So I was working around my house this morning and all of a sudden started hearing my tank gurgling, which it never does. I look in my overflow and notice that the water level has dropped about half an inch. I haven't changed anything and it looks like everything else is working properly. What am I missing?
Overflow level dropping
- Thread starter Dmac
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What kind of drain do you have on your overflow? Multiple pipes or a gate valve for tuning a siphon? All else being equal when our HOB CPR overflow level drops it's normally hair algae accumulated on the overflow grates that needs to be scrubbed with a toothbrush. After doing so the flow through the grates increases and the level in the overflow goes back up to normal.
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So is it dropping and coming up? Flushing?
Is it a stand pipe?
Or is it consistently low.
If it’s flushing out other you need a hole in the top of the pipe to allow air in.
Or maybe that needs to simply be cleaned out
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Is it a stand pipe?
Or is it consistently low.
If it’s flushing out other you need a hole in the top of the pipe to allow air in.
Or maybe that needs to simply be cleaned out
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sounds like the return pump needs cleaning to me, that's the cause when it happens to me.
Glad you got it corrected!
Exact same issue happened today on my 120 accept my sump level went down in the return section, which brought the temp probes out of the water making the heaters come on
Apex started alarming it was to hot. It had brought the tank temps up to 85+ I had to do a 40gal water change to get the temp down to 80!Cleaned the ato sensor and moved the temp probes for the InkBird down much farther.
This is the second time the Tunze ato has done that. Guess it needs to be cleaned more often.
That's about the only issue I ever have with the Osmolator. The sensor sits at the top of the water and it's location and lack of surface agitation in the return chamber leads to film building up there. I try to remember to wipe it down weekly.
I didn't follow the description of the problem well either. Sounded like the problem was a dirty pump just like Steve said. Unless the pump was pulling air, which you'd see in the display, there's usually only one reason the overflow level drops if no other adjustments are made. Pump flow has decreased.
I didn't follow the description of the problem well either. Sounded like the problem was a dirty pump just like Steve said. Unless the pump was pulling air, which you'd see in the display, there's usually only one reason the overflow level drops if no other adjustments are made. Pump flow has decreased.
And that's exactly why I got to get a controller on my tank, lol. I love my tunze though. I've had it running for about a year and a half and I think this is the first time I've cleaned the optical centerGlad you got it corrected!
Exact same issue happened today on my 120 accept my sump level went down in the return section, which brought the temp probes out of the water making the heaters come on
Cleaned the ato sensor and moved the temp probes for the InkBird down much farther.
This is the second time the Tunze ato has done that. Guess it needs to be cleaned more often.
Hmm, low level in the return pump section doesn't seem like it would lower Display level until the pump is not completely submerged or sucks air. I still recommend cleanup the return pump
Yes the lower level in my sump return section (due to ato not coming on) was why it ramped up the heat which was caused by the heat probes being to high in that section and geting exposed to outside cooler air.
That makes total sense. What Steve and I don't understand is why or how the level in the overflow dropped. Unless there's been some confusion as to the overflow, which is in the display or on the back of it, and the return chamber in the sump, which is the only part of the system that has it's level effected by evaporation.
Two different problems, op Dmac had low display level, DiefsReef had low return section level.
Yup sorry guys, I was just showing what could happen when the ato sensor stops working but correct, two diff scenarios.
Edit: its happened to me twice now so got to stay on top of cleaning the sensor was my primary reason for posting my issue as well.
In the 6yrs I've been in the hobby it's probably happened to me a few dozen times. Since I started back up in March it's happened a couple times but less frequent now that I try to keep it cleaner. I've learned to stay in tune with the sounds of everything and can usually tell when I walk in the room if something is off.
I don't know how prone other ATO's are to this but I'd assume any that use an optical sensor would have the same issue. I use mechanical floats for things too and build up on them will cause them to stick as well. Just another thing to add to the maintenance check list.
