Tunze Osmolator 3155

[Darth Wader]

I just ran the return tube up into my overflow box and still the optic eye isn't working. What happens is the orange pump on light will go and the pump turns on, it will continue past the optic eye and eventually float the switch and then the red light with come on for the too high alarm and then I will have to unplug it.

 

[Darth Wader]

So even if I was to just use the float valve as my level indicator which would be lame cuz I paid big money to have to optic eye, I cant because it sets off the too high alarm. I've seriously tried everything.

 

[Craig Borowski]

Ok let's try this. First unplug the control unit. Now move the sensors so that just the very bottom tip (the bottom tip of the cone) of the optic sensor is just barely touching the surface of the water. It's the very bottom point of the optic sensor that does the sensing.

Now plug the controller back in. It WILL turn the pump on. (It turns the pump on every time the controller is powered on as part of the self-diagnostic startup process.) Wait about ten seconds to see if the pump turns off and the green 'Level' light comes on. Please let me know what happens.

 

[Darth Wader]

Craig, this is what happened.
Positioned the optic eye where you said and turned on pump. the Green level light went on as soon as I plugged it in, then switched to the pump on ornage light. The pump turned on, after about 30 seconds the green level light flashed a few times, then back to just the orange pump on light and continued until the float switched raised up and the red too high light and alarm went off.

 

[Craig Borowski]

Thank you, Darth, that's helpful. Was this unit purchased new or used? Have you tried soaking the optic sensor in a 50/50 vinegar/water solution for a few hours? The optic sensor can develop a calcium haze which, though invisible to the naked eye, can confuse it.

Another possibility- are there any lights in your sump, like over the refugium, that are shining on the sensor?

I apologize if you've already been over this and please don't think I'm just making you jump through hoops! But the Osmolator is a complicated device with multiple failsafes and many different set-up configurations, so it takes a little effort to narrow down the specific issue. Thanks again.

 

[Darth Wader]

Purchased the unit new from BRS on May 27th so I assumed that only 2 months later i wouldn't be having these problems. Haven't soaked it in any solutions because again, didn't think that after 2 months I would need to. There is a light in my sump from the refugium, maybe thats causing an issue but that would be strange because that would mean that the optic eye doesn't work it there is light present???
Just frustrating because I have to go out of town at the end of the month and don't trust this ato at all and honestly can't even use it, and the Tunze osmolator its supposed to be the one piece of equipment that allows you to have redundancy and not worry.

 

[Darth Wader]

Also, the light in the refugium faces away from the optic eye so it isn't shining directly onto it.

 

[Craig Borowski]

The optic eye will work fine in almost all light conditions, but on very rare occasions it can act up if light is shining directly on it. This is actually extremely rare, but I just wanted to be sure to cover all the bases. Anyway it doesn't sound like it's a factor here.

Please go ahead and clean the optic sensor as described in my previous post. Also, if possible, please post a picture of the sensors and how they are mounted in your sump. Sometimes it's easier to spot an issue that way.

Thanks again.