If I did it again, I wouldn’t use the left ball valve I’d just plug it knowing now it drains fast enough with just the right one and the ball valve under the drain pan you wouldn’t need that either, just closing off the drain ball valves in the tank work good enough for preventing the fluid from returning to the tank.
Hope this helps.
I’ve got a couple of these that I’ll be plumbing into the water trays. Standard plumbing fittings for the Y pipe and ball valve.
I used a bung drain (like used on brewery tanks) on my first Crossfire but I’ve found the thickness of the inside portion prevents draining of all of the water. With this set I’m hoping it’s enough thinner that I won’t get too much left. Otherwise I’ll just make a dimple set and dimple the tray so once installed it’s flush with the rest of the water tray.
Inspired by this thread, I’ve added a water storage tank for my water table, plumbed for compressed air to refill the tank and a simple manual operation to drain the tank. With this new setup I now drain the tank after every use and refill when I want to do a run. Refill time takes 63 seconds (for CrossFire water table, not your honking big ocean you have with the Pro!) and drain is mostly done after 2 minutes, but the last little bit takes a while. Not that I care on drain, it’s just open the valve and walk away…
I’ve coupled a float switch with the refill so now I just flip a switch, it fills, and stops filling when the float switch triggers. Easy peasy and let’s me do other prep while it’s filling.
Here are the key photos, let me know if you want deets…
Tank View:
The pressure regulator is a modified “Medium Pressure” Propane regulator (5PSIG) so I have fine control on the tank pressure and neither blow up the tank or wait forever for it to refill. The LED on the Flood control tells me when the solenoid is activated.
Solenoid is 12VDC, mainly to keep the wiring safe and within low power switching capabilities of the float switch. I’ll include PN in BOM. Tape measure is my rough gauge that I find useful in all my CNC equipment. Sometimes you just need to know sort of where you are… I’ll add that to the BOM as well.
Even though there is an isolating gadket there, I think it is using the water as the conductive material from the valve to the water to the slats, to the piece… At that point the gasket makes no difference. But I do pretty much the same as you. Clamp directly to a side rail, or slat…
I think it’s called “Heater Hose”, but it’s 3/4" and I got it at Lowes in the Plumbing department. Definitely worthwhile selection! I think the 1/2" barbs fit into it, but it could be 3/4". In any case, the barb fittings are in the same area as the hose so try the fit while you’re at the store.
Both good questions, first answering the second questions, yes, even at just s few PSI, the tank bulges so I put a pair of ‘U’ frames over it to contain the swelling. The tank probably would have been ok, but it certainly didn’t look OK.
Re the pressure regulator: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BHF6ZD6
You will need to remove the fitting on the input side of the regulator and replace it with an adapter to 1/4" FTP thread. I forget exactly which adapter, but it might have been this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DKK2J5G
To lift the water (without creating a shower) the few inches to the water table, you only need about 2.5 PSI. Anything else is potentially problematic IMO.
Thanks. I put mine in a storage bin in case it blows a fitting. I don’t want to ever have to clean up 10 gallons off the floor if the tank blows. :). I am using an air pressure regulator but as you know its not great at regulating low pressure.
