Osmolator Question

[fishyfish91202]

Roger,
I just installed an osmolator on my 375 reef tank. I did the single holding device with the two sensors mounted 4" from each other.
The unit seemed to be working fine, pumped water several times into sump and then it ran for quite a while, stopped and then ran again for quite some time. It dumped about about six gallons of fresh water into my sump, and the bottom sensor is under water over an inch. It continues to run. What am I doing wrong here?
Appreciate the help, I am getting ready to go out of town for a week and can't leave this tank like this.
Thanks,
Bill

[shawnz28]

Is the pump running the whole time or is it siphoning?

[rvitko]

As Shawn said, usually you need to pump up to the tank to avoid a siphon. It is also possible for a new sensor to attract air bubbles, rinsing the new optic sensor in hot soapy water will help.

[fishyfish91202]

Roger tried both above suggestions. The out flow from the frsh water reservoir is above the water level in the sump. As soon as I plug the unit in, with the sensor submersed, the pump begins to run.
Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Bill

[rvitko]

The best way to test it would be to run it in another room, dip the sensors in a bowl of water in the kitchen. If the pump is running, I suspect the following, either bubbles are accumulating on the sensor or magnetic interference from a ballast or large pump is causing the problem. The Osmolator is checked 3 times before they leave the factory so a defect is pretty rare on this item. The optic sensor is tested, the board is tested and after assembly they are tested. I have had people note that the osmo freaks out when the lights are on and works normal when the lights are off and it is the ballasts that are causing the problem and the Osmolator controller has to be relocated and plugged in to a different outlet to solve the problem.

[fishyfish91202]

Roger, if I take the sensor out of the sump and place it in fresh water, the pump goes off, as soon as I put it back in the sump, it goes on again.
There are two super dart golds three feet extenal from the sensor, a small Eheim about two feet away in the sump and a red dragon another three feet away in another compartment in the sump. I've unplugged all four pumps, nothing happened until I unplugeed the darts, the pump quit running! When I plugged the darts back in, the pump shut off. Will I be OK now?

[rvitko]

It may be that the darts are creating a magnetic field and it doesn't directly effect the sensor, it affects the controller, the sensor just has an infrared LED and infrared receiver, like a TV remote. But the mechanism it switches is magnetic. It could also be that these pumps caused too much turbulence in the sump. I would watch it as if nothing changed I think the problem will recur until the controller is moved or the sensor (if the problem is turbulence) or the pumps and controller are plugged into seperate circuits. It can happen that a device that is creating magnetic interference uses the wiring like an antennae and anything on the circuit receives the interference.

[fishyfish91202]

Roger, so should I move the controller away from where I have it now? It butts up against the 8 A/C plug unit of my Reefkeeper.
Thanks,
Bill

[rvitko]

I would move it, ideally it would be at least a few feet away from any EMF source.