pH out of range error
For security reasons autoBalance will stop and wig go to a pH out of range error if it detects an unusual pH value. Por razones de seguridad, el autoBalance se partará si detecta un pH demasiado alto o demasiado bajo.
If the system has entered an out of range pH error it will stop. It does this for safety reasons, but also because it is possible that the measurement is failing, if the pH measurement fails it is possible that the KH measurement is also failing, and with incorrect KH measurements it will not be able to dose properly.
Although if the pH is out of range it is quite possible that the aguarium life have already shown signs that the environement is not habitable. Is a good idea to check the pH with another method, to confirm that the autoBalance is measuring the pH incorrectly.
Solutions in case it is measuring incorrectly:
Probe calibration.
- Calibrate the pH probe. It is necessary to calibrate the probe at least every 30 days. But in case of error it is possible that the probe is out of calibration:
- Clean the probe with aquarium water or tap water and use a kitchen towel or soft cloth to remove possible residues.
- Prepare 2 small containers with pH4 and pH7 solutions and perform the calibration. Dry the probe as much as possible before introducing the probe into the second solution.
- Discard the liquids to avoid contamination.
- Check the calibration values. If the calibration voltages are unusual, the App will warn you that the probe is in bad condition. Anyway you can check these values in Settings> System Info section. You will see a v4 and a v7, v4 should have a value around 2.00 (1.92 – 2.08) and v7 around 1.5 (1.42 – 1.58), if the values are incorrect it is possible that the probe is failing, or the liquids are in bad condition. It is also possible that you have done something wrong in the process such as mixing up the calibration liquids.
- If the values are correct and the pH is still out of range, continue with the following checks.
Sample contaminated with reagent or bad condition sample
During the analysis process the beaker is completely emptied and then filled with “new” water from the aquarium, the water In tube is also emptied for the same reason. It is important to check that it is fully emptied and that the length of the water in tube is correctly entered in the settings of the App.
After the analysis the water with the reagent must also be fully emptied. The reagent with the “old” sample has a low pH, and if it were to be mixed with new analysis water, it would give a low pH value that would not correspond to reality.
Checks if the beaker is not completely emptied before or after analysis:
- The rigid tube did not touch the bottom of the beaker:
- Force the tube down to the bottom.
- The water out pump fails to fully empty the beaker at some point in the process:
- The Water Out pump is calibrated with the water in pump plus a margin. So calibrate the Water In pump and run an analysis.
- Check the operation of the Water Out pump. You can fill the beaker and purge the Water Out pump for 60 seconds. Check the amount it have drawn, it should be at least 45ml, more normal values are between 52-62ml. If it were a significant lower amount than the calibration of the Water In check the pump head.
- In the attached links you will find pump maintenance sheets. Remember that the internal tubing of the pumps head should be changed once a year. The water out pump in particular is the hardest working pump, so it is important to do this change.