Octo skimmers (Elite and Regal) keep shutting off! Why???

[old_lady_4am]

Hello! I started using a new Octo Elite 200-S, but it kept shutting off after running a few seconds no matter what setting it was on. I sent it to Coralvue for replacement, they responded nothing was wrong with it, and sent it back. In the meantime, I started using a new Octo Regal 150-INT in its place. I could never turn it up past low because it would do the same thing, shut off after a couple seconds, but I kept using it because the low setting combined with my Red Sea matt roller seemed to be working okay. Now the Regal is doing the same thing, no matter what setting, it shuts off. I've tried both Varios controllers, made sure my connections are secure, pumps are clean and all that jazz, but to no avail. What is causing this???

 

[C_AWOL]

Does the controller light shut off too? Sounds like a bad psu which coralvue shouldve noticed if they got the pump + psu + controller back.
Not sure why both skimmers do that since its unlikely both new skimmers would have bad psu (considering theyre going to be different kinds)

 

[old_lady_4am]

Does the controller light shut off too? Sounds like a bad psu which coralvue shouldve noticed if they got the pump + psu + controller back.
Not sure why both skimmers do that since its unlikely both new skimmers would have bad psu (considering theyre going to be different kinds)

No, both controllers start flashing blue lights. I've also plugged them into different outlets in my house that are on different breakers and the same thing happens.

 

[C_AWOL]

Not sure why the int model would do that but make sure the impeller is seated correctly since that usually is the indicator (from memory) that the pump is jammed. SSS models need the motor to be seated perfectly to prevent that (another reason why I hate internal pump skimmers). You'll likely not get that flashing light if you were to take the pump out and run it outside of the skimmer.

 

[old_lady_4am]

Not sure why the int model would do that but make sure the impeller is seated correctly since that usually is the indicator (from memory) that the pump is jammed. SSS models need the motor to be seated perfectly to prevent that (another reason why I hate internal pump skimmers). You'll likely not get that flashing light if you were to take the pump out and run it outside of the skimmer.

This is what they are both doing:

 

[C_AWOL]

Seems to be spinning fine so im not sure why it would eventually seize up shortly after unless one of the grommets on the impeller is deformed. Does explain how both ended up that way though.
Did you send this video to coralvue?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Going to guess that you have a voltage or interference issue of some kind. Take it to a friends house or work and try. Also running it dry like that is insanely bad for it.

 

[old_lady_4am]

Seems to be spinning fine so im not sure why it would eventually seize up shortly after unless one of the grommets on the impeller is deformed. Does explain how both ended up that way though.
Did you send this video to coralvue?

I haven’t sent it yet. Doing so now.

 

[old_lady_4am]

Going to guess that you have a voltage or interference issue of some kind. Take it to a friends house or work and try. Also running it dry like that is insanely bad for it.

Interference as in it needs to be on a stronger wattage outlet?

 

[Kodski]

Going to guess that you have a voltage or interference issue of some kind. Take it to a friends house or work and try. Also running it dry like that is insanely bad for it.

I'm going to go with this as well.

Two skimmers doing the same exact thing is way more likely to be an electrical supply issue. Are you using a power strip of some sort? If so, skip that and plug straight into the outlet. Secondly, I would try an outlet on a different breaker to see if you can isolate the issue to just one breaker. If neither works, I'd bring it to a different house, maybe even work to test it there.


As far as what electrical interference could be, its likely not the wattage of circuit you have it on. If that were the issue, you'd be tripping the circuit breaker instead, or at least should be. Rather to me, the issue in part sounds like an electrical current bottle neck. Essentially, somewhere, you're reaching and exceeding the maximum current of electricity through that point. This would mean that, while the pump controller is demanding X power, it is only receiving a portion of that. The controller would eventually sense this and shut down as it likely has a built in chip to prevent this from continuing too long. This is a very dangerous situation as it can lead to a buildup of heat in the wires or outlets in your home and can cause fires very easily. This could be caused by a few things. 1) Bad electrical connection somewhere along the circuit. This is why its so important to try to isolate the issue. 1.5) Kinda the same, but outlets can wear out and fail. Typically they go all at once, but sometimes you find issues like this. 2) You could be exceeding the wattage of the circuit. Its rare but circuit breakers DO go bad. How do they go bad you ask? Well when you exceed the maximum wattage that is supposed to trip and the breaker doesn't trip. I replaced an older lady's breaker panel once due to this (old panel and couldn't source new breakers). She called me up on Thanksgiving day in hysterics saying her breakers kept tripping. After a few questions of what's plugged in where and what breakers keep tripping, I figured out that she had 7 crock pots and a fridge on one circuit. I told her to plug a few of her crock pots in different outlets around the house and call me back in an hour. Lo and behold, every time the fridge would kick on, it was tripping the breaker. So once she moved a few crock pots everything was fine. She started accusing me of doing the swap incorrectly. I asked her why she would think that and her response was that the year prior she had over 10 crock pots plugged into the same outlets! So I had to explain that was exactly why we replaced her breaker panel in the first place and that if anything the breaker tripping was showing that everything is correct and working properly.

AAANNNYWAYYS

Most of the time when someone says "electrical interference" they are referring to something called "dirty electricity." Essentially, electrical currents are strong enough and chaotic enough around a certain area that it creates a field that pushes and pulls electrical current in ways that cause electronics to not work properly. This used to happen all the time with older computer monitors, display cables, and other lower power electronics. With newer technology, its much less common but still possible. Its also the reason you see little ferrite magnets around power cords. It helps to "filter" our the "dirty electricity." IMO the first scenario is more likely from the description.

 

[temphermitcrab]

Not sure if you have the float switch in the lid. I have the regal and it will shut off if the plug to the float switch is disconnected without turning off the feature.

 

[CBonito]

Going to guess that you have a voltage or interference issue of some kind. Take it to a friends house or work and try. Also running it dry like that is insanely bad for it.

It made my hair stand on end!

 

[CBonito]

Not sure if you have the float switch in the lid. I have the regal and it will shut off if the plug to the float switch is disconnected without turning off the feature.

Correct. You have to light up the "FS off" light.

 

[old_lady_4am]

Not sure if you have the float switch in the lid. I have the regal and it will shut off if the plug to the float switch is disconnected without turning off the feature.

Not connected and turned off.

 

[old_lady_4am]

Correct. You have to light up the "FS off" light.

Not connected and turned off.

 

[old_lady_4am]

I'm going to go with this as well.Two skimmers doing the same exact thing is way more likely to be an electrical supply issue. Are you using a power strip of some sort? If so, skip that and plug straight into the outlet. Secondly, I would try an outlet on a different breaker to see if you can isolate the issue to just one breaker. If neither works, I'd bring it to a different house, maybe even work to test it there.
As far as what electrical interference could be, its likely not the wattage of circuit you have it on. If that were the issue, you'd be tripping the circuit breaker instead, or at least should be. Rather to me, the issue in part sounds like an electrical current bottle neck. Essentially, somewhere, you're reaching and exceeding the maximum current of electricity through that point. This would mean that, while the pump controller is demanding X power, it is only receiving a portion of that. The controller would eventually sense this and shut down as it likely has a built in chip to prevent this from continuing too long. This is a very dangerous situation as it can lead to a buildup of heat in the wires or outlets in your home and can cause fires very easily. This could be caused by a few things. 1) Bad electrical connection somewhere along the circuit. This is why its so important to try to isolate the issue. 1.5) Kinda the same, but outlets can wear out and fail. Typically they go all at once, but sometimes you find issues like this. 2) You could be exceeding the wattage of the circuit. Its rare but circuit breakers DO go bad. How do they go bad you ask? Well when you exceed the maximum wattage that is supposed to trip and the breaker doesn't trip. I replaced an older lady's breaker panel once due to this (old panel and couldn't source new breakers). She called me up on Thanksgiving day in hysterics saying her breakers kept tripping. After a few questions of what's plugged in where and what breakers keep tripping, I figured out that she had 7 crock pots and a fridge on one circuit. I told her to plug a few of her crock pots in different outlets around the house and call me back in an hour. Lo and behold, every time the fridge would kick on, it was tripping the breaker. So once she moved a few crock pots everything was fine. She started accusing me of doing the swap incorrectly. I asked her why she would think that and her response was that the year prior she had over 10 crock pots plugged into the same outlets! So I had to explain that was exactly why we replaced her breaker panel in the first place and that if anything the breaker tripping was showing that everything is correct and working properly.

AAANNNYWAYYS

Most of the time when someone says "electrical interference" they are referring to something called "dirty electricity." Essentially, electrical currents are strong enough and chaotic enough around a certain area that it creates a field that pushes and pulls electrical current in ways that cause electronics to not work properly. This used to happen all the time with older computer monitors, display cables, and other lower power electronics. With newer technology, its much less common but still possible. Its also the reason you see little ferrite magnets around power cords. It helps to "filter" our the "dirty electricity." IMO the first scenario is more likely from the description.

Thank you so much for explaining! I tried both units on multiple outlets that are on different breakers plugged straight into the outlet. Not at the same time. The breakers never tripped. I hardly have anything plugged in at my house either and the house is only 15 years old. I’m going to test them at my work this morning. I’m still going to schedule an electrician to my house to take a look at everything. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks again for your help!

 

[BeanAnimal]

You have two different pumps with two different controllers and power supplies purchased at two different times and both are faulting in the same manner.

Interference: Some type of radio (RFI) interference that is messing with the electronics in the controller or power supply. You are using a different power supply and controller on each, not just swapping pumps right? I don't know if the controllers are different, but you are using the correct controller right?

Power issues: Voltage out of range of nominal 120V (so lower than 115 or higher than 125) can cause issues with power supplies and electronics, be it steady out of range voltage or regular surges or sags that take the voltage out of range.

Extremely messed up power factor (neighbor with an a machine shop in their basement), bad neutral from the pole or faulting neutral at the panel. Weird frequency interference being injected from inside or outside of the home and being carried on the 120v/240v line.

The easiest way to rule in or out these types of issues is to test the pumps somewhere else other than your home and see what happens. That would be the beginning of a basic differential diagnosis path.

 

[old_lady_4am]

You have two different pumps with two different controllers and power supplies purchased at two different times and both are faulting in the same manner.

Interference: Some type of radio (RFI) interference that is messing with the electronics in the controller or power supply. You are using a different power supply and controller on each, not just swapping pumps right? I don't know if the controllers are different, but you are using the correct controller right?

Power issues: Voltage out of range of nominal 120V (so lower than 115 or higher than 125) can cause issues with power supplies and electronics, be it steady out of range voltage or regular surges or sags that take the voltage out of range.

Extremely messed up power factor (neighbor with an a machine shop in their basement), bad neutral from the pole or faulting neutral at the panel. Weird frequency interference being injected from inside or outside of the home and being carried on the 120v/240v line.

The easiest way to rule in or out these types of issues is to test the pumps somewhere else other than your home and see what happens. That would be the beginning of a basic differential diagnosis path.

I tested both pumps here at my job, swapping out the controllers and power cords. Both units are still doing exactly the same thing. Running a couple seconds then shutting off and all lights start blinking blue. That means the issue is within the pump/controllers even though the odds are crazy it would happen to both?

 

[BeanAnimal]

I tested both pumps here at my job, swapping out the controllers and power cords. Both units are still doing exactly the same thing. Running a couple seconds then shutting off and all lights start blinking blue. That means the issue is within the pump/controllers even though the odds are crazy it would happen to both?

Doing a bit of searching indicates that this happens when the pump impeller gets out of sync. So it bouncing around running dry would def cause that, as well as it not being assembled correctly and the impeller running out of balance. Likewise if it is struggling to pull in water due to a restriction, cavitation may cause the impeller to stutter and trip the safety shut-off.