Help KALK dosing line periodically clogs at endpoint

[Rst]

Approximately every couple of weeks my KALK hose clogs right at the discharge where the KALK decides to solidify. Hence no further dosing occurs after that until a few days later, I discover the clog at the endpoint and clear it.

I am dosing KALKWASSER nightly through a standard hardware store hose. ( ¼” semi rigid and semi transparent polyethylene tubing ). The hose draws KALK from a Rubbermaid Brute 44gal pail via the DOS Neptune doser and dump it into the sump during the night. Currently the hose is not discharged under the water but dumps KALK just above the water surface.

Does anybody have a solution so that I might be able to take a 2 week vacation and not worry about clogging this hose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That’s a known issue. You can manually break it off, force something through it (like a screw driver) or run some acid such as vinegar through the lines occasionally. Preventing seawater from splashing on the tip also helps.

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Figure 6. Calcium carbonate that forms on the end of the tubing where limewater drips into my sump.

 

[Rst]

Thanks Randy for this acid cleaning & keeping the tip away from splashing advice.

I am new to using kalkwasser and don't have much experience yet. I am wondering what occasional acid cleaning might work.

I don't know if I can apply your experience, but in your case, could you share what approximate frequency of acid cleaning you used to prevent the clogging at the tip?

Ron

 

[workhz]

I have a similar issue. I just cut the tube but eventually ended up replacing it.

what causes the end to solidify? Is it residue drying or something else?

I wonder if you could just connect a flared end or a wider tube at the very end. Just not sure of the actual cause.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

From the article I linked above:


Precipitates on Limewater Drip Tips

---

The same reaction between limewaterand carbon dioxide that takes place on the surface of a limewater reservoir (Figure 5) to form calcium carbonate (described above) can also take place on a limewater drip tip (Figure 6). Such tips rapidly become clogged, and need periodic cleaning. This tip can be cleaned by soaking it in acid (straight vinegar or diluted muriatic acid/hydrochloride acid: 1 part acid added to 9 parts fresh water). One can also periodically push a pencil or similar object through the crust to ensure that the opening is large enough for limewater to exit.

I once neglected to clean this tip on my system for too long, and it completely sealed over. Without my knowledge, my Reef Filler pump, though pumping away, was not delivering any top off water. Only when my float switch shut down the main pumps did I realize that there was a problem. Unfortunately, I made a foolish mistake and poked a nail though the crust on the tip without shutting down the pump. These pumps are actually able to develop quite a bit of head pressure, and a fair amount of milky limewater sprayed out over me (fortunately I had glasses on, protecting my eyes)!

Some aquarists have suggested keeping the tip underwater to avoid a reaction with atmospheric carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, that is worse, because there is actually a lot of bicarbonate and carbonate in marine aquarium water, and as this water mixes with, and perhaps diffuses up the limewater tubing slightly, an even more rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate will occur, thus clogging the tip sooner.

 

[srit1]

Depending on your setup, you may be able to have your ATO with RODI water above the kalk dosing endpoint so it runs over it and keeps it more clear keeping it from building up as quickly

 

[workhz]

Wonder if you can combine the output of an ATO and kalkwasser drip into one so the ATO keeps things clean. Similar to the idea above but actually combine the ends.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wonder if you can combine the output of an ATO and kalkwasser drip into one so the ATO keeps things clean. Similar to the idea above but actually combine the ends.

That may work, but not as well as it does for two part dosing since it is simple drying in the case of a two part, but mostly insoluble mineral formation in the case of kalkwasser.

 

[w8lifts]

Depending on your setup, you may be able to have your ATO with RODI water above the kalk dosing endpoint so it runs over it and keeps it more clear keeping it from building up as quickly

Great idea thanks, giving it a shot now. I turned down the pump and added a zip tie to diffuse the water…hope this works a tad better l, while I won’t neglect the Kalk line I can forget at times.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Seeing that problem myself now as my feed-mode raises the sump water level which temperoary submerges the tube and now seeing the build up. I've also tried "t-ing"my ATO line a bit downstream of the kalkRX line to help flush out the tube. That seems to help keep the tube cleaner, but still not a real solution.

Has anyone solved this? I thought I could exit out under water, but then @Randy Holmes-Farley described that would actually be worst. Thanks Randy for saving me time there.

I read ideally we should be running the exit tube into a high flow area to quickly mix it, but reading here makes me wonder if that will accelerate your return pump death with the precipitation. My sump location doesn't allow this anyways as my reactor is on the opposite end of a 48" sump so not able to run a long enough line to work out. Just more line to clog up along the way.

Anyone found a real solution here? KalkRX is old tech and I'm sure someone has figured this out. =)

 

[Rst]

Unfortunately I haven't found one. The only solution that fixes this is to clean out the end of the tube with a toothpick or similar. In my case that is needed once approx every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Saltyanimals]

boo that sucks. =)

I'm fortunately to have a 1/2" exit tube which does help prolong the clog a bit, but even still it's a PIA to have to maintain especially because I don't have a high flow area to dump it into. I've considered exiting it out into a skimmer, but not sure what this could do to the skimmer long term.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

My reactor sits in my sump. I drilled out the exit hole to a larger bore, it still builds a kalkball , but not nearly as fast to clog.

 

[Saltyanimals]

It appears the standard 1/4 tube is not the right way to do the exit without having to constantly fixing the clog.

 

[lbacha]

I know this is an old thread but what about using something like the Avast K1 style setup as the drip chamber. Run the effluent into a container using a dosing pump with the output tube at the bottom always submerged in fully saturated kalk so there shouldn’t be CO2 to form a crust. Then let the container gravity feed into your sump via a larger opening like the Avast reactor does. I have a K1 and clean it once every couple months but I tried 1/4” tubing and it seems to need cleaned way more often than that. I’m revisiting this as I want to make Kalk in larger batches and then dose it directly vs a reactor but the clogging of the 1/4” dosing line is my biggest concern

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know this is an old thread but what about using something like the Avast K1 style setup as the drip chamber. Run the effluent into a container using a dosing pump with the output tube at the bottom always submerged in fully saturated kalk so there shouldn’t be CO2 to form a crust. Then let the container gravity feed into your sump via a larger opening like the Avast reactor does. I have a K1 and clean it once every couple months but I tried 1/4” tubing and it seems to need cleaned way more often than that. I’m revisiting this as I want to make Kalk in larger batches and then dose it directly vs a reactor but the clogging of the 1/4” dosing line is my biggest concern

That would probably work.

 

[lbacha]

That would probably work.

My biggest concern with the 1/4” line blocking is your example earlier where it just stops flowing completely. With this setup even if the 1/2” or so output blocks it will just overflow the container and still add kalk to your tank (just a little less controlled) I know this because I accidentally let my Avast K1 output clog and it still dosed Kalk just through the top. As long as the container is in your sump you should have no issues. I’m going to set up my new tank this way and I’ll post the results. I may actually add 2 3/4” bulkheads to a small container one above the other. This way if one clogs the other with be the emergency. I like redundancy and I know I can forget to check things like kalk buildup on a line.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I gave up on 1/4 and 1/2 works for me. Even at 1/2 i find myself pushing a wire cleaner through occasionally. Couldn't image doing it on 1/4 with the guaranteed clog and eventually kalk RX spill over. I have a leak sensor under mine just in case.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I gave up on 1/4 and 1/2 works for me. Even at 1/2 i find myself pushing a wire cleaner through occasionally. Couldn't image doing it on 1/4 with the guaranteed clog and eventually kalk RX spill over. I have a leak sensor under mine just in case.

I just poked a nail through it periodically. Sometimes I forgot, and the high pressure gave quite a squirt. lol

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I read on a yt video that the person just cut a 45° angle at the end of the line and apparently it stopped the plugging. Does it work? No idea but I've cut mine as it can't hurt to find out if it indeed helps.