JBJ ATO - Anyone have it?

Discussion in 'General Reef Topics' started by ccscscpc, Apr 26, 2010.

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  1. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    There are several osmolator users in my local reef club. Several have had floods too. One the alarm failed to go off, and kept pumping water. I've never had an issue in 3+ years with my used at the time RF ATO.

    It's not backwards thinking if the time spent cleaning my float switches is less than my friends time spent that clean off optical switches every couple weeks. I have never had to soak my float switches. Those optical switches do fail though, and are 50 dollars when that happens. If a float switch fails, it is a lot less money.

    I don't see any advantage of using an optical sensor over a good float switch. The thing Tunze has is the alarm, but that has failed on one local reefers tunze, and flooded his floor anyway.

    Please don't take it personally, anyone. I am only saying that simply having a tunze osmolator does not mean you will never have a flood.

    If you have the float switches properly set up on a RF or similar ATO, you have nearly zero chance of flooding.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2010
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  3. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    If you use an aqualifter pump, it won't burn out if run dry. They can run liquid or air with no issues.

    Also, not only is limiting the size of your TO container a smart idea, but having your ATO on a timer is a great idea so that it can only put a certain amount of water in in a day. I am not a fan of setting the ATO directly to an RODI source. Redundant safeties are a good thing to have.
     
  4. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    Sure thing. I'd take a JBJ with (redundant) floats over no ATO any day of the week.

    I just remember reading a lot of reviews on these various units before I bought one... at the time, I couldn't find anything neg on T but found several on the other. Similar experience searching on the float switches too on 3reef.

    When I wipe mine, I don't mean I take it off or even scrub it. I literally just stick a rag in the water and give it one little wipe around the pointy end. It takes longer to type 'optical' than it does to clean one :p


    Fun story:

    One night my tunze alarm went off around 3am. The alarm, of course, indicates over full. Now I don't have enough water to actually flood, but still, it was 3 am. brain wasn't firing.

    scares me awake and I run in there expecting to slip. it took me several moments to realize the problem was a snail had climbed up under the float and was pushing it up... and munching on the gunk ;):p... anyway, that snail got tossed into the street. That one story does make me biased, I have to admit. ::);D
     
  5. Peredhil

    Peredhil Giant Squid

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    I don't feel you are accurately relaying how a Tunze is supposed to work.

    They do have a separate product, that is not an ATO, that is an alarm. That is not what I am talking about. The ATO also has an alarm, but the former does not come with any optic style sensors.


    The way the tunze works is the optic regulates. But if the optic, for whatever reason, fails in such a way that it thinks the tank is low it will tell the tank to fill. Right.


    The back up for this, is if it gets too full, you have a redundant switch. It's a floater. If this switch sounds the alarm, it means it is too full. BUT, for it to not stop the flow, it is a float sensor that is failing. It servers a purpose more than the alarm. It should also shut down the pump. My point is, your friends that had a flood, for every optic that failed, their float switch also failed.

    Little topic shift ... the pump that comes with the tunze unit is 'suppose' to shut down the unit if it runs dry (I have not tested this). So that is, theoretically, not a concern with the tunze unit either. You are getting better pieces, IMO, for the money... though I won't disagree they are also overpriced.
     
  6. xmetalfan99

    xmetalfan99 Giant Squid

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    I have tested this and it does turn off until you reset the unit.
     
  7. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    The alarm that is built in to the ATO obviously did not work, or it would have sounded, right? I know the alarm is supposed to sound, but it never did. In any case, the tunze osmolator severely failed since the float switch should have stopped the pump.

    If the osmolator came with 2 optical sensors, I could see it being worth it's price.
     
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  9. tigermike74

    tigermike74 Panda Puffer

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    Oh definitely. I would never run it directly from my RO/DI unit. I had enough problems remembering to turn it off manually, lol. I have my TO water in a 3 gallon container next to my chiller. It's a bit too far for my aqualifter to work, I tried it. I wonder if there is a way to rig a water sensor to turn off the pump.
     
  10. Av8Bluewater

    Av8Bluewater Giant Squid

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    Cheers
     
  11. xmetalfan99

    xmetalfan99 Giant Squid

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    i am willing to bet it was just the float sensor that failed and not the pump shut-off and alarm.. If the sensor had worked the pump would have shut off or the alarm would have at least gone off...not nothing happening.
     
  12. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    I test it every couple of weeks when my reservoir goes dry before I change jugs....

    The Tunze is not just a optical sensor...it's the controller too. The controller senses low level...turns on pump...if level fails to make within 5 minutes....alarm goes off... sound or light, you set.... which means that either the sensor failed, or the reservoir has no water..

    It DOES NOT just pump till the cows come home and flood the tank.

    Now any mechanical/electrical device can fail, however the Tunze has the most safety designed in besides a single float switch telling it to turn off.