need a tip for priming automatic dosers

jhuntington12 · 05/04/2015, 05:46 PM

So I picked up a few dosers, and although the feed line seems to stay primed (full with fluid) the drip side has a couple of air bubbles. I have tried to run it for quite some time to see if they will push out, however they just get to a point where the bubbles run back up the line. Feed seems constant.

Is there any suggestion to get these drip lines full so that when the pump is turned on it immediately begins to drip?

thank you.

ca1ore · 05/04/2015, 08:44 PM

Doesn't really matter as long as the liquid is not draining back into the dosing container.

jhuntington12 · 05/04/2015, 09:04 PM

true - however the problem I am having is that I am running a few of them for a very short duration, and by the time it takes for the liquid to drip out, that interval is over. Sometimes its ready to drip, sometimes its got air before it goes....so its hard to get accurate. Didn't know if there was a easy technique to get it full of fluid.

ca1ore · 05/05/2015, 07:00 AM

It's downward sloping tubing on the output of the pump that encourages the formation of air pockets, so you can minimize them by limiting the length of the tubing that slopes downward. Cannot eliminate them though unless you go to much small ID tubing (which may impact the performance of the pump in other ways). As I noted, while varying air pockets may impact a dose or two, over time the pump will still pump what it pumps.

Bpb · 05/05/2015, 09:21 AM

It shouldn't matter as long as the bubble STAYS at the top and never travels back down. My BRS dosers develop about 2-3" of air in the line up at the top of the drip line and it just stays there, when it draws fluid up, it continues to drip, but it doesn't FILL the tubing, just kind of dribbles down the side of the bubble in the line if that makes sense. You can turn the dosing pumps to ON and hold up the drip line to where it is above the doser and it should push the bubble out, but it'll likely just return. Always does for me anyway.

05/04/2015, 05:46 PM	#1
jhuntington12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 96	need a tip for priming automatic dosers So I picked up a few dosers, and although the feed line seems to stay primed (full with fluid) the drip side has a couple of air bubbles. I have tried to run it for quite some time to see if they will push out, however they just get to a point where the bubbles run back up the line. Feed seems constant. Is there any suggestion to get these drip lines full so that when the pump is turned on it immediately begins to drip? thank you.

05/04/2015, 08:44 PM	#2
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Doesn't really matter as long as the liquid is not draining back into the dosing container. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

05/05/2015, 07:00 AM	#4
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	It's downward sloping tubing on the output of the pump that encourages the formation of air pockets, so you can minimize them by limiting the length of the tubing that slopes downward. Cannot eliminate them though unless you go to much small ID tubing (which may impact the performance of the pump in other ways). As I noted, while varying air pockets may impact a dose or two, over time the pump will still pump what it pumps. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

05/04/2015, 09:04 PM	#3
jhuntington12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 96	true - however the problem I am having is that I am running a few of them for a very short duration, and by the time it takes for the liquid to drip out, that interval is over. Sometimes its ready to drip, sometimes its got air before it goes....so its hard to get accurate. Didn't know if there was a easy technique to get it full of fluid.

05/05/2015, 09:21 AM	#5
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	It shouldn't matter as long as the bubble STAYS at the top and never travels back down. My BRS dosers develop about 2-3" of air in the line up at the top of the drip line and it just stays there, when it draws fluid up, it continues to drip, but it doesn't FILL the tubing, just kind of dribbles down the side of the bubble in the line if that makes sense. You can turn the dosing pumps to ON and hold up the drip line to where it is above the doser and it should push the bubble out, but it'll likely just return. Always does for me anyway.