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Thread: ATK email alarm keeps going off

  1. #1
    Regular Vistor
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    ATK email alarm keeps going off

    0BA1F1A2-5AC3-4624-9D87-C33CAFEF31A6.jpg82DA7F67-9D45-4945-8032-92D9BEBFA536.jpg691B51E0-BBF7-43CE-B5C4-A3E850BCE1A4.jpgI keep getting email alerts about every hour. I just set it up yesterday and followed the apex instructions on their video. Any help?

  2. #2
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    The first screenshot that shows a bunch of Status ON / Set OFF indicates that the email alarm slider was in the manual ON position instead of AUTO as it should be.

    The second screenshot showing the If Swx4_2 CLOSES indicated that the upper optical sensor is wet. It should not be wet normally. The ATK bracket should be positioned with the lower sensor at the desired water level.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  3. #3
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    I have the same problem. I don't have an Apex controller, just the ATK which I bought in anticipation of adding the controller. However, it's proven to be most unreliable. The longest it has operated without going into error mode has been 3 days. I've watched all the videos, and checked with everyone I know to find out what the problem is. No answers yet .I'm very frustrated. Directions, thoughts?

  4. #4
    NSI Member eschulist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bobdale View Post
    I have the same problem. I don't have an Apex controller, just the ATK which I bought in anticipation of adding the controller. However, it's proven to be most unreliable. The longest it has operated without going into error mode has been 3 days. I've watched all the videos, and checked with everyone I know to find out what the problem is. No answers yet .I'm very frustrated. Directions, thoughts?
    If you are using it in Standalone mode it will beep and turn off if an error occurs. Which error are you getting? Its most likely going to be 2 beeps. (Top sensor is under water for over 10 minutes.) Maybe its 1 beep (ATK ran for over 5 minutes), but its most likely #2. In this error its most likely due to a siphon that is forming. Its also possible equipment is being turned on and off causing the water level to rise. This high water level tells the FMM that something isn't right and it shuts off the ATK.

    How do you have your reservoir setup? If the top of your container is higher than the water level in the sump you need to install the included siphon break fitting at the top of your container.

    If you are using a solenoid valve hooked up to an RODI in conjunction with the ATK rather than the PMUP its possible it can't refill the amount of evaporation lost in 5 minutes.

  5. #5
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    The ATK is somewhat problematic in standalone mode for many applications. The default programming when an error/alarm occurs is for it to go into error mode and shut down until you reset (power cycle) the device. If something in the normal operation of your system triggers an alarm it will stop working.

    The Alarms that can occur are:
    - The pump runs more than 2 times the 'average' (or 5 minutes if there haven't been 5 fills for the device to learn an average time)
    - The upper sensor is covered more than 10 minutes
    - The leak sensor (input 3) input is closed/below water
    - The ATO Reservoir sensor is (input 4) is open/above water

    Is your ATK beeping? The number of beeps tells you which alarm is being triggered (i.e. beep-beep-pause, beep-beep-pause... means the 2nd alarm has been activated by the upper sensor being covered > 10 min)

    In my case, every time I fed my fish, I would push the feed button on the return pump and shut it off for 30 minutes, causing the sump level to rise and cover the upper sensor. The other problem I had was that if my skimmer shut off, the rise in water level was enough that it would cover the upper sensor and trigger an alarm. The other issue I had was that the normal startup process of my bean animal overflow caused the sump level to drop for a couple minutes until the system stabilized. This would trigger the IQ Fill alarm and shut it off.

    You can try moving the upper optical sensor higher in the sump to see if that helps.

  6. #6
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    I believe every hour is the default alarm repeat period so if an alarm is on continuously without being cleared you will get a notification every hour. If the condition clears and then recurs, you will get them more frequently. From your alarm log screen I see:

    12:32:26 - Swx4_2 is closed/under water and the alarm is triggered
    12:36:33 - the alarm has been cleared (Swx4_2 is no longer under water)
    16:49:40 - Swx4_2 is again under water and the alarm is triggered
    17:05:48 - the alarm has been cleared (Swx4_2 is no longer under water)
    17:15:18 - Swx4_2 is again under water and the alarm is triggered
    17:20:19 - the alarm has been cleared (Swx4_2 is no longer under water)
    ...

    It would appear that Swx4_2 is getting submerged periodically. Is it in a place where it can get splashed? Are there other things happening (i.e. skimmer turning off & raising the sump level) that are causing it to be submerged? I had an optical sensor get triggered once by a cord that fell against it - make sure it's clear. You can verify that it's the upper sensor by unplugging it from the FMM to see if the alarms quit. (be advised that this removes a safety backup.) If you think the sensor may be malfunctioning, you can swap the 2 sensors in the bracket and plugs to see if that changes the behavior.

  7. #7
    Regular Vistor
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    Im having same problem i get a email every hour saying its closed so if what you say the sensor is coverd with water why is it still topping up ?

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