AutoAqua Smart ASOV Electronic Auto Shut-Off Valve for RO/DI

A mechanical float valve has an arm, a seat and a seal, all sitting in water. When one of them sticks, the reservoir keeps filling and the RO line empties onto the floor.

AutoAqua's answer is a valve with no moving parts in the water at all. Level is read optically, and the only mechanism is a solenoid on the dry side of the line.

The optical sensor also fits containers a float valve cannot. It magnet-mounts to the outside of the drum, so there is no lid to drill and no bracket to fabricate, and you change the fill level simply by moving the sensor up or down.

• One-button fill – no programming, no timer to set and nothing to recalculate when you change reservoir.
• Dual optical sensor – the second sensor is a failsafe, catching an overfill if the primary level sensor fails.
• Audible alarm on completion – you know the fill has finished without standing over it.
• No moving parts to rust or clog – AutoAqua's stated advantage over a mechanical float valve.
• Magnetic mounting – no drilling, and the fill level is set by where you stick the sensor.
• 12 V DC at the reservoir – the universal adaptor keeps mains voltage away from the water entirely.
• Quarter-inch push-connect solenoid – the same tubing standard as the RO unit feeding it.

Three cable lengths and two mounting thicknesses decide the layout, and they are worth measuring against your setup before anything is cut.

The short leg is the 120 cm between controller and solenoid valve. Site the controller near where the RO line arrives rather than near the reservoir, and let the 300 cm sensor cable cover the distance to the drum.

A solenoid only passes water that is already under pressure. AutoAqua publishes an operating range of 0.02 to 0.7 MPa (0.2 to 7 bar), and a mains-fed RO unit normally sits inside it. If your supply is above 0.7 MPa, fit a pressure regulator upstream of the valve.

• Smart ASOV controller with dual optical level sensor on a 300 cm cable
• RO solenoid valve – 6 W at 12 V DC, quarter-inch push-connect, 120 cm lead
• Universal power adaptor – 100 to 240 V AC input, 12 V DC 1 A output, 180 cm cord
• RO tubing holder

• RO or RO/DI filter unit
• Water reservoir or storage container
• Quarter-inch RO tubing
• Pressure regulator – needed only if your line exceeds 0.7 MPa
• Mechanical float valve, if you want a mechanical backup alongside the electronic failsafe

Suitable for:

• RO and RO/DI systems plumbed in quarter-inch push-connect tubing
• Any reservoir the sensor magnet will hold to, through material up to 12.7 mm
• Reef keepers filling a mixing drum or top-off container by hand today
• Freshwater keepers making their own water for changes

Not suitable for:

• Anything other than RO or RO/DI product water – this is an RO line component
• Supply lines above 0.7 MPa without a regulator, or below 0.02 MPa at all
• Reservoir walls thicker than 12.7 mm where the sensor needs to sit
• A splash-prone valve position – AutoAqua warns to keep the solenoid away from moisture to prevent rust

The solenoid draws 6 W, and only while it is actually filling, so there is no meaningful standing consumption to cost. The controller runs from the supplied 12 V DC 1 A adaptor.

AutoAqua does not publish a noise figure. In normal use the only sound is the alarm at the end of a fill.

Mount the solenoid valve above the reservoir line rather than beside it. AutoAqua's one stated caution is to keep it away from moisture and splashing to prevent rust.

Wipe the optical sensor window whenever the drum builds a film, since the sensor reads through the container wall. Watch the first fill through to completion before you leave the system to run without you.

The adaptor accepts 100 to 240 V AC at 50/60 Hz, which covers Australian 240 V / 50 Hz mains, and it supplies 12 V DC, so nothing at the reservoir carries mains voltage. Confirm the plug head supplied with your unit before installation. Run the adaptor to an outlet above splash height and fit a drip loop in the cord.

• Reef Pure 4 Stage Essentials+ – the RO/DI unit that feeds the valve
• Reef Pure Reverse Osmosis Membrane – the stage that sets how fast the drum fills
• AutoAqua Digital Inline TDS Titanium S1 – confirms the water going into the drum is still clean
• AutoAqua Smart ATO Duo – handles the tank end once the reservoir is full
• Red Sea ATO float valve – a mechanical backup for anyone who wants belt and braces
• RO/DI water filtration

Ships as a standard parcel. Any manufacturer's warranty offered on this unit applies in addition to the consumer guarantees you have under Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded.

Does the Smart ASOV need programming or a timer?

No. The AutoAqua Smart ASOV fills at a single button press and the optical sensor stops it when the reservoir reaches level. There is nothing to programme and no fill time to estimate.

What happens if the level sensor fails?

A second failsafe sensor sits above the primary one. AutoAqua's stated design is that the failsafe prevents overfilling even if the prime level sensor fails.

Will it fit my reservoir?

It fits any container the magnetic sensor will hold to through material up to 12.7 mm thick. Because the sensor sets the fill point, moving it up or down changes how full the reservoir gets.

Do I need a booster pump?

Not necessarily. The solenoid operates between 0.02 and 0.7 MPa, which a typical mains-fed RO line already meets. Below 0.02 MPa the valve will not open reliably.

How much power does it use?

The solenoid valve draws 6 W at 12 V DC and only while it is filling. The supplied adaptor accepts 100 to 240 V AC and outputs 12 V DC at 1 A.

Can it replace the float valve on my storage drum?

Yes. That is what it is designed to do, and AutoAqua's stated advantage is that it has no moving parts in the water to rust or clog.