HELP!! JBJ ATO Issues

[Reeferside]

Hey RC!

New to the hobby. Let me just explain my set up so everyone got a basic idea of what I'm working with. Got a 24 Ga JBJ Nano Tank. Running Current Orbit Marine 18" Lights on it, topless. Also have a Innovative Marine Media Reactor running GFO. 2 Fluval Sea Powerheads ~ 295 GPH, 24 lbs of cycled liverock, and a 2" sandbed.

Anyways, I recently bought a JBJ ATO. Was working great until recently, I noticed that the sensor was not partially submerged. The water was evaporating for about 2 days before I noticed. Checked salinity, and it was at 1.026-1.027. Adjusted back to norm, and then started to check out my ATO. I have it adjusted so that the shut off time is 14 minutes. Timed it, and less than 5 minutes, the pump shuts off prematurely. I have the sensor in the last section of the back of the tank, where the stock pump/motor is. It seemed to be working until recently and I am at a lost. Looked up everything and cannot seem to find an issue. The pump is a Aqualifter, AW 20.

Only running 1 sensor and in Mode A. Like I said, less than 5 minutes it turns off. I tried to switch the sensor to "sensor 2" and changed to mode B while still running only 1 sensor, less than 5 minutes it turns off as well. I'm pretty sure that the power of the pump is not an issue.

Do you guys think it is an issue with the pump itself or the ATO itself?

Should I buy a new pump just to try it out and see if that fixes the problem?

So when the pump turns off, so does the light indicating the pump is off on the ATO. The sensor light will stay on and red indicating that the pump should be in action. If I reset the ATO by switching the mode from A to B and back to A, the pump will turn back on and start filling the tank.

Any help or suggestion/tips will be appreciated! Please help me fix this issue.

 

[duperdave]

I have the same ato system and aqua lifter punp.I didn't realize that you could adjust the time on it .mine shuts off after about 3 minutes .if I reset the float it starts back up againI think the float switches get stuck but release after it's too late.maybe try cleaning the floatt switch.

 

[shesacharmer]

Definitely reexamine your float setup.

 

[JingoFresh]

It's a horrible system. I try running mine in Mode B and it never works like it should. Waste of money.

 

[RA]

My JBJ ATO works fine. I would guess that your Aqua Lifter pump just doesn't pump enough.

 

[Esage]

I just think Aqualifter pumps are not really compatible with the JBJ ATO. My JBJ worked perfect for a year using a MJ600. I changed my setup and went with a Aqualifter pump and I had nothing but problems, mainley the pump not kicking on. I switched out the Aqualifter for the MJ 600 and the JBJ has been working flawlessly for the last year.

 

[coralsnaked]

It is normal for the JBJ to auto shut after 3 minutes. It should show a red light indicating it has timed out a number of times and will not restart. This a great safety function of the device to keep from flooding your tank if a float should get stuck in the open position. It just means your pump is too slow. An aqua lifter may be enough to lift out a bucket to the sump level, but is not enough to raise it to the tank level. Just get a stronger pump. ~ 170GPH would be sufficient and run for less than 1 minute in your small system.

For what its worth the second sensor is normally placed in the RO reservoir to stop the pump when the reservoir is empty. The A sensor goes into the sump compartment to switch on the unit. But if you are like me and like the protection of redundancy I use the B sensor upside down in the sump just above the line of the A sensor to give me a second chance to shut off the pump if the A sensor were to get stuck on. But remember the B sensor must be upside down as it is programmed to shut off system when it goes down to closed position. Therefore running upside down would require the sump water to lift it to the closed position like a flood switch.

 

[Esage]

It is normal for the JBJ to auto shut after 3 minutes. It should show a red light indicating it has timed out a number of times and will not restart. This a great safety function of the device to keep from flooding your tank if a float should get stuck in the open position. It just means your pump is too slow. An aqua lifter may be enough to lift out a bucket to the sump level, but is not enough to raise it to the tank level. Just get a stronger pump. ~ 170GPH would be sufficient and run for less than 1 minute in your small system.

For what its worth the second sensor is normally placed in the RO reservoir to stop the pump when the reservoir is empty. The A sensor goes into the sump compartment to switch on the unit. But if you are like me and like the protection of redundancy I use the B sensor upside down in the sump just above the line of the A sensor to give me a second chance to shut off the pump if the A sensor were to get stuck on. But remember the B sensor must be upside down as it is programmed to shut off system when it goes down to closed position. Therefore running upside down would require the sump water to lift it to the closed position like a flood switch.

That is how I run mine