calcium dispencer?

[rtbm]

I am stumped for some reason my calcium dispencer is leaking powder from the bottom of the metering pump. I have cleaned it twice and put the chack valve about an inch above the pump. I just don't get why this is happening.

 

[rvitko]

Did you use the zip tie to tie the line up above the reactor as shown in the manual? If not, the powder went back and jammed oepn the valve or has hardened the valve so it no longer works, you have to do both, use the valve and tie up the line.

 

[rtbm]

the line is tied up. above the top cap. and the check valve is clean and functions well. I really don't get where or how this is happening?

 

[rvitko]

Is the line touching the aquarium and back siphoning? Does it drain a lot or just a brief moment while the check valve closes? How much powder are you adding to the unit?

 

[rtbm]

the line runs to my sump and is three inches or so above the water. I haven't seen it actually come out of the bottom of the pump. Just a pile of kalk all around the base of it. It doesn't seem to happen every time the pump runs. I watched it for a while after I cleaned it yesterday and it didn't immediately come pouring out but I came back after about an hour and the pile was there again. And again this morning after I cleaned the reservoir again. I have about 3/4 of an inch to an inch of powder in the dispenser. Although I could not understand why I thought overfilling may somehow cause this but after 80% of it had poured out it was still doing this. So today I put a different check valve on there and cleaned it and am simply waiting to see if it was just the valve although I blew through it and it seemed to be working just fine. I am still puzzled but this just isn't that complex of a piece of equipment. I should add I have had this for over a year and it did do this a few times before but this past weekend I moved my tank so it has been set up a tad differently but not really that much.

 

[rvitko]

I would try raising the line to the tank, you really are supposed to set it up to pump into the tank rather than the sump so that gravity is more on your side. My hypothesis is that the pressure on both sides of the check valve is equal just long enough to allow some backflow, If you increased the back pressure the valve should close quicker, elevating the line should do this.

 

[rtbm]

That makes good sense. Although it seems to have stopped with the new check valve, but it is considerably tighter as in I can hear the pump struggling a little and the output is slower. Is that a concern other than shortening the life of the pump? Could I turn it up to 12 volts perhaps? Just curious.

 

[rvitko]

The pump life might be shortened a bit by the back pressure, 12V would shorten it more than the backpressure would as the pump runs hotter but it would be OK if you can accept that it may not last as long.

 

[rtbm]

well I do have a spare just in case but I think I will just run the line to a higher point. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it. I still love my osmolater. always will.