Apex dose-auto water change-long run

[Surfpulse]

Hey
So I'm not getting something here. I'm trying to run my apex dose for auto water changes in my garage... I'm using ro di line, with those Murdock connections
One of those Murdock is leaking- any advice?
Next my run is 9 ft up a wall 42ft to my garage and maybe 5 ft down my wall..
So how do I prime this? Its taking forever, by holding the buttons?
Any advice, I was all stoked and now I'm bummed out.

 

[Brett S]

My auto water change DOS is set up in about the same way. Probably 12 feet up my wall, 30 feet to my garage and then down 6 or 7 feet.

If the Mur-Lok connection is leaking it’s possible that it’s a bad fitting, but I’ve definitely seen cases where I didn’t get the tube pushed in all the way and that causes leaking. If you haven’t yet I would try to disconnect and reconnect the tube. Make sure the end of the tube is not damaged and it has a clean straight cut as well. If there is any damage or if the tube is cut at too much of an angle that can cause leaking also.

My auto water change has been in operation for a few years now, but I do remember that priming took a long time. You can push the button on the unit to prime it or just set the outlet manually to “ON” in fusion. Note that when the outlet is turned ON manually the DOS will run for a bit, then shut off for a bit, then run for a bit. This is normal and is done to make sure the pumps don’t overheat.

Unless something has changed recently, if you set it up the standard way for the OSW pump it is configured to run the pump backwards during the water change operation, but the prime button will run the pump forwards. As I recall what I did to prime the OSW line was to put the exit of the tube into a container of clean water so that when I did the priming it would be able to suck water into the tube. Obviously I didn’t have the end of my tube in my tank during this operation. Then once water finally started coming out the other end I knew the line was full of water and I put the correct end in my tank and the other end in my drain.

Finally, if you have any additional leaking Mur-Lok fittings, especially on the suction side, this could prevent the line from priming as it may be sucking air in through the leaking fitting.

Good luck

 

[Surfpulse]

My auto water change DOS is set up in about the same way. Probably 12 feet up my wall, 30 feet to my garage and then down 6 or 7 feet.

If the Mur-Lok connection is leaking it’s possible that it’s a bad fitting, but I’ve definitely seen cases where I didn’t get the tube pushed in all the way and that causes leaking. If you haven’t yet I would try to disconnect and reconnect the tube. Make sure the end of the tube is not damaged and it has a clean straight cut as well. If there is any damage or if the tube is cut at too much of an angle that can cause leaking also.

My auto water change has been in operation for a few years now, but I do remember that priming took a long time. You can push the button on the unit to prime it or just set the outlet manually to “ON” in fusion. Note that when the outlet is turned ON manually the DOS will run for a bit, then shut off for a bit, then run for a bit. This is normal and is done to make sure the pumps don’t overheat.

Unless something has changed recently, if you set it up the standard way for the OSW pump it is configured to run the pump backwards during the water change operation, but the prime button will run the pump forwards. As I recall what I did to prime the OSW line was to put the exit of the tube into a container of clean water so that when I did the priming it would be able to suck water into the tube. Obviously I didn’t have the end of my tube in my tank during this operation. Then once water finally started coming out the other end I knew the line was full of water and I put the correct end in my tank and the other end in my drain.

Finally, if you have any additional leaking Mur-Lok fittings, especially on the suction side, this could prevent the line from priming as it may be sucking air in through the leaking fitting.

Good luck

Thank you

I fixed the leak with the Murdock. I have also cut the extra line off, so it's not as long. I wanted to make sure, I did not have to move anything.

So far for this prime nothing happening... I'm getting annoyed.. well hopefully soon it starts to work.

 

[Brett S]

Thank you

I fixed the leak with the Murdock. I have also cut the extra line off, so it's not as long. I wanted to make sure, I did not have to move anything.

So far for this prime nothing happening... I'm getting annoyed.. well hopefully soon it starts to work.

Try to put the suction end of the tube in a small cup of water as you prime. That way you will be able to see if water disappears from the cup. If the water level in the cup doesn’t go down then something is wrong and it’s not priming. If the water level in the cup does go down then keep going and eventually it will get there.

 

[Surfpulse]

Try to put the suction end of the tube in a small cup of water as you prime. That way you will be able to see if water disappears from the cup. If the water level in the cup doesn’t go down then something is wrong and it’s not priming. If the water level in the cup does go down then keep going and eventually it will get there.

So I was finally able to get the add side (left side to work).. stoked

As for my remove side. I don't see any water leveling my container and I followed apex connect quite. But its spinning in the same direction as the add side.. am I missing something?

 

[Brett S]

So I was finally able to get the add side (left side to work).. stoked

As for my remove side. I don't see any water leveling my container and I followed apex connect quite. But its spinning in the same direction as the add side.. am I missing something?

That’s great. Looks like you’re making progress:). I’m not sure how Neptune has you set it up now, but when I set mine up nearly 5 years ago they recommended setting up the remove side ‘backwards’. So your tank would be connected to the “Out” line and the Drain would be connected to the ‘In”, then when it runs the program to do the water change it runs the pump backwards so it drains from the tank to the drain.

The only problem with this is that if you try to prime the line the prime button runs the pump forwards, so it will try to pump water from the drain to your tank. So if this is the case then what I would suggest doing is putting the drain end of the tube in a cup of water and priming it backwards from the drain to the tank. Then when it actually runs it will run correctly and pull water from your tank.

 

[Surfpulse]

That’s great. Looks like you’re making progress:). I’m not sure how Neptune has you set it up now, but when I set mine up nearly 5 years ago they recommended setting up the remove side ‘backwards’. So your tank would be connected to the “Out” line and the Drain would be connected to the ‘In”, then when it runs the program to do the water change it runs the pump backwards so it drains from the tank to the drain.

The only problem with this is that if you try to prime the line the prime button runs the pump forwards, so it will try to pump water from the drain to your tank. So if this is the case then what I would suggest doing is putting the drain end of the tube in a cup of water and priming it backwards from the drain to the tank. Then when it actually runs it will run correctly and pull water from your tank.

Thank you so much for your advice . It all works perfect now. That what I was missing...
I was like something off... of course me never messing with dose had me puzzled... time to calibrate this and call it good. Thank you again

 

[Brett S]

Thank you so much for your advice . It all works perfect now. That what I was missing...
I was like something off... of course me never messing with dose had me puzzled... time to calibrate this and call it good. Thank you again

Good luck. Keep in mind that the calibration will have the same issue with the ‘remove’ line in that it will try to take water from the drain and put it into the tank. When I did the calibration I simply put the drain line in a container of water and put the measuring device under the tube that would normally remove water from the tank.

 

[DC Reefer]

the backwards setting on the DOS is a PITA. To keep it simple I change the “-“ sign to a plus sign/add water for the old saltwater and then both pumps run the same way and makes it a lot easier to calibrate.

 

[Brett S]

the backwards setting on the DOS is a PITA. To keep it simple I change the “-“ sign to a plus sign/add water for the old saltwater and then both pumps run the same way and makes it a lot easier to calibrate.

Thats definitely a possibility too, but the OP would also need to reverse the tubes on the pump for the “remove” side as well since they were already set up for the backwards setting. It’s also likely that the tubes would fill with air while they are disconnected and they would need to be primed again after switching them.