that out of the box.

 

[CannaRed]

Yeah, a low pressure one (from the days of tanked water in the loft) would be fine. You won't have the pressure to defeat it.
The salt story was just a story. It's other debris like bits of leaf I'm really thinking of. It's surprising what finds it's way in.
The plumbing arrangement inside the dehu doesn't sound like it will work. Typically, a duhu has a catch tray under the part the condensation drips from. This tray has a hole in the bottom that forms the external drain. Only if blocked, will the tray start to fill up until it reaches the trays overflow pipe, which fills the internal container.
What you describe is an interruption to the path from tray to container. I can't imagine how blocking your hose would reinstate that path. Maybe there is a second path but it seems unlikely that the tray would have a second overflow, just in-case the first blocked. That would be like wearing belt and braces. I know the ones I have owned have no alternate route. One even flooded last year.

There is a simple answer. Run your machine with the hose blocked and prepare for a wet floor. Hopefully it works, but it may wet it's own electrics. You could go one further, and fill the dehu via this hose connection. Really slowly... Like with a hose and funnel so you can pour in a liter or two at a reasonable rate. No internal fountain stuff.

If it does flood, you may need to look at an overflow pipe on your tote. Maybe into the system? which would presumably be due for some water.
People sometimes wire to the float switch in their dehu for external control. This is useful when machine won't restart after a power outage, but will after it thinks it was emptied.
At worst, I could knock up a water level sensor that turns off an extension cord for you. If you don't feel it's a job you want to tackle

I opened the lil door and looked at the hose connection. There is water dripping out of that into the collection tray.
tomorrow I'll just empty the collection bucket and plug up the hole and stand by to see what happens. That way I don't cause a big mess.

Thank everyone so much for your help!

 

[f-e]

Hmm. Stand it on a plastic sheet and have the aqua-vac ready. You are going to be paddling. I can't see the sticker but I reckon I can fill in the gaps.

 

[exploziv]

Haha did not even need the sticker to figure out what is coming.

 

[f-e]

I nearly got one of these valves myself, so looked a little harder. There is no low pressure version. It would probably weep. The water pressure is what keeps a differential across the valve, to hold it closed. You need that water pressure of a non-tanked system. The float doesn't act directly on the valve, but rather a fluid bypass. The best explanation is found for irrigation valves. Another great sounding item that will drop your tank out on the floor..

 

[Guest]

Get a GHT to 3/4 Npt fitting and pick a float
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Or get a drop in style
https://mofuntools.com/products/valve
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[f-e]

That's the one's. They don't work. See how sharply they stop the flow. They use the mains pressure. Though you might get lucky and get a really well seating one. These are cheap though, and will really need the pressure to make the parts conform. Like with rubber washer based taps, they are going to need a tweak that a meter of head can't provide.

I reckon if you get a couple and used really hot water, you might condition one to work. I have used maybe 5 washing machine valves and found half leak without the pressure behind them. It's not terrible odds.. Though just this week I fitted another that leaked, then weeped, then stopped after a day. Perhaps salted up in my case.. I have not operated it

 

[CannaRed]

I still haven't messed with it. I had to leave for a few days so I hooked up the hose and hung it out the window.
eventually when I get around to it, I'll stick the dehuey in a plastic tote, and do my experimenting. That way the flood is contained.

The only way I can figure that it really works the way the company said, is that there's another hole further up from the connector.
I could see that working. The water drops down the tube with an elbow at the bottom where the hose connection is.
The water takes path of least resistance and out the hose spout. But if the hose becomes clogged then the water backs up the elbow an inch or so and out the higher hole. That's the only way I could see it working the way I want it to.

​​​​​​Then I'll have to get into if the cheapo float valve I found actually works with low pressure.
I got a feeling you are probably right about it using pressure to seal the valve.

If my idea doesn't work then I could always just set up a reservoir with an overflow that draind outside if the Rez gets filled before I dump. That sounds easier now that I type it.