Alright, let me tell you about getting this acid feed pump sorted out. It became a necessity in the workshop, really. Had this issue with the wastewater pH being all over the place before it went down the drain. Couldn’t just keep dumping it like that, needed a proper way to neutralize it, bring that pH back in line.
First thought was doing it by hand. You know, measure the pH, drip some acid in, stir, measure again. What a chore. Did that for maybe a week and knew it wasn’t sustainable. Too easy to overshoot, or forget, or just make a mess. Needed something automated, or at least semi-automated.
Getting the Gear Together
So, I started looking into pumps. Didn’t need some industrial monster, just something small, reliable enough for the job. Found these little peristaltic pumps online, seemed straightforward. Didn’t break the bank either, which was a bonus. Ordered one, and it arrived a few days later. Just a small box, pump, some tubing, basic instructions.
The setup itself… well, it wasn’t exactly plug-and-play. Had to figure out the tubing first. One tube goes into the acid container – carefully, mind you, dealing with acid isn’t playtime. The other tube goes to the point where I needed to dose the wastewater tank. Had to make sure the connections were tight. Leaks are the last thing you want.
Making it Work
Got it all hooked up, plugged it in. Nothing. Well, the motor whirred, but no acid was moving. Ah, priming. Always forget about priming these things. Took a bit of fiddling, squeezing the tube, running the pump manually for a bit. Finally saw the acid start creeping up the tube. Success, sort of.
Next came the fun part: calibration. How much acid, how often? My setup wasn’t super fancy, no automatic pH controller. It was more about finding a consistent dose rate. So, I spent a good chunk of an afternoon running the pump for short bursts, testing the water pH, adjusting the pump speed (it had a little dial), testing again. It was tedious work, felt like I was back in chemistry class, but way less formal. Almost dumped a whole beaker of test water on the floor at one point.
- Figured out the right speed setting.
- Decided on running it for a set time whenever I processed a batch of wastewater.
Mounted the pump on the wall, tidied up the tubes best I could. It’s not pretty, but it’s functional. It just sits there now. When I need to treat some water, I flip the switch, let it run for the time I figured out, and it does its thing.
Honestly, it’s made life easier. No more manual dosing, less chance of errors. It just reliably adds the right amount of acid. Took some effort to get it right, sure, bit like wrestling with that old generator I have, but once it’s dialed in, it just works. Definitely worth the initial hassle.