BRS 1.1 ML dosing pump

[ranchhand02]

I recently picked up a used apex classic controller and a couple of BRS dosing pumps. I hooked up the apex today and I also hooked up the dosing pumps. They are pumping but I am not getting any CA or ALK being pumped into the tank. I have had them going for 1 hour now with no flow. How long does it usually take to prime the pumps and load the lines? I have around 7 foot of of lines from the dosing containers to the tank. Thanks

 

[bsr2430]

I would’ve thought in an hour it would start to pump into your tank, even with a 7ft line.

I would check the rollers, could have bad rollers.
Make sure the tubing is above your water line.
Anyone else, correct me if I’m wrong on this, but if it’s bad rollers and below the water line, it can actually back fill from gravity fead.

 

[ranchhand02]

Thanks for the reply. I have the lines in a holder and it’s above the water line. I kept looking for it to start dripping in the tank but I still don’t have any flow. I didn’t know if the pumps had to be primed or if they would prime themselves

 

[Hallowhead]

If they're clear likes just look for the fluid moving through - if no fluid you need to replace the rollers / like that goes through the rollers

 

[bsr2430]

Thanks for the reply. I have the lines in a holder and it’s above the water line. I kept looking for it to start dripping in the tank but I still don’t have any flow. I didn’t know if the pumps had to be primed or if they would prime themselves

I’ve never ran these before but I would bet these would’ve been primed by then.

Rollers are always the problem when it comes to something like this. If this was sold by a seller here, and he didn’t explain that to you, I would return it or ask them to pay. Rollers would probably run $10-$20 on them I would think.

 

[ranchhand02]

Thanks guys. I don’t have clear tubing so I can’t see where the fluid is. I bought them a year or so a ago and have just had them sitting in my stand. I have been dosing by hand since I didn’t have a controller. I think I will pull the discharge line off of them and see if it is pumping a thing. If it’s not then i will probably replace the rollers and the hoses.

 

[bsr2430]

Take a foot of that tubing and use that, that way you can hear it or maybe it will come out then, if nothing, replace rollers.

Clean the rollers too, might have build up or something on them.
If you see a line on the roller running up and down, then that means it ran dry for sometime and you’ll need to replace them.

My ATO system did this, I sanded them smooth again and got a few more months out of them.

 

[Greg P]

I use clear 1/4" airline on my units. Much easier to see what's going on.
The nuts aren't really needed in my case as the tubing wall is too thin for them to tighten, but I keep the nuts on instead of them getting lost in a closet.

 

[Stoney]

You might just be pulling air into the pump if theres any leaks on the input side. The input line has to be perfectly air tight or the pressure pulls air into the dosing line. The output line doesn't have to be perfectly sealed for some reason. Probably more difficult to push liquid through a gap compared to air. What does your input line look like? Continuous tube or any fittings?

 

[ranchhand02]

I just pulled the discharge side off and it is dry so I am not getting any pump action. I bought the kit from BRS to use the 1 falling mixing containers as dosing containers. It is a single mer loc connection. I will take them all apart tomorrow and make sure I am not sucking air somewhere.