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  1. #1

    What's happening

    Hi guys,

    Some of you will know I was lucky enough to install two Draco Origin 16s in my two nexus 320s a few weeks ago.

    I set them both up and ran the pumps on full power, and all was well for 3 days, and then the filter with the longest bottom drain and shortest return, went into safe mode.

    So I stopped the pump, let the water level reset, reduced the speed of the pump, and off it went, for 24h, then again for 36h, then for 48h, then 16h, and so on.

    I've since lowered the float switch as it was set too high, so set it to 5mm below running level, but it is still doing it.

    I've rodded the drain, I've been down and taken the diffuser off the drain to visibly check it, and nothing.

    The drum which is on the short bottom drain/long return runs perfectly.

    The only thing I can come up with is that my auto top-up isn't kicking in as soon as it should, and allowing the water level to get too low, so the float switch isn't able to return. My top-up is through a cistern float valve, the vertical type, not a ball cock. It does mess up at times for no apparent reason, usually by not switching off and over flowing.

    This is driving me crazy now, I have no idea what to do.

    Any ideas?

    Jay



  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Megson View Post
    Hi guys,

    Some of you will know I was lucky enough to install two Draco Origin 16s in my two nexus 320s a few weeks ago.

    I set them both up and ran the pumps on full power, and all was well for 3 days, and then the filter with the longest bottom drain and shortest return, went into safe mode.

    So I stopped the pump, let the water level reset, reduced the speed of the pump, and off it went, for 24h, then again for 36h, then for 48h, then 16h, and so on.

    I've since lowered the float switch as it was set too high, so set it to 5mm below running level, but it is still doing it.

    I've rodded the drain, I've been down and taken the diffuser off the drain to visibly check it, and nothing.

    The drum which is on the short bottom drain/long return runs perfectly.

    The only thing I can come up with is that my auto top-up isn't kicking in as soon as it should, and allowing the water level to get too low, so the float switch isn't able to return. My top-up is through a cistern float valve, the vertical type, not a ball cock. It does mess up at times for no apparent reason, usually by not switching off and over flowing.

    This is driving me crazy now, I have no idea what to do.

    Any ideas?

    Jay
    the longer the run of gravity fed pipework the more drop for the same lph...
    my QK25 drum has the maximum 25,000 lph running through it, and i get a 3" drop on the dirty side.
    even with a 4" bottom drain and 4" skimmer line running into it....

    5mm above running level for the float switch doesn't sound a lot,
    once the screen gets a tiny bit dirty the level will drop triggering the float switch.

    but it's really hard trying to build a picture in my head from your words.... when one picture will say a thousand words

  3. #3
    Hey Dave,

    Cheers for the reply.

    I'm out at work at the moment, but when I get home I can take a pic or two. What exactly do you need to see?

    As for the running level drop, I totally agree, the longer bottom drain run does drop lower on the clean side, but this issue still happens even if I reduce the pump flow rate right down.

    It's the fact it can work fine for days, then suddenly mess up. I don't "think" it's an issue with the drum.

    Jay

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  5. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Megson View Post
    Hey Dave,

    Cheers for the reply.

    I'm out at work at the moment, but when I get home I can take a pic or two. What exactly do you need to see?

    As for the running level drop, I totally agree, the longer bottom drain run does drop lower on the clean side, but this issue still happens even if I reduce the pump flow rate right down.

    It's the fact it can work fine for days, then suddenly mess up. I don't "think" it's an issue with the drum.

    Jay
    not having a draco drum i'm not sure what 'safe mode' is..
    i assume it's when the level drops to the point the pump stops working?

    if theres no blockage it must be something thats happening then going away...
    like a fish sitting on the bottom drain blocking the water supply then moving away once the drum strops working...
    Last edited by davethefish1; 28-06-2022 at 03:43 PM.

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  7. #5
    Ha ha ha ha ha, that made me laugh. I'd love it if they had personalities like that.

    Yeh the safe mode is caused by the float switch not returning to it's off position within 4 mins of the wash cycle starting, which then shuts the drum electrics off. The issue is that it can't shut my pond pump off, which then empties my Nexus.

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  9. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Megson View Post
    Ha ha ha ha ha, that made me laugh. I'd love it if they had personalities like that.

    Yeh the safe mode is caused by the float switch not returning to it's off position within 4 mins of the wash cycle starting, which then shuts the drum electrics off. The issue is that it can't shut my pond pump off, which then empties my Nexus.
    some of mine do! my shiro utsuri waits until i get too close to the window...
    then sends a wave of water over the edge just for fun...it's like the splash zone at sea world lol!

    i take it thier is no circulation pump socket on the draco then?
    does the float move freely and easily with no snagging, nothing getting stuck around the float?

  10. #7
    Cheeky koi, I'd love it.

    There is a socket on the bottom, but no idea what it's capable of powering. No info in the manual.

    Yeh the float moves/works fine.

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  12. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Jussai Alburglar's Avatar
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    Swap the dums over and see if the same drum has the same issue on the other Nexus.
    If it does, you know it's an issue with the drum, probably a faulty float switch.
    2660 Gallons. 4" Bottom Drain and Skimmer. Draco Solum 16 Drum. Anoxic Filtration. Air lift returns.

  13. #9
    Great minds Al, I swapped them yesterday morning, and the same thing happened over night, but to the other drum, so it's definitely bottom drain related.

    The issue is that the filter with the issue has a much longer bottom drain run, and an extremely short return, so slow in and fast out.

    But never had any issues with the Nexus easy.

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