Tunze osmolator problems

rvitko · Mar 28, 2014

How long the pump runs on start up depends on the age of the controller, from 2002-2011 it was 20 seconds. From 2011-present it is 15 seconds. This is needed to prime the pump and start up and verify function while you are their setting it up, that is why this feature exists. It adds a cup of water at standard power if the pump is already primed. If your controller was made after Nov 2011 you can turn down the pump inside the controller if your tank is small, this is covered in the manual. At the lowest speed it will only add a half cup. On an older controller, if needed you can add a Two Little Fishies Microvalve to the end of the hose to restrict the flow and reduce how much is added.

Robink · Jun 20, 2015

I have only had mine for about a month and it has overfilled the sump 3 times already... Brand new, first time was within 2 weeks of setting up. I''ll be contacting cs, thought maybe I was doing something wrong.

dknuckles · Jun 20, 2015

Are you using Kalkwasser ?

Is so and you dose in same chamber it will put a film on the sensor and not work correctly

dknuckles · Jun 21, 2015

dknuckles said:
Mine just started the similar thing..optic no longer works.
Also during startup the annoying 30sec fill starts and does not stop.
TY Dowfish for the email

That is why I stay w/ Tunze..cs is outstanding!

My problem stemmed from the Kalkwasser dosing.
I was dosing in same chamber as my sensor and the film would precipitate on the sensor not allowing to read water correctly

Robink · Jun 21, 2015

No, just ro/di in top off. It did it again last night.

ngvu1 · Jun 21, 2015

so basically the pump just keeps pumping when the water is way pass the level it was supposed to stop?

Thanks

Robink said:
No, just ro/di in top off. It did it again last night.

Robink · Jun 21, 2015

ngvu1.
yes, it keeps filling up past the sensor and once past even the float, the alarm was going off when I came home from work.

Robink · Jun 21, 2015

I just did a water change. Cleaned off sensor, just in case and will plug it back in to see if it's still malfunctioning.

Diesel · Jun 21, 2015

I have two Tunze Osmolators and IMO there's nothing out of the box better.
Set it up in less than 5 min and plug and play.
Never ever had a problem either and they been running now since 2011.
I thought about just replacing the sensors just in case.
When I bought this I bought an extra pump too, just as backup, never needed it.
Should I just replace the sensors now after running 24/7 for 4+ years?

Robink · Jun 23, 2015

ok, it went approximately 24 hours working fine. Just checked it and it pumped about a gallon into the sump. The water is over the sensor and float is halfway up. I was hoping I was doing something wrong...
Got any suggestions?

ngvu1 · Jun 23, 2015

I have not used mine as you guys are scaring me off (I bought a used 1 recently). I am still with my DIY ATO for the last 2+ years

I have heard people saying when they do water change, the water level is passing the sensor so the optic learns the water over it is normal. When they lower the water level back to bellow the sensor, the ATO started to work non stop until the sensor is under the water level again. They suggest the Tunze ATO to be turned off when doing water change.

Robink · Jun 23, 2015

When I did my water change I moved the unit up to the top so it wouldn't get submerged. The only times its been submerged is when it has over filled the sump. I'm hoping mine is just a dud. I bought it because of all the good reviews. Just emailed Tunze.

ngvu1 · Jun 23, 2015

Wow, it might be the optic sensor is not working any more.

Robink · Jun 25, 2015

Ok. I emailed Roger at tunze and he replied right away. He explained how to check the sensor, which I did and all indicators say it is working. So the problem may be the difference between the levels of water in my reservoir and sump. So I moved the tubing up to the tank. He believes that because the tubing was below the water level in my reservoir that it continued to flow even after the pump shut off causing the overflow. I just hooked it back up so I will let you know if this fixes the problem. Keeping my
fingers crossed! !

Robink · Jul 8, 2015

Just an update.... the osmolator has been working fine since this adjustment. Happy that it's working. Bought it because of all the good reviews. Thank you for the help Roger.

dodgerblew · Jul 8, 2015

rvitko said:
How long the pump runs on start up depends on the age of the controller, from 2002-2011 it was 20 seconds. From 2011-present it is 15 seconds. This is needed to prime the pump and start up and verify function while you are their setting it up, that is why this feature exists. It adds a cup of water at standard power if the pump is already primed. If your controller was made after Nov 2011 you can turn down the pump inside the controller if your tank is small, this is covered in the manual. At the lowest speed it will only add a half cup. On an older controller, if needed you can add a Two Little Fishies Microvalve to the end of the hose to restrict the flow and reduce how much is added.

great idea. Just ordered

ngvu1 said:
I have not used mine as you guys are scaring me off (I bought a used 1 recently). I am still with my DIY ATO for the last 2+ years

I have heard people saying when they do water change, the water level is passing the sensor so the optic learns the water over it is normal. When they lower the water level back to bellow the sensor, the ATO started to work non stop until the sensor is under the water level again. They suggest the Tunze ATO to be turned off when doing water change.

Vu, use it. A great piece of equipment

Robink said:
Ok. I emailed Roger at tunze and he replied right away. He explained how to check the sensor, which I did and all indicators say it is working. So the problem may be the difference between the levels of water in my reservoir and sump. So I moved the tubing up to the tank. He believes that because the tubing was below the water level in my reservoir that it continued to flow even after the pump shut off causing the overflow. I just hooked it back up so I will let you know if this fixes the problem. Keeping my
fingers crossed! !

had the same problem. Roger had me put return line into overflow

Robink said:
Just an update.... the osmolator has been working fine since this adjustment. Happy that it's working. Bought it because of all the good reviews. Thank you for the help Roger.

knew it would

fragthat · Jul 8, 2015

Yeah I have to say the osmolator is one of the best purchases I ever made for my tank. Super reliable (just make sure it can't make a siphon if the outlet is too low as you found out) and definitely helps with tank stability, which is probably the most important factor for coral growth.

FuzzySPS · Jul 9, 2015

Inside diameter of Tunze hose is 4 mm which is the same as RainBird's irrigation drip line. Therefore, you can get fittings in the "irrigation aisle of your local hardware store" to connect to additional Tunze provided tubing, do 90 degree turns, and, in this case, put a flow restrictor in line. This would minimize any negative result from prolonged "power up" fills and would also be of benefit to those who are using stronger pumps (in conjunction with Tunze's switched socket outlet) to replace the Tunze metered pump that comes with the Osmolator. If using a stronger pump to overcome head issues or whatever, a little trial and error will determine at what point to dial the flow restrictor up or down such that your tank (or sump) would refill in less than ten minutes under normal circumstances while simultaneously not overflowing your tank or causing significant salinity issues should the first two safety measures (i.e., the optical sensor AND safety float) fail and your pump run for the ten minutes before system shutdown. Any Home Depot, Lowe's or other home improvement store will have what you need and if you spend more than five bucks you will have bought more than you need.