Osmolator questions

[Damion123]

I just got the osmolator 3155. When I put the return pump into feed mode, the level in the sump goes up and the osmolator alarm goes off. Is there away to fix that? Is moving the float switch to the remote location on the second magnet mount the best way to do that?

what kind of siphon break would I use in case I wanted to add one?

Is there a way to add a float valve, kind of like the one on the ATK?

 

[Jonify]

The best way to fix this is to never turn your return pump off. If you want to go into feed mode, consider turning powerheads/skimmers off instead for about 30 mins. I never, ever turn my return pump off.

 

[InvaderJim]

I moved the high level float valve above the water line when my return pump is off with the extra magnet mount. Now The alarm doesn’t go off when I put my apex into feed mode but will still alert me if the sump were to be unusually full for some reason.

 

[Greg P]

I moved the high level float valve above the water line when my return pump is off with the extra magnet mount. Now The alarm doesn’t go off when I put my apex into feed mode but will still alert me if the sump were to be unusually full for some reason.

Have you calculated how much your salinity would drop if your return section were to fill with that much RO?

 

[Lonely reefer's]

I'm 100% sure been long time ago, Maybe this will help

 

[InvaderJim]

Have you calculated how much your salinity would drop if your return section were to fill with that much RO?

I haven't. The sensor is barely above the water line once everything drains down into the sump. If my ato is pumping water into my sump with the return off I have bigger problems.

 

[Damion123]

I'm 100% sure been long time ago, Maybe this will help

I think that controls if there will be a visual and auditory alarm. But does not change the fact that the high level gets triggered.

 

[Greg P]

I haven't. The sensor is barely above the water line once everything drains down into the sump. If my ato is pumping water into my sump with the return off I have bigger problems.

Ya, probably won't affect your system as much as mine. My return chamber is 18x18" and fills about 5g with the return off. This equates a drop from 1.026 to about 1.0245.
Not the end of the world with my setup.

 

[Joe31415]

I haven't. The sensor is barely above the water line once everything drains down into the sump. If my ato is pumping water into my sump with the return off I have bigger problems.

I read that as...i the optical sensor fails, have you considered how much fresh water will be pumped into the system before the float trips?

It would be nice if these had a 'feed mode' on them. I know you can unplug it, but will you remember to plug it back in? Just something to shut everything down (no filling/no alarms) for 10 or 15 minutes.

 

[InvaderJim]

Ya, probably won't affect your system as much as mine. My return chamber is 18x18" and fills about 5g with the return off. This equates a drop from 1.026 to about 1.0245.
Not the end of the world with my setup.

I think there may be a gallon or so before my float switch would be activated. But I never really gave it any thought before you asked. Maybe I'll move it down just a tad more to be on the safe side.

 

[Spieg]

I drilled a small hole in the return plumbing that serves as a siphon break when pump shuts off... water level in sump only comes up about half an inch when pumps shut off.

 

[Joe31415]

I drilled a small hole in the return plumbing that serves as a siphon break when pump shuts off... water level in sump only comes up about half an inch when pumps shut off.

That's the same thing I plan to do. As it stands, if/when I turn off the return pump and the water starts pouring into the sump I'll just swivel the jet (loc-line) up until it sucks in some air. My problem, however, is that I tend to forget to swivel it back down until the pump kicks on and sprays water everywhere. My LFS guy said he drilled a small hole right at, or even a hair above the water line. He said a little bit of water sprays out of it, but not enough to be a problem. I'll just drill mine at or just below the water line. I don't mind if some water siphons back down, but I always have to fight off the panic that it's going to overflow (which I know it won't).

I have to keep reminding myself to drill that hole sooner rather than later. There's no livestock on my tank so I can do it with everything still assembled. Any plastic chips will just float to the overflow and get caught in the filter sock.

On one of the BRS videos I saw a while back they mentioned that some (all? one specific one? I don't remember) doesn't fully shut off in feed mode. I slows down enough to effectively stop the flow but still keep the water from pouring into the sump.

 

[Damion123]

I drilled a small hole in the return plumbing that serves as a siphon break when pump shuts off... water level in sump only comes up about half an inch when pumps shut off.

I was asking about a siphon break in the black tubing that comes with the osmolator. The Neptune ATK came with a siphon break that I spliced into the orange tubing. I put it inside my ATO container, above the water level. It would spray alittle bit inside the container when the pump came on, but then would break the siphon to make sure no water went between the sump and ATO container. I was just wondering if there was something like that I could use with the osmolator tubing.

 

[Spieg]

I was asking about a siphon break in the black tubing that comes with the osmolator. The Neptune ATK came with a siphon break that I spliced into the orange tubing. I put it inside my ATO container, above the water level. It would spray alittle bit inside the container when the pump came on, but then would break the siphon to make sure no water went between the sump and ATO container. I was just wondering if there was something like that I could use with the osmolator tubing.

Yes they do make siphon breaks for the ATO (essentially the same as 1/4" RODI tubing), but they're really not needed if the ATO reservoir is at or near the same level as the sump.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-inline-check-valve-1-4-x-1-4-push-connect.html

 

[boacvh]

As recommended above, set the optical sensor for your actual water level with the pump on. Then turn on your feed mode and the water level in your return chamber will rise. Set the mechanical sensor level slightly above that new water line.
I also set the osmolator speed to lowest setting, that way no matter what the sensors are, it shuts itself off after 10 mins of being continuously on I think.
To be honest, I would not consider unplugging it, since it primes every time you plug it back in. You will be adding a good amount of RO every time you do that
As for a syphon break, how is your reservoir height setup? as long as the end of your ATO black line is not submerged you will already have a syphon break I think.

 

[Damion123]

Yes they do make siphon breaks for the ATO (essentially the same as 1/4" RODI tubing), but they're really not needed if the ATO reservoir is at or near the same level as the sump.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/mur-lok-inline-check-valve-1-4-x-1-4-push-connect.html

Thanks man

 

[Damion123]

Thanks for the advise. I will try to relocate the float valve tonight.

 

[Greg P]

I drilled a small hole in the return plumbing that serves as a siphon break when pump shuts off... water level in sump only comes up about half an inch when pumps shut off.

If your statement was due to my mention of 5g drainage when I turn off my pump;
My loc-lines are only partially submerged so are the siphon break.
I'd have a lot more drainage otherwise

 

[Greg P]

I just got the osmolator 3155. When I put the return pump into feed mode, the level in the sump goes up and the osmolator alarm goes off. Is there away to fix that? Is moving the float switch to the remote location on the second magnet mount the best way to do that?

what kind of siphon break would I use in case I wanted to add one?

Is there a way to add a float valve, kind of like the one on the ATK?

As suggested and you wrote later on, moving the float will work using the second mount.

Do you 'need' a siphon break? I've run my unit over 8 years without issue.
My ATO container is beside my sump and the black tubing is not submerged so no need for a break here.

I have my 3155 plugged into my controller with a high-level float in the sump to shut off the Osmolator when I turn off my return pump.
The Osmolator float is set about 3/4" above the optical sensor.

At most my 3155 (on the highest power adjustment) pumps about 350mls when filling or powered back on. Not enough for me to worry about if I wanted to shut it down during a 'feed mode' event, but I only turn off my return for maintenance.

 

[Joe31415]

Do you 'need' a siphon break? I've run my unit over 8 years without issue.
My ATO container is beside my sump and the black tubing is not submerged so no need for a break here.

If the ATO container is lower than the sump, or more specifically, if the pump is physically lower than where the tube discharges, when the pump shuts off, it can siphon water backwards from the sump into the ATO container. Simply keeping the end of the hose out of the sump water is all that's needed to break the siphon.

A more complicated situation occurs when the ATO container is higher than the sump. Or, again, more specifically, if the pump is higher than where it discharges. In this case, the tube will continue to siphon ATO water into the sump after the pump stops. It's like siphoning gas. Once it gets started it won't stop on it's own.
As has been mentioned the easiest way to deal with this is to put a hole in the tube, in the ATO container, above the water level. While it does mean that water will spray out of it while the pump is running, when the pump shuts off, the siphoning action will draw in air and break it. There are products which do this such as the Smart ATO Siphon Breaker. But even though it looks all fancy, it's doing literally the exact same thing as putting a hole in the tube. But it's only five bucks, so it's not like it's a big deal to use it and it probably helps make sure the water spraying out of the hole mostly goes down instead of spraying all over the place.
If that's your [OP] situation, the ATO bucket is higher than the sump, there's still some other, admitadlly more complicated, options...
If it happens to be lower than the DT, you can run the hose there and have it pump the water directly into the overflow. It's not ideal, but it'll work.
Another thing you could potentially do if you're stuck in this situation would be to use a dishwasher air gap. It's the thing you normally see up on top of your sink. It'll probably take a few adapters and zip ties to get the pump discharge tube to connect to the air gap, but if you do that, run the discharge side down to the sump and make it the highest point in the ATO system. It would work perfectly.
If you're familiar with dishwasher air gaps, this should make sense, if not, here's a diagram I found, showing how they work.
And, now that I think about it an easier/cheaper way would be to get some PVC or tubing with a diameter a good bit larger than the ATO tubing, run it from the sump (in or out of the water, won't matter) to a place higher than the ATO container and stick the ATO pump line in it. Just a few inches though, the end of it absolutely must be higher than the ATO bucket. This is, more or less, exactly the same as the dishwasher air gap (other than it not technically being an air gap). Since the discharge is now higher than the pump, it won't siphon from the ATO to the sump and because the tubes don't make a tight fit, it'll draw in air instead of siphoning from the sump to the ATO.


A)I know that was long and rambly, hopefully it makes some amount of sense...it does in my head.
B) @Greg P, I know you weren't asking the question, but we don't know which situation the OP is in and it's a regular point of confusion for people, so I figured I'd put it out there. One more place for people to find an answer.