Osmolator Nano 3152 stops working

[solitude127]

I have a 3152 on my QT tank and I've noticed that every so often, my water level drops in the chamber which I have the float switch in. To resolve the issue, I just power cycle the ATO and it works again. Why does the ATO need to be power cycled to restore functionality? I fear if I go on a trip longer than a few days tha my ATO will malfunction. Any suggestions?

 

[spznm]

I have a 3152 on my QT tank and I've noticed that every so often, my water level drops in the chamber which I have the float switch in. To resolve the issue, I just power cycle the ATO and it works again. Why does the ATO need to be power cycled to restore functionality? I fear if I go on a trip longer than a few days tha my ATO will malfunction. Any suggestions?

One possibility is the evaporation rate has increased which is common in winter with cold dry air and heaters running and you need to extend the safety timer as explained on pages 21-29. The other possibility is the pump is faulty, a faulty pump will stop after a short run time. You can verify the cause by setting up a dry test run, this could be just raising the float out of the water and disconnecting the top off hose from the pump. Time the pump, if it runs 1 min 48 seconds, the safety timer needs to be extended, if it runs less, usually under 20 seconds and then stops, a bad pump is the cause.

 

[rvitko]

How big is the tank? Out of the box it is set up for a max of 25, for 25-55 you need the longer safety timer setting described on pages 26-29 of the manual.

 

[solitude127]

One possibility is the evaporation rate has increased which is common in winter with cold dry air and heaters running and you need to extend the safety timer as explained on pages 21-29. The other possibility is the pump is faulty, a faulty pump will stop after a short run time. You can verify the cause by setting up a dry test run, this could be just raising the float out of the water and disconnecting the top off hose from the pump. Time the pump, if it runs 1 min 48 seconds, the safety timer needs to be extended, if it runs less, usually under 20 seconds and then stops, a bad pump is the cause.

As far as the pump goes, once I power cycle the ATO, the pump will run fine and work properly for a few days, then it'll just stop working randomly until I power cycle the ATO.

How big is the tank? Out of the box it is set up for a max of 25, for 25-55 you need the longer safety timer setting described on pages 26-29 of the manual.

The QT tank is an AIO 40b and the float switch is in the return chamber. Normally, once the float switch is activated, it doesn't run more than 5 seconds to deactivate the float switch.

 

[reefwiser]

How old is the pump? I always keep a spare pump and replace it when it starts acting like this.

 

[solitude127]

How old is the pump? I always keep a spare pump and replace it when it starts acting like this.

Unit is less than a year old. How long are pumps supposed to last?

 

[rvitko]

Pump will generally last 2-3 years, half that if used in kalkwasser. I would disconnect the hose from the pump or reroute it back to the reservoir, cycle the power with the float out of water and time the pump. If it is running 1 min 48 seconds the issue is the safety timer, while it may generally top off in a few seconds, if the pump was airlocked or for any reason had to run longer, the timer may be stopping it so you have to reset it. The 3 min timer would solve that and is correct for a 40 gallon tank. If the pump stops in say 20-30 seconds, the issue is controller issue and we can exchange it.

 

[Dystinction]

I had seen this earlier in the week, then I came across your thread here.....
This is a thread on a different forum, however, your issues may be similar/same.

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/382211-seriously-death-row-what-is-going-on/

I hope I haven't breached forum etiquette here.....;Blackeye And I hope you can get your issue resolved.

 

[rvitko]

This is a definite possibility, that is why we want to know the results of the test. Either the software setting is wrong on the board for the pump safety shut down or it is just a normal safety timer shut down. The software issue is fairly simple and can be fixed easily here, the issue itself is complex, the pump manufacturer changed the motor late last year and this motor needs a little more power to start, the controller has a safety that it just power to a pump that draws to much power to prevent circuit damage, since the new motor needs more power, the old setting was an issue. Anything made after this March should be trouble free. How fast the pump shuts down will give us the answer. By the way, I am the only support person in the US so the thread refers to Randy but he meant me, Roger.

 

[solitude127]

Pump will generally last 2-3 years, half that if used in kalkwasser. I would disconnect the hose from the pump or reroute it back to the reservoir, cycle the power with the float out of water and time the pump. If it is running 1 min 48 seconds the issue is the safety timer, while it may generally top off in a few seconds, if the pump was airlocked or for any reason had to run longer, the timer may be stopping it so you have to reset it. The 3 min timer would solve that and is correct for a 40 gallon tank. If the pump stops in say 20-30 seconds, the issue is controller issue and we can exchange it.

Thank you. I'll give that a try.

 

[rvitko]

I am heading to the factory in Germany on Monday and for a few days I will likely be out of pocket due to travel, jet lag, time difference. I am not ignoring you if you don't get a prompt reply and if you can get back to me over the weekend I can likely get an exchange set up before I leave. I won't be back in the office until the 11th.

 

[KorL]

That happens to my tunze ato every now and then

 

[solitude127]

@vitko Just to report back. I changed the jumper out as described in the instructions and it's been 2 weeks with no more issues. Thank you again

 

[rvitko]

Thank you!

 

[Whiteydenewf]

@vitko Just to report back. I changed the jumper out as described in the instructions and it's been 2 weeks with no more issues. Thank you again

I’m looking through the manual and don’t see the jumper settings. Do you have a link?

 

[rvitko]

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