JBJ ATO really starting to irk me....

[JDK]

So after working for a week my JBJ ATO and toms aqualifter are now being weird. At first I thought there was too much head pressure so I moved the pump way up and there is only about 10 inches now so its not head pressure as far as I can tell.

 

I came home at the pump and sensor lights were on the JBJ ATO but water was not pumping. I have set the automatic shut off all the way to 14 minutes which is much longer than needed to top off my BC29.

 

I turned off the power to the JBJ ATO and turned it back on and the water pumped and reset the float switch like nothing was wrong. This keeps happening and its driving me nuts. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt for the past 2 days.

 

The only thread I have found regarding this states that the aqualifter pump is such low voltage that the jbj has a hard time activating it. The fix for this is to set the ATO up on a household timer and have it turn on for 1 hour and off for 1 hour 24 hours a day. Gonna give it a shot tonight.

 

Anyone have the same problem or try this solution to the problem?

[MTWiley]

I had mine setup w/ the Aqualifter but I had a similar issue. I switched from the aqualifter to a Maxijet 1200 on my BC29 and a maxijet 900 on my NC12 and a few feet of 1/2" tubing running up from a 5 gallon bucket in the bottom of the stands and it works beautifully, I'm kind of upset that I ever wasted my time/frustration with the Aqualifter.

[JDK]

I had mine setup w/ the Aqualifter but I had a similar issue. I switched from the aqualifter to a Maxijet 1200 on my BC29 and a maxijet 900 on my NC12 and a few feet of 1/2" tubing running up from a 5 gallon bucket in the bottom of the stands and it works beautifully, I'm kind of upset that I ever wasted my time/frustration with the Aqualifter.

 

Just hooked up the timer so I guess we will see. If the timer does not fix the problem I will just switch pumps. I really like the slow drip of the aqualifter as opposed to a stronger pump gushing water in case the float switch ever sticks and I flood 5 gallons on my floor.

[Arkayology]

If all the lights are on (red and yellow) that means that it auto-shut off. Resetting it turned the pump back on. I would stay with the aqualifter if I were you. I still use my tom's aqualifter on my 60 with my JBJ. You may have to play around with it to make sure you have the setting right.

[hooligan_78]

Mine does this every couple of days. I don't know why. I think it's my aqualifter too, but I don't know why when it works fine, then decides not to. My return chamber will be half empty when I get home from work, when I reset it it pumps just fine. I think I might get a new aqualifter to see if that fixes the problem.

[Thresher]

The aqualifter is not raising the water level fast enough. If the JBJ ATO sensor is switched on for an excess of 5 minutes, the unit will stop itself (as a fail safe) so that it does not overflow your tank. I remedied this by using 2 aqualifters attached to a power strip which inturn is connected to my ATO. Or a simpler fix is using a powerhead as the reservior pump as it will move more water than the aqualifter.

[JDK]

The aqualifter is not raising the water level fast enough. If the JBJ ATO sensor is switched on for an excess of 5 minutes, the unit will stop itself (as a fail safe) so that it does not overflow your tank.

 

This is not the probelm read my posts. I have the JBJ auto shut off timer turned all the way up to 14 minutes which is plenty of time to top off the tank. I have timed it myself at 3 minutes to top off.

 

The pump just flat out does not work 100% of the time. I have pushed down the float switch with a pencil and watched the pump not work. It happens sporadically.

 

If I turn off the JBJ and turn it back on after the lights are lit but with nothing pumping the pump begins to work.

 

The only way I was able to fix this without buying a new pump is to hook the JBJ up to a household timer. The timer turns the JBJ on for an hour and off for 15 minutes 24 hrs a day.

 

Link to someone with the same problem

http://web1.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2048264

[jeffblly]

I had a jbj with aqualifter and had some issues but it completely failed after a year. I bought a new switch and cord (think autotopoff.com) and put something together using in the jbj using radioshack parts and two years later still no problems. The aqualifter still works just fine.

[JDK]

Update:

 

Switched to a MaxiJet 600 and have not had one problem. I am convinced the problem was the distance from the resevoir to the aqualifter (head pressure was only 6 inches but was drawing from 3 feet below), or the low voltage or amps of the aqualifter not being triggered by the JBJ.

 

Have fail tested the MJ600 at least 50 times and cant get the same problem I was getting with the aqualifter. I even hooked the aqualifter up yesterday after running the MJ for a week just to see and the same problem was happening. It was not the timer shut off the thing would flat out not pump. Hooked the aqualifter up to the outlet by itself and it was fine. Only when used with the JBJ was I having a problem.

[hooligan_78]

Update:

 

Switched to a MaxiJet 600 and have not had one problem. I am convinced the problem was the distance from the resevoir to the aqualifter (head pressure was only 6 inches but was drawing from 3 feet below), or the low voltage or amps of the aqualifter not being triggered by the JBJ.

 

Have fail tested the MJ600 at least 50 times and cant get the same problem I was getting with the aqualifter. I even hooked the aqualifter up yesterday after running the MJ for a week just to see and the same problem was happening. It was not the timer shut off the thing would flat out not pump. Hooked the aqualifter up to the outlet by itself and it was fine. Only when used with the JBJ was I having a problem.

 

 

Glad that worked as I've been debating on changing out the pump. I have the same problem you do, in that it just decides not to pump every so often. I'll have to hook up the spare MJ I have laying around!

[pismo_reefer]

Same problem occur's w/ "Odyssea" brand pumps.

I think it is a voltage regulation issue.

 

[JDK]

Glad that worked as I've been debating on changing out the pump. I have the same problem you do, in that it just decides not to pump every so often. I'll have to hook up the spare MJ I have laying around!

Yeah that should work. I would recommend not using a 1200 it was way too strong. 600 is perfect IMO

[pweissma]

I've read through the thread and I'm not sure if the OP's problem is that aqualifter is not being turned on by his JBJ ATO or if the head pressure is too much. I can only comment on the aqualifter as I've used a bunch and have never used a JBJ ATO.

 

1. The aqualifter has a diaphragm for sucking and a second for pushing. Each side of the pump has it's own head height. For the overall max head height, the pump needs to be placed somewhere in the middle between the reservoir and the top of the tank.

2. If you suck sand or other debris into the aqualifter it will get stuck in the diaphargms and cause the pump to work poorly. You need to take the pump apart to clean, not very hard but there is a screw inside that needs to be removed.

3. Don't use the hanger near the pump in/out openings. Hanging it from there causes the airline tubing to crimp. What I do is tie a loop in the power cord near the pump and hang it by the power cord.

[pweissma]

Yeah that should work. I would recommend not using a 1200 it was way too strong. 600 is perfect IMO

It all depends on head height. For me I need a 1200 on my Solana to go up about 50" and at this height the flow rate is good. The 600 is listed to have a 42" head height.

[Spirofucci]

I just set one up for the first time with a 1200. Man o man that pump puts out a lot of water and fast! I got it over the 600 because I was worried about the height as well. But so far so good.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

never had an issue with mine.