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ReefHaus

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ReefHaus last won the day on August 5 2019

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About ReefHaus

  • Birthday 06/05/1972

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  • Location
    United States
  • Tank Size
    75 Gallon
  • Gender
    Male

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  1. It is! DM me and let's connect!
  2. This recirculating reactor pioneered the way Bio-pellets are tumbled. Use the adjustable recirculating loop to control the tumbling velocity, while separately control the flow rate through the reactor with an external pump. This was the first company I know of that pioneered this technique, which is ubiquitous today. Since the BPR-135, recirculating reactors continue to be the preferred method utilized by discerning reefers who choose to run pellets today. Get the original design, still sought after, for only $100 bucks! Serial number with original inspectors’ initials. All Reef Dynamic units were personally inspected and signed-off by the person who built it. Check out my MEGA-Sump listing to see how you can own this revolutionary reactor together with an amazing skimmer for unbelievable package-deal-pricing!
  3. This is a RARE, one-of-a-kind opportunity to own a brand NEW refurbished from the factory legendary Euro Reef recirculating dream skimmer. At $150, I won’t be upset at all if this doesn’t sell. I’d like to be buried with this skimmer. Check out the BACK-STORY at the bottom of the listing for proper context. The skimmer was top-to-bottom factory refurbished in 2017. Cleaned inside-and-out, all new o-rings and gaskets replaced. New pump and flywheel installed and (sadly) never used. Not even once. It’s been sitting in the same box as it was shipped back to me on April 4, 2017, from Aquarium Source (the only Euro Reef authorized dealer remaining to refurbish these classic skimmers). Serial Number below. Each skimmer was individually inspected at factory before sold and initialed by the technician who actually built it by hand! Comes with a NEW-IN-THE-BOX factory recommend pump to feed the skimmer: Brand new pump for the newly rebuilt recirculating loop: This is the factory invoice for the refurbish work done on it. (I’ve got over $700 invested in this skimmer!) Factory Parts List. All new parts, including the NEW Gate Valve – a meaningful upgrade. The skimmer is included in my SUPER-MEGA-Sump special where you can get an unbelievable package deal! See my MEGA-Sump Listing for package deal details on how you might own this entire setup (including a MASSIVE stainless steel Tank Stand) for only $300!!! BACK-STORY: Okay, here’s the back story. This goes out to my OG reefers who know a true diamond-in-the-rough listing when they see one. This deal cannot be appreciated without some context for the company Euro Reef. When I first got into Reef Keeping in 2005, Euro Reef was LEGEND. They defined what it meant to be best-in-class and no brand even remotely compared in build-quality or performance. It was the Royal Exclusiv, Bubble King of skimmers. When I got back into the hobby in 2015 the industry had moved on and Euro Reef was MIA. What had replaced their superior engineering of the past were IMHO a line-up of cheaply made plastic junk. I scoured the reefing classifieds for months before stumbling upon this gem-of-a-skimmer at an amazing price. I immediately bought it for a steal at $200. It was in good condition and pulled skimmate immediately (no break-in required). I fell back in love with Euro Reef, and enjoyed the skimmer for a little over year when I moved and had to break down my old system. I caught the reef bug again in 2017 and began to fantasize about my dream-tank build. The center of the guts of the system would (of course) be my Euro Reef skimmer, but they had long been out of business and I thought the old skimmer would RIP. Out of curiosity, I looked around online for a company that might be able to service it. I stumbled upon Jason Frick at Titan Aquatic exhibits who happened to be able to service it via Aquarium Source. He did an amazing job performing a complete rebuild and I was back up and running again! Then Covid Happened, my daughter moved in with me and bought a cat and my dream got mothballed for a while. Now my dream skimmer might end up in your lucky hands!
  4. Weighing in at 62” x 17” x 22” tall this MASSIVE 100 gallon MEGA-sump has generously oversized compartments to accommodate virtually any configuration of skimmer/refugium/reactors. The sump flows 60-gallons through six separate chambers when active. The MEGA-sump was custom designed to handle a massive volume of overflow from the MEGA-tank stand that I’ve also listed separately for sale. Check out that listing for a SUPER-MEGA special deal you won't believe! 1200-GPH Danner Return Pump (MAG-12) Included MEGA-Sump Six-Chamber Design Flow: Moving from left to right in the image (below) 1 - Water enters into the first chamber from tank overflows -> 2 - spills onto a duel filter sock chamber (splash guard included, not shown in picture) -> 3 - swells up from bottom into the skimmer section (6” tall skimmer stand included) -> 4 - continues through a set of baffles serving as a bubble-trap -> 5 - flows into a large chamber containing reactor’s-a-plenty (or refugium?) -> 6 - concludes in the final chamber where sanitized water returns to the display tank. The acrylic skimmer stand shown (below) is included. It elevates your skimmer into ideal position and provides more flow through the sump. +Skimmer: If you’re looking for an ideal skimmer to pair with this sump, look no further than my listing for the classic recirculating Euroreef RC-135a ($150). It’s a NEWLY-refurbished direct from-the-factory workhorse skimmer that’s a dream to dial into a huge range of tank sizes from 100 gallons to 200+ gallons. +Biopellet Reactor: Reef Dynamics BPR-135e ($100). Shown (below) is the reactor that changed the game on biopellets - Its recirculating design is best-in-class. Check out my separate listing for more details. Go for ALL THREE for a complete MEGA-Sump package deal for only $300 bucks ! This sanctuary of sanitization will keep your reef animals in a state of pure bliss. SUPER-MEGA Sump ALL THREE pieces ($450 total value) for only $300!!! $200-MEGA Sump +$150-EuroReef 135a Recirculation Skimmer +$100-Reef Dynamics BPR-135e Recirculating Bio-Pellet Reactor A $450 total Value, all for only $300 AND THA’S NOT ALL …If you’re looking for a MEGA-tank stand to go with your SUPER-MEGA Sump, check out my separate MEGA-Tank stand listing. ACT NOW and the stand is yours at no additional cost! You read right, get BOTH the $300 SUPER-MEGA Sump AND the $200 Mega-Tank Stand sold TOGETHER for a SUPER-MEGA bonus package price of ONLY $300. That’s a $650 value for only $300 - ACT NOW, this deal won’t last!!!
  5. Measuring 73” Long and 30” Deep, this MASSIVE tank stand is made of 2.5” x 2.5” welded stainless-steel. The image shows the rear-facing side of the stand with its additional diagonal support brace. The front-facing side (shown against the wall in the picture) is completely open, providing easy access to virtually any sump configuration. The MEGA-Tank Stand is 38” high on adjustable leveling feet. The image (below) showcases the horizontally aligned double-bar construction of the rear part of the stand, providing the option to run overflow pipes through to a sump below. This custom design feature allows for flush mounting against a wall. The stand’s over-sized footprint can accommodate a variety of tank dimensions ranging from a 100 gallon 72x24x13 frag tank, all the way up to a 375 Gallon 72x30x40 megalodon tank for your deep-water-coral dreams. The rusting showing in the pictures is essentially cosmetic in nature. No part of this stand is rusted through assuring structural integrity of its stainless-steel construction. I’m not familiar with working with stainless steel, but I think the rust stains could be buffed out? Alternatively, the stand might serve as the core of an exoskeleton design of your choosing. For rock-bottom wife-acceptance-factor, just pop yer’ tank right on up there and call er’ a day! The SUPER MEGA-Sump (pictured below) was custom designed for this stand. Check out my other listing for details about the amazing MEGA-Sump special and get the SUPER-MEGA-Sump together with the MEGA-tank stand for a SUPER-MEGA special bonus package deal of only $300!!! You read right, get BOTH the $200 Mega-Tank stand TOGETHER with the $300 SUPER-MEGA Sump (shown above) for a SUPER-MEGA bonus package price of ONLY $300. That’s a $650 value for only $300 - ACT NOW, this deal won’t last!!!
  6. Good call on the sample port - the port off the last carbon block is a better location to measure. The best practice is to measure water before it has any contact with the RO. I guess the reason the suggestion is made to use effluent is that the system is already plumbed that way? I'd need to run a separate line regardless because my effluent will be plumbed directly to the drainline. Thanks for the suggestions!
  7. CONCLUSION: Adding the Chloramines monster is RODI overkill—It’s intended for high gallon installations. I'll be producing under 2000 gal/yr which is well within the capacity of my current 5-stage RODI. If anything, I’d consider adding a second DI-resin stage, but even this would be overkill for my water production needs. How I got to this conclusion was a lengthy and circuitous path. I thought I’d share what I learned while researching RODI with the community: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PHILOSOPHY: From day one, the guiding philosophy of this tank build has been: “take care of the water and the coral will take care of themselves”. THE PROBLEM: I was surprised to learn how much my city water quality fluctuates over time. There are many reasons for this. In order to maintain acceptable “clean” ranges, they make various adjustments at the treatment facility, including the amount of chemicals they dose. My city periodically blasts the water supply with huge doses of chloramines to keep within “clean” ranges producing episodic “spikes” in chloramine levels. The impact on RODI is that the life of each stage fluctuates unpredictably with fluctuations in chemical parameters of the city water supply. MEASURABLE RESULTS: “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. The method used to measure performance of each stage determines when to replace a filter and whether the system is working effectively. There’s a variety of ways to measure each stage. VISUAL REFERENCE: The simplest method is to change a filter “when it looks dirty”. While not a particularly scientific measurement, there’s general agreement that this approach can work for both the sediment filter and DI stages. TIME: The next simplest approach is to change the filters based on a time-interval. This is how my refrigerator's water filter works. A light turns on after a four-month timer elapses alerting me to replace the filter. It’s effective, but not efficient. It doesn’t measure the actual performance of the filter. I replace it way too early because I'm single and my usage is limited. The generally agreed upon RODI guidelines: “Replace the sediment filter every four-to-six months.” then “Replace the carbon blocks once-per-year” then, “Replace the RO membrane every 3-5 years” (…kind of a worthless guideline). Many people use this approach—serving as evidence that it probably works, and there are more effective methods for determining when to change the filters. PRESSURE GAUGE: Using a gauge to monitor water pressure between the carbon blocks and the RO membrane is a more “scientific” approach for measuring performance of the sediment filter. A drop in pressure can also indicate that an RO membrane’s beginning to go, helping to narrow the more nebulous suggestion to “Replace the RO membrane every 3-5 years”. TDS METERS: The TDS meter measures the electrical conductivity of the water, resulting in an “estimate” of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). It says nothing about chloramines. It’s used to test performance of the DI stage (in a dual meter setup) and the RO membrane (in a triple meter setup), or the overall system performance (with a standalone meter). CHLORINE TEST KIT: Measures how effective the carbon blocks are at removing chloramines. This is what I’ll be relying on to determine when the carbon blocks should be replaced – testing the wastewater discharge every 4-6 weeks. In the process of researching this, I completely dismantled and reassembled my RODI setup. Learning about the various stages and how the filtration works was informative, and …fun! We're an odd-lot, us reefers, It's nice to be able to share with the community! SOURCES: There’s a ton of you-tube videos with all this stuff. Most of what I referenced was the BRS series found on their website under the Reverse Osmosis tab. There’s a lot of redundant information, but I found that each one added something new to the knowledge bank. Many other sources validate the same conclusions. How to use a Chlorine test kit to measure chloramines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CI8NnuS4vY Chloramine Removal & Types of Carbon Blocks: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/Whats-New-in-Water-Treatment-Chloramines-Carbon-Block-Myths/ When to change carbon blocks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJz2_fEJixE Using TDS meters to change filters: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/-18-an--use-tds-as-an-indicator-for-when-to-change-my-filters-52-/ When to change RODI filters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EUZQ3gDraU
  8. I'm working on the design for the salt water mixing station. This led to more careful research into my RODI system. I have a 5-stage system configured: Sediment -> Carbon 1 -> Carbon 2 -> RO Membrane -> DI Resin After researching city water supply for Cedar Park, I've learned that Chloramines are used in our water treatment facilities. I used a test kit and measured: 4ppm Total Chlorine with 0ppm Free Chlorine. This confirms highly elevated chloramine levels in the city water. Advancement in the carbon filters that BRS markets (universal carbon blocks) claim they've discovered a more effective way to remove chloramines than the previous 2-stage carbon solutions. Having said that, there's still debate around whether these (universal) carbon blocks deliver sufficient filtration to sustain over time when high chloramine levels are present. Some of what I'm reading points to dramatically shortened pre-filter life when chloramine levels are highly elevated. BRS markets their "Chloramines Monster" as the ultimate solution for city chloramines https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html If I were to upgrade my RODI system it would cost about $400. Then I would have the following configuration: Sediment -> Chloramines Monster -> Carbon 1 -> Carbon 2 -> Carbon 3 -> RO Membrane -> DI Resin 1 -> DI Resin 2 I imagine this would certainly do the trick! ...but is it overkill? I plan on using the filtration system for many years to come, and I would prefer to build in the upgrade now, rather than plan for a future upgrade path. Does anyone have experience with Chloramine in Cedar Park (or high levels of Chloramine in general)? Is there any reason, other than cost, not to overkill the RODI system? Adding "the monster" doesn't seem to have any negatives, other than the increased cost and space restrictions. I have plenty of space in the fish room for it, but is this just wasted money on expensive and needless filtration bells and whistles? I haven't yet ordered the replacement filters for my old RODI system, and I'm going to be replacing all the stages for the new system. Even if the current system brings TDS down to zero, the filter life of 2 (Universal) Carbon blocks could be dramatically reduced by the large chloramines in the source water. The addition of the Chloramines Monster would supersize the filter capacity and possibly extend out the filter life of all the carbon blocks , possibly making future life easier.
  9. I spent the weekend contemplating plumbing. The large sump takes up a huge footprint, so I constructed a 2"x2" lumber frame to replicate its dimensions in the room. It's difficult to visualize how everything's going to fit - I need to be able navigate around without having to move the actual sump. The wood frame is light, so I can easily move it around to install plumbing. Once the actual behemoth is placed, it's not going anywhere! The picture shows where the sump will ultimately rest - in front of the ATO located at the base of the stairs. PLUMBING: I'm still not sure where to start. I've been focusing on the mix-tank - everything flows and drains from that point in the closet. I have a basic design in mind. When I elevated the freshwater tank high-up in the closet, it opened up a lot of space below for the mix-tank. This allows for the design to be reduced to a small 19"x19" square platform-base with just enough height for the external pump to sit underneath the 55-gallon. I'm concerned about the weight of all that plumbing sitting on top of the return line. I'm thinking a short FLEX-PVC run attached with a union to the rigid PVC pipe. Then, somehow mount the rigid PVC to reduce the weight pressing down on the pumps return housing. The return pump housing is pretty tough. Its the Iwaki MD-30RT: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/iwaki-md-30rt-japanese-motor-510-gph.html I ended up buying the Iwaki pump on my last build after the Pan World pump I'd originally bought IMMEDIATELY broke at this exact fail point: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pan-world-30px.html There was hardly any weight on the return line and the cheap plastic housing snapped within the first 24 hours - BRS wouldn't take the item back and I bought the much more expensive, but much sturdier Iwaki as a replacement. It worked great ever since. You get what you pay for. I'm going out of town this week, so I'll to step away from the project for a mental break and give my head a chance to clear. It's like playing 3-d Tetris in there! TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY UPDATE House is 73 degrees, humidity running at 72%. The outside temperature is 100 degrees and outside humidity registering only 40%. Not sure why there's such a differential between the outside and inside of the house, but I'm still comfortable with the house temperature and there's no evidence of precipitation anywhere. It might be due to the insulation in the house? It's strange because if I open up the house to air-out, the humidity indoors begins to drop immediately to meet the ambient humidity level outside. This doesn't make sense to me because everyone says the house humidity should be less than outdoors with the A/C on, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The ventilation in the fish room is holding at 70% humidity. I'm still not clear on whether or not this is actually a problem.
  10. The rubber floor mats arrived. I cut 2" off the 2'x3' mats so they'd fit in the closet: I laid down the 3'x5' mat under the stairs and took the remnants from the closet pieces to use as a support the ATO (That round thing in the upper-right corner is the automated emergency sump-pump). PLUMBING UPDATE: I'm challenged to prioritize/visualize which aspect of the plumbing to tackle first. I feel the need to have the whole system laid out before cutting a single pipe. RETURN FROM SUMP TO DRAIN: Originally, my priority was to layout all the drain-line plumbing. Then, I realized that the display's return pump could also serve the dual-purpose of draining the sump for water changes. The return-line is closed during water changes, so I could simply redirect the return pumps flow from the display to the drain. This would eliminate the need for a dedicated pump for water changes. This has a cascading effect, as it impacts return-line plumbing to the display. It brings into question the intentions for the manifold over the sump (reactors, U/V filter, spare lines, and possibly the chiller). Ultimately, I'm left trying to plan ahead for all possibilities of what might be attached to the system. My head's spinning. Many possibilities, many considerations ...this is going to take some time! What's attached to your display?
  11. https://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=9513-A-SP0055-MM They charged the advertised cost of the tank 128.99 + TX sales tax. The delivery charge was substantial, I don't recall the exact amount. I want to say it was around $60.00 I bought 2 tanks, so the total delivery cost for both was going to be over $100.00 This is why I decided to drive to the Tank Depot location in San Antonio, where both tanks were in-stock and available for pickup. There was no charge for pick-up. There is no cost, beyond the advertised rate - if you pick up on location.
  12. The tank depot in San Antonio had it. I think the manager there (John?) said he had like a-dozen or so in inventory. Dripping Springs Tank Depot did not carry this one. It was about 2-hrs each way from Cedar Park. I guess that's the price for ...greatness!!! https://www.tank-depot.com/b-3395/tank-depot-of-san-antonio-tx
  13. PLUMBING PART 2: Time to get serious about the salt mixing station and all the plumbing hook ups for the system. BASIC CONNECTION/HOOK UPS: I've already installed basics, connecting to the homes existing plumbing. I've installed access to both water-line-in plumbing (tapped to the bathroom sink), and drain-line-out plumbing (tapped above the P-trap of the bathroom sink) DRAINAGE-OUT-PLUMBING There's 3 (possibly 4) sources for drainage-out I'm planning for: 1- RODI Waste-Water: This one's the simplest. Waste-water discharged out the RODI unit needs to go somewhere. I’m thinking of setting the RODI next to the freshwater tank in the closet, then gravity-feed the waste-line into the drain-line. Done. 2-Emergency containment basin sump drain-line: I'm planning to reduce the fitting on the automated sump pump outlet to 1/2". From there, I'll connect to a 1/2" PVC pipe that runs from the base of the stairs where the sump pump is, up to the upper level of the closet, where the RODI unit is. Somewhere up there, I'll tap into the drain line. I'm researching best way to plumb this. Not sure if a need a check valve to prevent back-flow into the sump or not? 3-System return for water changes: I'd like to connect a pump from the sump's return area to the drain. The idea is to flip a switch, activating the pump, and exporting water from the system, directly into the drain line (no buckets for water changes). Once the sump's been drained to a specified level, I'd refill it by pumping water back into the sump from the salt mixing station. So long as I have an accurate way of measuring the gallons-in / gallons-out, I think this should work? Probably as simple as marking a line on the sump-level targeting a specific gallonage for periodic water changes? 4-Automated water change dosing pump discharge (optional): There's a possibility for connecting an automated water changing system to the build. At this, I'm unsure of including it or not and I'm weighing pros/cons. Manifold Control. The heart of the plumbing for this drainage-out solution is a 3-way, or 4-way manifold. This is needed to provide access for all the drainage discharge sources to feed out to the single bathroom drain. I'm researching various ways to plumb this manifold. It'll probably include ball valves for the emergency sump and system return line, and (if necessary) check valves. I'd prefer to avoid check valves, where possible, as they're potential fail points. WATER-LINE-IN PLUMBING There's a total of 4 (possibly 5) water-lines-into the system I'm contemplating: 1- RODI In: The basic hook up for water-line-in is already plumbed from under the bathroom sink. All that remains is tidying up the lines connecting it to the upper level of the closet where RODI is located. 2 - ATO In: This is a straight-forward run - from freshwater tank in the closet - to the ATO tank next to the sump. Ideally, I'd just T-off the freshwater tank and gravity feed it with a ball valve. 3- Fresh water into the salt water mixing tank: This comes down to a decision between T-ing off the fresh water tank and gravity feeding it, or T-ing directly off the pressurized RODI into the salt water mixing tank. I’ve not decided which way to go. I'm leaning towards T-ing off the RODI. The CON is that it adds another fail-point. The PRO is convenience (It takes substantially less time to fill the salt-mixing-tank directly from the RODI out). 4- Salt Water In (sump): I'm planning a run from the salt-mixing tank into the sump. I imagine a T’ing off the recirculating mixing pump and redirecting flow with a ball valve to a pipe connected to the sump. 5-Automated water change (optional): Depending on whether I decide to include this in the build or not, it'll require a dosing pump with "in/out" connections. The "In" connection between the salt-mixing tank and the sump, and the "out" connection from the sump to the drain-line for discharge. I think this covers the overall design of the more detailed plumbing for the build. I recognize the importance of fish-room plumbing - this is where patience and foresight are critical. I'm taking my time with it. I'll post images of the layout as I go - I know its difficult to visualize all this (It is for me, at least!) Once plumbing is implemented, it can be difficult to alter – all suggestions welcomed!
  14. Thank you! I just ordered a 3'x5' and two 2'x3' of these: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cactus-mat-3525-c1bx-vip-tuffdek-3-x-5-black-heavy-duty-rubber-anti-fatigue-floor-mat-7-8-thick/844B3525C1.html The 3'x5' should fit under the stair area which is 3'x6'. There'll still be a 12" gap at the end of the containment basin where the ATO and emergency sump pump will sit. I'm cautious to put the acrylic ATO box, with its sharp-edges, directly on the pan liner. So long as I'm careful setting into position it shouldn't be a problem. The pan liner seems pretty durable. The pair of 2'x3' mats should cover the closet area which is 4'x3', but I may have to shave off a bit of the 3' side to accommodate a slightly narrower closet depth (about 35") I also ordered the automated sump pump. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MWG69RN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The extra effort to install a water containment/drainage solution may never be needed (hopefully I'll never experience a major leak or flood). Experience has proved me wrong here. As much precaution as I've put into past builds, there's always been that moment where I flood something, for some reason (usually human error, not equipment failure). Worse case, I just wasted a few hundred bucks and some time, putting in something that never gets used. It might fail when the time comes when it's actually needed. Weighing the pros/cons - I'll gamble on this one! Next, PLUMBING PART 2: The heart of the room, where plumbing goes beyond basic hook-ups.
  15. I installed the shower pan liner today. I started by taking a suggestion from a youtuber to layout the liner in the sun to soften it up. I then tucked in the corners and tacked down the liner around the 2x6 frame: Next step is to tidy-up the liner edging a bit, and lay down some rubber floor mats. I'm considering something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Cal-03_126_INT_WBK-Dura-Chef-Interlock-Anti-Fatigue/dp/B001UIPFH4/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=rubber+drainage+mat&qid=1564773161&s=home-garden&sr=1-18 Does anyone have any experiences with rubber floor mats? I'm hoping to find more of an 'industrial strength' mat with a deeper thickness then the ones I'm finding on amazon... I also got the water storage tanks: This is the flat-bottom 26-gallon for RODI water. It sits on top of the frame I built, and will serve to feed both the ATO and the salt mix tank below it: This is the 55gallon salt mix tank. It's 18" x 18" and fits perfectly under the freshwater tank. I'm still researching plumbing options for the system. The shower pan liner looks to have been an effective solution for the water-containment I was hoping to incorporate into the build. Still have some work to do, adding the rubber matting and plumbing the shallow-water automated sump to the homes drain-line. Onward on the path to SPS bliss!
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