Osmolator Safety Float Failed

[Reefmack]

Hi, I had a frantic call from my wife today, with the Osmolator overflow alarm screeching in the background. I had her disconnect the power from the controller, but the water in the tank was right up to the top edge of the tank. When I got home the optical sensor was under water, and the safety float was as high up as it could go. Any reason why it didn't shut off the pump before the float got pinned to the top plastic stop? I have a feeling the tank would have overflowed had she not been here to hear the alarm and unplug the power. Pretty scary! Any ideas what would cause this? The sensors are in the back compartment of my nano and I've yet to see any snails back there that might have been able to get onto the float. I'm a bit leery in trusting the unit if no one will be home.

It's worked flawlessly for a couple of weeks and today both sensors failed.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Reefmack]

bump

Roger - any ideas?

 

[rvitko]

If the alarm went off the sensor worked. It sounds to me like the set up is plumbed in such a way that you had a siphon. The hose needs to go up to the tank, up above the reservoir. The pump likely wasn't running, it just siphoned the water out.

 

[Reefmack]

Thanks - I'll check the hose placement, but the reservoir is about 3 feet below the tank. I don't think that could result in siphoning could it?

 

[rvitko]

Are you pumping to the tank or the sump? Normally the sensor shuts it off, if the optic sensor fails when the float rises there should be an alarm and the pump shuts off. If that fails, after 10 minutes the pump should shut off.

 

[Reefmack]

Hi. I pump up from the reservoir to the tank. Actually I'm pumping up into the back filtration compartment of my nano. Nothing in that section but an HOB skimmer, and the skimmer hasn't interferred with anything in the few weeks I've had the Osmolator set up. Both the optical and float sensors are in that compartment, with the water hose also pumping into same place.

In the first few days I had the Osmolator set up the float sensor was put into action once - due to some microbubbles I had building up in the area when the sensors are, and interfering with the optical sensor I assumed. I corrected that situation, and it's been flawless till yesterday. But that first time that the emergency float sensor was deployed the water level stayed a good inch below the tank rim - where I set the float to engage - and the float only went 1/2 way up, as it's supposed to do. Yesterday it was within a millimeter or two from the tank edge by the time my wife unplugged the controller. And the float was all the way to the top as far as it could go.

Did you mean 10 seconds or 10 minutes if the float fails to stop the pump? Is there a way to decrease this time?


Thanks,
Terry

 

[rvitko]

The 10 minute timer is independent, the float should switch off the osmolator immediately.

If all systems fail the osmolator will only let the pump run 10 minutes before the unit shuts down.

 

[Reefmack]

Thanks Roger. Maybe it ran the full 10 minutes and shut off. I wasn't home at the time to tell if the water was still pumping or not when the unit was unplugged.

Any ideas on why the emergency float didn't shut off the pump immediately? What could cause this?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I love the unit when it's working well.

Thanks.

 

[rvitko]

If that is the case it would be a first, but it must be something wrong with the board. I haven't seen anything like you describe in the nearly 7 years the current osmolator has been available. What I would wonder is if the float was stuck down for a while, maybe due to being pinched against the holder or due to a magnet near by.

 

[Reefmack]

No magnets nearby & nothing has changed recently. I check it all out this weekend, including the possibility of the float getting hung up on the holder - when I'm home to keep an eye on it, and let you know.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Reefmack]

Update: After my last post I looked closely at everything near my float, and found that the probe of my digital thermometer had managed to drift over right next to the Osmolator float. I missed seeing that previously. I'm thinking that the probe somehow led to the float hanging up until the water level got high enough that it popped free, or the 10 minute timer shut off the pump. I've been running it 24/7 this weekend, when I could be home to monitor it, and it's been working fine so far.

Is there any periodic maintenance, daily or whatever, to be doing with the optical sensor? Rinsing it off with an eyedropper of tank water, cleaning it with a paper towel, or ? I know that a salt build up or microbubbles can affect it, but I'm wondering what should be done to keep it functioning well.

 

[rvitko]

Usually you only need to clean the optic sensor every 6 months or so by soaking it in vinegar.