Help with troubleshooting Osmolator

[SpokaneSteve]

Hello all:

I am in the process of setting up a new tank. Just today the power breaker started going off. By process of elimination I reduced this to the Tunze Osmolator Nano. Can anyone help me figure out why this device would be able to trip the breaker? It ill run for a few seconds before the breaker trips.

Is it worth it to try to isolate the issue or should I just toss this unit and get something else?

Thanks for your ideas and cheers, Steve

 

[tedfisher496]

Hello all:

I am in the process of setting up a new tank. Just today the power breaker started going off. By process of elimination I reduced this to the Tunze Osmolator Nano. Can anyone help me figure out why this device would be able to trip the breaker? It ill run for a few seconds before the breaker trips.

Is it worth it to try to isolate the issue or should I just toss this unit and get something else?

Thanks for your ideas and cheers, Steve

Ive been doing electric work a long time. that being said are you sure you are not overloading the circuit? Are you sure the breaker is not going bad? I would say that its all most imposable that a ATO can trip a breaker unless that specific circuit is at its 80% prior to the ato pump turning on, in that case still should not care a short to trip a breaker.

once a breaker is loaded to 80% of its rated value

15 amp = 12amp
20 amp = 16amp

the higher it goes above these values it will start the tripping process to save the wiring from catastrophic failure. this process takes milli seconds.

my next Queston is are you certified or trained in electricity?

 

[twentyleagues]

I agree with @tedfisher496 . Sounds like you have loaded the circuits capacity. I would try to remove something else of comparable amperage and see if it stops tripping when the ato come on. If it still trips there may be an issue with the ato. Is this a gfci circuit?

 

[tedfisher496]

I agree with @tedfisher496 . Sounds like you have loaded the circuits capacity. I would try to remove something else of comparable amperage and see if it stops tripping when the ato come on. If it still trips there may be an issue with the ato. Is this a gfci circuit?

a gfi or gfci on this specific circuit should not cause it to trip ect. The inductive load of the ato pump should not affect the GFI / GFCI

 

[tedfisher496]

I agree with @tedfisher496 . Sounds like you have loaded the circuits capacity. I would try to remove something else of comparable amperage and see if it stops tripping when the ato come on. If it still trips there may be an issue with the ato. Is this a gfci circuit?

I would recommend to call a certified electrician. Brakers trip for a reason.

 

[twentyleagues]

a gfi or gfci on this specific circuit should not cause it to trip ect. The inductive load of the ato pump should not affect the GFI / GFCI

If it was shorting out or had a current leak wouldnt that cause it to trip?

 

[SpokaneSteve]

Hello all:

Thanks for the helpful ideas. The outlet is a GFCI outlet which is NOT tripping. Also the circuit breaker for the house is not going. What is being triggered is the "overload protector" on the power strip. This is the one I got: Power Strip

Which is documented as a 15 AMP power strip. I saw a YouTube run his aquarium off it and it was a pretty clean setup which I am trying to achieve.

Should I get an Amp meter and see what each piece of equipment is drawing? Or is 15 Amps not enough for a reef aquarium?

Here is my equipment:

Maxijet XL return pump
IM Helios heater 700 watts
Simple Skimmer
Tune led refugium light on manual timer
2X 30" blade lights
1x AI primer light
AI Gyre

Thanks for all your advice!

Cheers, Steve

 

[twentyleagues]

Hello all:

Thanks for the helpful ideas. The outlet is a GFCI outlet which is NOT tripping. Also the circuit breaker for the house is not going. What is being triggered is the "overload protector" on the power strip. This is the one I got: Power Strip

Which is documented as a 15 AMP power strip. I saw a YouTube run his aquarium off it and it was a pretty clean setup which I am trying to achieve.

Should I get an Amp meter and see what each piece of equipment is drawing? Or is 15 Amps not enough for a reef aquarium?

Here is my equipment:

Maxijet XL return pump
IM Helios heater 700 watts
Simple Skimmer
Tune led refugium light on manual timer
2X 30" blade lights
1x AI primer light
AI Gyre

Thanks for all your advice!

Cheers, Steve

I use an american dj power strip like that. I am near 12amp draw on mine. I would guess you are at or over 15amp. I would add up all your amperages and see where you are. You may need another strip.

 

[tedfisher496]

Hello all:

Thanks for the helpful ideas. The outlet is a GFCI outlet which is NOT tripping. Also the circuit breaker for the house is not going. What is being triggered is the "overload protector" on the power strip. This is the one I got: Power Strip

Which is documented as a 15 AMP power strip. I saw a YouTube run his aquarium off it and it was a pretty clean setup which I am trying to achieve.

Should I get an Amp meter and see what each piece of equipment is drawing? Or is 15 Amps not enough for a reef aquarium?

Here is my equipment:

Maxijet XL return pump
IM Helios heater 700 watts
Simple Skimmer
Tune led refugium light on manual timer
2X 30" blade lights
1x AI primer light
AI Gyre

Thanks for all your advice!

Cheers, Steve

max wattage for 15amp is 1440w

15 @ 80% = 12A
wattage = voltage x amperage 120 x 12 = 1440w

 

[tedfisher496]

I use an american dj power strip like that. I am near 12amp draw on mine. I would guess you are at or over 15amp. I would add up all your amperages and see where you are. You may need another strip.

from my years of experience all those power strips are garbage. I always recommend a whole house surge arrestor and nothing else.

 

[SpokaneSteve]

Hello all - Just to check my thinking I would appreciate any additional insight. I purchased a power monitor and have been running it for a few days. When my dual heaters are both on (770W Helios) the draw is 6 Amps. When they are off the entire system is just over 1 AMP. The highest draw from the last few days has been 1000 watts which should have been about 8.3 Amps.

All of this should be well within the capabilities of the 15 Amp breaker. So I remain confused as to why it tripped. One theory is that it's a poor quality or poorly calibrated breaker that trips at lower loads.

Can anyone think of anything else that might have caused a higher load? Could a blockage of my return pump have led to a high load? Wouldn't it have just stopped running or been jammed?

To help be more robust in the future I have ordered an Hydros xp8 which should let me monitor and control each output separately. To be continued. I need a rock solid power delivery system. Hopefully the xp8 will get me there.

Any other ideas or advice appreciated. Cheers, Steve

 

[tedfisher496]

Hello all - Just to check my thinking I would appreciate any additional insight. I purchased a power monitor and have been running it for a few days. When my dual heaters are both on (770W Helios) the draw is 6 Amps. When they are off the entire system is just over 1 AMP. The highest draw from the last few days has been 1000 watts which should have been about 8.3 Amps.

All of this should be well within the capabilities of the 15 Amp breaker. So I remain confused as to why it tripped. One theory is that it's a poor quality or poorly calibrated breaker that trips at lower loads.

Can anyone think of anything else that might have caused a higher load? Could a blockage of my return pump have led to a high load? Wouldn't it have just stopped running or been jammed?

To help be more robust in the future I have ordered an Hydros xp8 which should let me monitor and control each output separately. To be continued. I need a rock solid power delivery system. Hopefully the xp8 will get me there.

Any other ideas or advice appreciated. Cheers, Steve

a 15 amp should not trip at that amperage. To avoid all the guessing. Replace the braker.

 

[tedfisher496]

Hello all - Just to check my thinking I would appreciate any additional insight. I purchased a power monitor and have been running it for a few days. When my dual heaters are both on (770W Helios) the draw is 6 Amps. When they are off the entire system is just over 1 AMP. The highest draw from the last few days has been 1000 watts which should have been about 8.3 Amps.

All of this should be well within the capabilities of the 15 Amp breaker. So I remain confused as to why it tripped. One theory is that it's a poor quality or poorly calibrated breaker that trips at lower loads.

Can anyone think of anything else that might have caused a higher load? Could a blockage of my return pump have led to a high load? Wouldn't it have just stopped running or been jammed?

To help be more robust in the future I have ordered an Hydros xp8 which should let me monitor and control each output separately. To be continued. I need a rock solid power delivery system. Hopefully the xp8 will get me there.

Any other ideas or advice appreciated. Cheers, Steve

my recommendation is since you have a large investment in Hydros ect you absolutely need a whole house surge arrestor, Power outages, brownouts and lightning strikes cause spikes on the line and damage sensitive electronics. This piece of hardware is a must have.

Trouble shooting electrical systems is easy, start with the breaker and go from their. If you get the braker replaced and its still happening theirs other issues that have to be solved.

Breakers always trip for a reason.

 

[tedfisher496]

Hello all - Just to check my thinking I would appreciate any additional insight. I purchased a power monitor and have been running it for a few days. When my dual heaters are both on (770W Helios) the draw is 6 Amps. When they are off the entire system is just over 1 AMP. The highest draw from the last few days has been 1000 watts which should have been about 8.3 Amps.

All of this should be well within the capabilities of the 15 Amp breaker. So I remain confused as to why it tripped. One theory is that it's a poor quality or poorly calibrated breaker that trips at lower loads.

Can anyone think of anything else that might have caused a higher load? Could a blockage of my return pump have led to a high load? Wouldn't it have just stopped running or been jammed?

To help be more robust in the future I have ordered an Hydros xp8 which should let me monitor and control each output separately. To be continued. I need a rock solid power delivery system. Hopefully the xp8 will get me there.

Any other ideas or advice appreciated. Cheers, Steve

Are you an electrician or trained as one?