Brand New Osmolator Going Nuts

[theKoolAidMan]

I just installed a Tunze Osmolator on my Reefer 450 to replace the original gravity fed system. The puck with the backup float and the optical sensor is installed in the return chamber of the sump. This is also where the Osmolator pump adds water.

Since installing it earlier tonight, it's had a mind of its own. It will turn on and start pumping, then pump in too much water and start screaming at me with a high water alarm. It was fine for a bit, but started doing it again. Water level was fine, but it switched on, pumped in WAY too much, and then started screaming at me that the water level was too high. Well no crap, YOU made it that way Osmolator! I've adjusted the obtical sensor height following the BRS video instructions, which made it a little bit better, but it's still doing it. I've noticed that on the controller, both the light for LEVEL and got PUMP ON are often illumated together. This doesn't seem right as when the controller sees that the water level is ok, it should shut off the pump, however it doesn't do so, and only shuts off the pump when the high water level alarm goes off.

Very frustrated. Any tips?

 

[EmdeReef]

Are you using reefer's ATO tank? Could it be siphoning?

I run 3 and have never had any issues but Tunze customer service is great, worth contacting them just in case you have a defective unit.

 

[miPapareef]

Do you keep the controller continuously powered? If not, each time power is applied to the osmolator it will pump in a minimum quantity regardless the optical sensor. On some smaller return chambers this will trip the float and high level alarm.

In side the controller is a dial you can use to decrease the flow rate and the initial quantity of water it will pump in. That should help. But the best thing is leave it powered all the time and then the optical sensor will work.

 

[JBKReef]

I purchased a Tunze 3155 on the BRS Black Friday doorbuster and having the same issue.

This is my third ATO in the house, and second Osmalator. It’s installed correctly, I believe it’s a bad optical sensor. Have you reached out to Tunze or BRS yet?

(What I believe is the culprit)

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Are you using reefer's ATO tank? Could it be siphoning?

I run 3 and have never had any issues but Tunze customer service is great, worth contacting them just in case you have a defective unit.

Nope, I've ditched the Reefer ATO.

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Do you keep the controller continuously powered? If not, each time power is applied to the osmolator it will pump in a minimum quantity regardless the optical sensor. On some smaller return chambers this will trip the float and high level alarm.

In side the controller is a dial you can use to decrease the flow rate and the initial quantity of water it will pump in. That should help. But the best thing is leave it powered all the time and then the optical sensor will work.

I do keep it powered. I should stress, I just installed this today. Here is an example of what happens. About 30 minutes ago I adjusted the puck with the sensors, got the water level where I wanted it. Removed a bit of water to trigger the system just to make sure it's working and would stop correctly. It did. Thought I solved the problem. Went into the other room and about 15 minutes later the high water alarm starts going off. The osmolator added water despite the water level not being low, and kept adding it until the high water alarm forced a shutoff. Removed some water, and it overfilled to the high water alarm again.

I did noticed that as it was overfilling before my eyes, if I rubbed the cone of the optical sensor, it stopped and started behaving normally again. Earlier today I finished a course of Chemiclean for a cyano issue and had been running my skimmer with the cup off to increase aeration. I think what may have been happening was that microbubbles/foam were getting through the baffles from the skimmer and sticking to the optical sensor in the return chamber, making the sensor think the water level was low. I've since turned off the skimmer completely (I'm running carbon and did a water change today, so I don't need the extra aeration anymore but the skimmer is still going crazy). It's been about 15 minutes and it seems to be holding up. Hopefully this was the issue.

 

[ddrueckh]

Can you post a picture of how you have it mounted in your return section so we can see if anything is installed wrong?

 

[Sharis100]

I do keep it powered. I should stress, I just installed this today. Here is an example of what happens. About 30 minutes ago I adjusted the puck with the sensors, got the water level where I wanted it. Removed a bit of water to trigger the system just to make sure it's working and would stop correctly. It did. Thought I solved the problem. Went into the other room and about 15 minutes later the high water alarm starts going off. The osmolator added water despite the water level not being low, and kept adding it until the high water alarm forced a shutoff. Removed some water, and it overfilled to the high water alarm again.

I did noticed that as it was overfilling before my eyes, if I rubbed the cone of the optical sensor, it stopped and started behaving normally again. Earlier today I finished a course of Chemiclean for a cyano issue and had been running my skimmer with the cup off to increase aeration. I think what may have been happening was that microbubbles/foam were getting through the baffles from the skimmer and sticking to the optical sensor in the return chamber, making the sensor think the water level was low. I've since turned off the skimmer completely (I'm running carbon and did a water change today, so I don't need the extra aeration anymore but the skimmer is still going crazy). It's been about 15 minutes and it seems to be holding up. Hopefully this was the issue.

Mine did that too. I delay via APEX turning it on if restarting the skimmer to avoid that from happening. Also, loosening tension on sensor cables helped. And lowering optical to lowest point separating it more from float helped.

 

[kiMxD]

I have three SW tanks, have an IceCap ATO ($125.00) in each of them. Best thing I’ve ever purchased, simple, efficient and accurate. Running them over 1.5years and N E V E R had a single problem.

 

[Smo]

For a sump installation, confirm you have separated the sensors on their own individual magnetic mounts. The backup float switch should be about 1” higher than the optical sensors in the return pump section.
I’ve been running two systems flawlessly and one had an air driven foam filter in the sump return section for several weeks while I was seeding it. The bubbles never impacted the optical sensor.