Osmomat issue

[Simcan]

I finally set up my new Osmomat. I had what I think are fairly common problems (such the chamber emptying entirely, and then when water added to tank filling to the alarm, then draining to empty, etc.) but I thought, after cleaning the sensor, I had figured it out.

But there is a new problem. I will try to explain.

When there is enough water flowing into the chamber, everything is fine. But as the water evaporates, the level in the box drops until the sensor triggers the pump. Perfect, right? That is how it is supposed to work.

The problem with that this level is too low. The sensor tip is almost level with the pump top, so even though the pump is covered with water, it only barely covered, and sucks in some air, spraying microbubbles into my tank. If I add water, the problem is fixed, but only until the level drops to microbubble territory again. Not very "auto", is it?

I suppose my first question is why it is designed this way...but my real quesion is how do I fix it? (To anticipate the first responses, the pump is in correctly, i.e., sideways, and the pump is running at less than half power.)

 

[rvitko]

I haven't had that happen before with the pump on lower power, you might turn it down further or use the prefilter sponge to help reduce the problem. Also double check that their is not a cable contacting the sensor and giving a false reading from water stuck between the cable and sensor.

We don't really like the design and that is why it is slated to be canceled. Old Osmomat versions were more than 2 times the size and we tried to miniaturize it and we always try to work with components on hand, in this case having to make a part would be unfeasible, 200 Osmomats were sold last year and you can't justify a mold costing several thousand dollars for that. For the future we plan to make an accesory to the Osmolator to make it easier for in tank use. With an umbrella to shield the sensor from light and a spike tray to keep snails off the float. You lose the benefir of the pumped box which greatly increase the surface change and makes the unit more sensitive but it will make it cheaper, simplify production and hopefully look nicer.

 

[Simcan]

Thanks, Roger. I turned the pump all the way down to its lowest setting, and while this seems to have corrected the problem (hard to tell until it has run for a day or two, since it is evaporation that brings it down) but this has occasioned a new problem. With the pump running so low, the system is hyper-sensitive. I added my two-part calcium this morning (B-Ionic), which is only 100ML total fluid, and it set off the alarm. This is a 220 gallon tank!

 

[rvitko]

Unless you turned off the pumps in the aquarium when you did this, their has to be something wrong with the installation or the water level was too high to begin with and already very near the alarm sensor. I would double check everything and remember to just install it and leave it alone, let the water eveaporate down to the appropriate level and the system work on it's own, it is virtually impossible to set a water level with the sensitivity of the unit. You always want to install it so it is off and the sensor is submerged slightly and just wait.