AWC / Maintenance / Doser Maxi

[Mark E]

I’m new here so please be gentle!

So, I’ve got a Mixing tank (63 litres roughly) and it’s filled with RO automatically once a week (under Profilux 4 control), then I manually add salt, mix for hours, check the salinity and I’m ready for a water change. It’s a 750 litre system, so 60 litres is an 8% water change, and normally its a once a week job.

I’d like to hit a Maintenance button for the water change - if I’m not there to add the salt I don’t want to do a water change with pure RO and manually starting the water change is a lot safer than remembering to stop a fully automated / scheduled process. Id like the process to then run until 60 litres has been changed.

I have a Doser Maxi 2.2, one pump head is connected to the Mixing tank and return section of the sump, the other to the first section of the sump and a drain. There’s a single ATO float Level Sensor (sensor 1) in the sump, and if it helps another (sensor 7) in the mixing tank to stop the RO fill.

So, how do I go about changing 60 litres with control by my P4? I can’t see that I can create a AWC to start using Maintenance (maintenance 4 is free) and as the process will take hours is it best to change 20 litres per day or 60 all in one go? Should I use AWC or create something using PL? Ideally it would be nice if the sensor controlling the Mixing tank fill could reset the reservoir level in the Doser (is that possible?).

Sorry I’m a numpty.

Mark

 

[Mark E]

Just some other random thoughts….

I believe GHL Maintenance can only operate on switches / sockets and more specifically cannot invoke functions like an AWC, but it can use PL so a work around might be possible.

At 200 ml/min the pump is running at 12 litres per hour, so 60 litres is a 5 hour continuous run, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. However given it’s a once a week job there’s no reason why the water change shouldn’t be over three days (or if it’s possible three nights).

I’ve only got one Level Sensor in the sump, and fitting more isn’t a huge issue, however the return section is very small, probably 10 litres or so. Getting two sensors in there is possible but the level differences between them will be in effect a litre or two.

My thinking at the moment (and obviously subject to any better suggestions) is to run the two pump heads (once calibrated) ‘continuously’ at a known rate until the required amounts have been changed, and accept the ATO will either have to be off, and / or there might be some small salinity swings, however then the issue is the manner of use of the pumps in terms of flow rates and cycles.

So, the question is not only a preferred way to effect the water change, but also how to implement it using the GHL kit I have (or will need to buy) so that the change can be started when I’m ready, and left to complete under a Profilux 4 control.

 

[Lasse]

With the new program for dosing pumps you can chose the amount/min regardless of what your calibration says

This means that you can set up the two pumps head to head if you want - but if you do that - a recalibration my needed once a month or more often.

Speed 2 (around 150 ml/min) on Maxi 2.2 manage continuous mode - it means that you can run it for around 7 hours without any problems. 150 ml/min = 9 L/H 7 Hours = 63 L Set up your Maintenance 4 to works for 210 minutes (3,5 hours).
Do two PL like this (Note 210 min = 12600 sek
Take an unused Switch channel (in this example 64 and knit it to PL 2 (in my example)

Now when you start maintenance 4 the virtual channel 64 will be active for 210 min (12600 sec) + 12 600 sec = 420 min = 7 hours (420 min)

Now calibrate your two maxi heads - in this example I got 152 ml/min and 155 ml/min in the other. Set wanted flow to 150 ml (this is only an example) . Go to the part Pump react to and on both pumps - react on index 64!

Now they will works head to head for 7 hours at 150 ml/min (63 L in 7 hours) every time you start maintenance 4.

I have not tested this IRL - do it before you run it sharp. I have tested it in "dry swimming mode"

I have use GCC here because it easier to show in that program

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Mark E]

With the new program for dosing pumps you can chose the amount/min regardless of what your calibration says

This means that you can set up the two pumps head to head if you want - but if you do that - a recalibration my needed once a month or more often.

Speed 2 (around 150 ml/min) on Maxi 2.2 manage continuous mode - it means that you can run it for around 7 hours without any problems. 150 ml/min = 9 L/H 7 Hours = 63 L Set up your Maintenance 4 to works for 210 minutes (3,5 hours).
Do two PL like this (Note 210 min = 12600 sek
Take an unused Switch channel (in this example 64 and knit it to PL 2 (in my example)

Now when you start maintenance 4 the virtual channel 64 will be active for 210 min (12600 sec) + 12 600 sec = 420 min = 7 hours (420 min)

Now calibrate your two maxi heads - in this example I got 152 ml/min and 155 ml/min in the other. Set wanted flow to 150 ml (this is only an example) . Go to the part Pump react to and on both pumps - react on index 64!

Now they will works head to head for 7 hours at 150 ml/min (63 L in 7 hours) every time you start maintenance 4.

I have not tested this IRL - do it before you run it sharp. I have tested it in "dry swimming mode"

I have use GCC here because it easier to show in that program

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks, I'll try that.

I tested the pumps at setting 2 and one pumped at 140 ml/min and the other 135 ml/min (I guess there's some difference due to tube run lengths and probably some just because they are pumps!), so I'll run the water change at 130 ml/min in a probably over optimistic attempt at balance - frankly the effect on salinity will be near nothing anyway and If I have to I'll let the DT salinity drift down because its far easier to raise it with a spoonful or two of salt in the ATO than try to reduce high salinity.

So, to double check, I use PL to make Maintenance 4 effectively long enough to do the job, your reckoning is that at 150ml/min (or lower) running continuously a Maxi 2.2 for 7 hours is OK but the heads may need more frequent calibration. And then it's just a case of pumping new water in and old water out until 60 litres (or whatever I choose) is done. You are using socket index 64 (which obviously isn't real) as the condition to cause both pumps operate when Maintenance 4 is active,

Genius!

Thanks

Mark

 

[Lasse]

Its a walk around - I have tested it in my spare P4 (without a Maxi doser connected - just a software run) and it seems like it works. However - I did not get graph working in my first test

Ans it seems me like you have understand how I think. You maybe need to twerk it a little. Max maintenance time is 240 min (4 H or 14 400 sec) Max delay of time is 16959 sec (around 282 min or 4.7 H) Longest on time with this work around is around 8.7 H

130 ml/min => 63 L is pumped out in 8.07 H

You have to play around a little

Sincerely Lasse

 

[BeanAnimal]

Ans it seems me like you have understand how I think. You maybe need to twerk it a little.

I would like to see you twerk a little @Lasse

 

[Lasse]

I would like to see you twerk a little @Lasse

We import many English words into the Swedish language but we often give them a new and own twist But in this case my fingers just dance on the keyboard by themselves - Of cause I meant tweak a little



Sincerely Lasse

 

[Mark E]

Well, I understood Lasse but Ive never understood twerking!

 

[Mark E]

@Lasse - well I tried an it worked! Thanks!

A few tweaks because the pumps had to run at 130 ml/min so the total run time was 7.75 hours (so I changed 60.5 litres) and there’s a fair bit of water left in the Mixing Tank, I think my 63 litre volume guesstimate was low, it’s more like 68 litres in there I reckon. I could change a bit more water next time I suppose.

A couple of thoughts - the Maxidoser got seriously hot - I’m thinking I need to cool it with a PC fan (easily done). The ATO didn’t trigger during the process, so I’ll need to check on salinity and maybe make a few adjustments if it’s creeping up. And, as a ‘nice to have’ feature I might make the pump in the mixing tank fire up during the water change to make sure the salt is fully dissolved.

Mark