ACJr. caused 2nd tank failure...

[MJAnderson]

First time was a faulty temp probe.

Now I'm not sure what the issue is. Came home Saturday to no power to the tank and 3 dead fish due to a tripped circuit breaker. Tore everything apart, nothing looks frayed or rusted. Isolated the problem to the DC8 turning my lights on. When I plug them into a regular socket, I can turn them off and on without a problem and can unplug it while on and plug it back in. But when plugged into the DC8, it trips the GFI or circuit breaker or both when I try to turn it on through the ACjr. If I leave the socket on, but turn it off at the fixture, it's fine. It's only when I use the controller to turn it on.

so fixed that problem and then found that the temp is messed up, but not with the probe this time. The program says turn the heaters off at 80.5 and turn them on at 79.5. Woke up Sunday and the temp was 82. Checked the probe against a lab thermometer I have and the temp was correct. But the heaters were still hot. After the first (of 3) temp probes I had failed, I set the heaters to 82 so that the ACjr couldn't cook the tank again. Now for some reason the ACJr. won't turn them off. So I manually turned the socket off through the controller...and the heaters stayed hot an hour later! I even tested it with a powerhead. The controller says the socket is off, but it still has power.

Any thoughts on what to do besides take this damn thing out back and shoot it? So many failure points I have no idea how to be comfortable with this thing.

 

[Deleted member 143833]

Suggest you contact Neptune:

(408) 578-3022

It sounds like you are getting some sort of interference with the control line going into the DC8 and they have a way to test for this.

 

[tylorarm]

I've had very similar issues and quit using my ACIII. Worked very well for a couple years, with the exception of the temp probes (on my third), then went all whacky. Lights going on and off, manually not even able to turn them off at times, seemed to all start with a blown fuse in a DC8, which never happened in first couple years. Lights working fine on regular appliance timers. I believe Kurt's suggestion was to upgrade the firmware but I haven't had time as of yet.

 

[MJAnderson]

<sigh> came home today and another blown circuit breaker. DC8 is not working at all now. Luckily I moved all the critical components off of the AC unit. It was just running my top off, reactor and skimmer.

 

[Deleted member 143833]

Are you sure the DC8 didn't get wet; that is the most common cause I have heard of when a DC8 is blowing breakers. I have also heard of a few persons who had bad breakers, especially GFI.

 

[MJAnderson]

I can't say it didn't get wet, but I don't know how it could have. It's been in the same place for 2 years. Plus it continues to trip 2 different breakers. So I don't think it's the breakers. Now it doesn't work at all. You mentioned a fuse. I don't see a fuse. Is it internal?

 

[bignick]

The fuse is internal and it is a real PITA to get at. I have been going through the same scenario as you with my ACJR and DC8.

 

[rbc1225]

Just a question from someone who does not use the ACIII to actually control anything yet. Could some of the problems we are seeing be do to stray voltages through the tank? In other words is there anywhere that Neptune requires a ground probe be put in the tank to help with stray voltages and interference coming from them?

 

[dsanfilippo]

is the DC in the stand?? maybe prolonged exposure to salt air/humidity affecting the electronics?? just a guess. I am running 2 DC8's and went out of my wat to keep everything out of "tank air" I have been running for a couple years with no probs at all.

 

[Deleted member 143833]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12927109#post12927109 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rbc1225
Just a question from someone who does not use the ACIII to actually control anything yet. Could some of the problems we are seeing be do to stray voltages through the tank? In other words is there anywhere that Neptune requires a ground probe be put in the tank to help with stray voltages and interference coming from them?

No, stray tank voltage may cause incorrect PH and ORP readings but the controller does NOT require a ground probe in the tank.

 

[rbc1225]

If it could cause incorrect ph or orp readings could it cause incorrect temp readings as well?

 

[MJAnderson]

It was the fuse. Had to pay $1.45 for the fuse and $9 s/h to get a replacement since it's non-standard. Doesn't explain why it wasn't controlling correctly but luckily I found someone to buy it even after hearing my horror stories.