Osmolator alarm?

[mc-cro]

I went downstairs tonight and the audible alarm on the tunze was going off. The too high light is on, and the too low light is blinking.

My resovoir was out of water, so the pump may have shut off because of the timer. But the water level is not too high in the tank, so why is the light on? I unplugged the controller to reset it, but it doesnt make any difference, it continues with the alarm and lights.

I also inspected the plastic float switch but all looks ok with it. What gives?

 

[rvitko]

Either some appliance is emitting a strong electromagnetic field or something is wrong with the controller. If the unit is old it might just be time to clean the sensors.

 

[mc-cro]

Thanks for getting back with me Roger, I dont think there is any electromagnetic fields, it has been in that same spot for months with no problem. No new things brought into the area either.
the strange but good thing is that when I came home today and plugged it back in, everything worked just fine? Hmmmm

 

[rvitko]

Maybe the sensor is dirty or a snail was on it?

 

[mc-cro]

Well, it did it again about a day ago. I came downstairs because I heard the alarm going off. Again the "too high" light is solid, the "too low" light is blinking, and the alarm is screaming?
I unplugged it and let it set for awhile, as thats what fixed it last time. didnt work.

so, I cleaned the optical sensor as you suggested, but no change. (will try soaking it in vinegar this evening-)

do you have any other suggestions? the only other thing I see is that the dc power connector has a tiny bit of corrosion on it from salty air, if I wiggle it just right it loses power. but then starts screaming again. I cleaned it some, will use some contact cleaner on it tonight.

 

[rvitko]

It can happen that the rectifier in the transformer goes bad so the voltage is AC, you can generally see this has happened because the LED's strobe at a very high rate. This causes all sorts of erratic behavior. If you can't fix it just send it in, I'll have a look at it. These sorts of repairs take a bit longer, I might need it for a few days to test everything.

 

[mc-cro]

are you saying the dc supply could be going bad?

I will put a multi meter on it and see if I get any ac coming off it

 

[rvitko]

You can definitely check it with a multimeter. If the voltage is DC it is OK, but usually if you see some corrosion what goes out are the diodes that convert the AC- DC.

 

[mc-cro]

alright Roger, I cleaned the sensor up after soaking in vinegar for a few hours, no change.

I put a multi meter on the DC power supply, I got 12v (on the 9v setting, but you said that was good a year or ago) when I put the positive lead on the inside and the negative on the outside of the plug, I get 25vac.? I checked another 9v supply for my cordless phone, and get the same results, so that looks to be fine.

What now? do you want me to pack it up and send it in? or is there any other troubleshooting I can do here?

 

[rvitko]

I would just send it in. I think the sensor may be bad.

Tunze USA
1304 Monica St
Austin TX 78758

 

[mc-cro]

well, its working again? Im not sure if I should send it
in now while its working, it kinda of hard for you to fix it when its already working correctly.

If it would be easier for you, I will wait until it quits working agian, then send it in for you to look at.

thanks for all your help

 

[rvitko]

Are you sure the pump isn't getting jammed with air somehow? What it sounds like is happening is the 10 min timeout alarm is being activated and this can happen if the hose is clogged or the pump is failing or the pump just has an air bubble inside, the pump runs but no water is being pumped. It can also happen that the evaporation rate is so extreme that the osmolator can't keep up but this is generally only possible on very big tanks with lots of fans in a dry environment.

 

[xurifle06]

Im having a similar problem with my osmolator. The unit was cleaned and packed away a couple months ago and today when i went to set it up i was getting the same thing. The too high light was on and the low level was blinking. It occures as soon as i plug in the controler. Ive tried cleaning all the sensors with vinegar but no luck. It worked fine before. Any ideas would be helpful

 

[rvitko]

Is the sensor scratched or the float installed upside down? Any sort of scratch or film on the sensor could cause this.

 

[xurifle06]

Just went and checked the senser and the surface seems to be fine. no marks or scratches i can see. The float is installed in the correct orientation. I tried both ways to see what would happen and it still alarms upon turning it on. thanks

 

[rvitko]

Hard to say without seeing it in person. Do you want to send it in? Do you know if it is less than 2years old? (warranty or not)

 

[rvitko]

One last thing I though of, did you add any new pumps or ballasts that might be creating a magnetic field? I have had it happen where an old pump, magnet cleaner or cheaper ballast was closing the relay on the board and causing the problem.

 

[xurifle06]

it is less then two years old. I bought it in march of 2005. The powerheads are the same was they were before. nothing new has been added to the set up. Should i send it to the address above? What do you want me to send with it? thanks for the help

Rich

 

[rvitko]

Just include a paper with your name address and phone number and email and the receipt if available.

 

[xurifle06]

Will not having the reciept affect my warranty? I honestly have no idea where it is. Il get it to you as soon as possible

Rich