Osmolator stopped working

cl800

Member
I installed an osmolator back in April and it's been working fine until today. The level sensor is completely above the water line but there's a green light on the unit and there's no water pumping out. When I unplug the unit and then plug it back in, the pump squirts water for about 1 second and then the green light comes back on and the unit thinks that the water level is fine. I removed the water level senso to make sure it's clean of algae but this has had no effect. Any suggestions?
 
I have never seen this problem before. I would make sure the power supply is at 9-12V. I would make sure that the senseor is not positioned in such a way that a film of water is covering it (water dribbling down a baffle etc.) If you can't resolve it by these steps send it to me and I will get it repaired or replaced within 48hrs of receipt.
 
Thanks Roger,

I contacted Marinedepot to discuss this with them since I bought it from them. Their tech support guy was out until Monday but he's supposed to give me a call. I'll discuss this with him and let you know if I need to send it to you.

I've actually checked the level sensor and cleaned its surface to make sure it was clean. The unit never detects a low water condition even when the sensor is competely removed from the tank. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks
 
I can only suppose that the wire is damaged somehow or a soldering joint came loose but this is one problem i have never heard of. I will call Germany tomorrow and see if I can get an answer. Inside the cable for the sensor are four very fine gauge wires, I think somehow a short has occurred.
 
OK, the following was the suggestion of the technician at the factory. Under certain conditions a surface film of lime can cause this problem. Even if apparently clean a cloudiness could cause interfernece- when clean the optical sensor should look highly polished. He suggested soaking the sensor in vinegar for 30minutes. If this doesn't remedy the situation it is a technical problem which would be vary rare after successful operation for some months. The only possibilities are damaged wiring to the sensor or a blown diode as a result of a power surge but this would have to be rather extreme.
If the vinegar does not remedy the situation please send it to me for repair or replacement.
 
OK Roger, I'll give that a try tonight. I 've inspected the sensor quite closely and it looks clear to me, but I'll give the vinegar a try anyway. Thanks for all your help and I'll let you know what happens tonight.
 
Hi Roger,

The vinegar didn't make any difference. Maybe I can just send it to you so that you can take a look at it. Do you have an address for me?

Thanks for all the help.
 
Tunze USA
1107 N Bend Dr
Austin TX 78758


Please send the power supply and pump. Both of these components could be a cause. I will have something to send back to you within 48hrs- promise.
 
Hi Roger,

You should be receiving the osmolator today. It should have arrived last week, but perhaps I screwed up the UPS shipment procedure. Let me know what you find out. The manual top off routine is getting tiresome.

Thanks
 
Just got it 10 minutes ago. My initial diagnosis is that your sensor was clean and either something is wrong with the board or with the transformer. I briefly tested the transformer and it doesn't output a steady power it jumps from 13V to 7V and everything in between so I will try a new transformer tonight and if that doesn't do it I will send you off a new brain with everything else tomorrow.
 
Found it! Water had entered the optic sensor and caused a short. I replaced the sensor. Regarding the power supply- that was my bad- faulty contact on the electrode of my fluke meter- figured that out when 3 of them did that. Anyway- it was clear that the resin had cracked at the top of the sensor and water entered causing a short. I will run it overnight but all tests show that was the problem and it works normally.
 
It was shipped back yesterday by UPS ground. I included a note witha couple things to change in the future. Looks like something was gnawing on or abrading the float switch wire- be careful with that- they cost $25 to change out. Also, please mount the unit somewhere dry- I noticed you weren't using the velcro. Water damage is 90% of the returns and complaints I see and they are not covered by warranty.
 
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