Sera PRECISION seramic pH Controller Manual De Instrucciones página 17

9. Tips and troubleshooting
Important tips for pH electrode care
a. Do not use the pH electrode during treatment of
fish disease, treatment of algae, or while combating
a snail infestation. (re: contamination)! A contami-
nated electrode cannot be repaired and is not cov-
ered under warranty claim! Remove the electrode
from the aquarium during treatment and put it into
the protection cap, filled with sera care solution KCl.
Remember to switch off the CO
off the pressure reducer valve and remove the plug
of the control unit. Otherwise, uncontrolled CO
addition to the aquarium can occur without the pH
electrode.
Do not leave the electrode standing in the test solu-
tions or in distilled water for lengthy periods of
time. Storage (exceeding a few minutes) is permit-
ted only in clean aquarium water or in sera care
solution KCl. Never use the electrode for any other
than the intended purpose.
b. If the display on the control unit does not remain
stable after a certain time during calibration in the
test solutions, but drifts slowly into one direction,
the electrode is dirty and needs cleaning. Immerse
the tip of the pH electrode in the sera cleaning solu-
tion for 10 minutes maximum. You must never clean
the pH electrode with common cleaning solutions,
cloth, brush or the like! After cleaning, soak the pH
electrode in sera care solution KCl for 12 hours, then
rinse with distilled water and recalibrate.
c. Please note that the pH electrode tip must stay
moist always. It dries out within a short time when
in contact with air, and this leads to incorrect meas-
uring results. In such cases, soak the pH electrode
for 12 hours then recalibrate.
d. Water change
Before the water change, remove the pH electrode
and put it into the protection cap filled with aquar-
ium water or sera care solution KCl. Otherwise, the
electrode will dry out when the water level is low-
ered, which requires recalibration.
If the electrode is dried out, it creates havoc on the
control unit and displays a false pH value. Should the
electrode accidentally report an alkaline value, the
solenoid valve will open and cause uncontrollable
CO flow into the aquarium. The pH electrode does
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not react any longer, leading to a rapid decrease of
the pH value in the aquarium.
control unit, shut
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Another possibility: Leave the electrode in the
aquarium water during water change. Drill a hole of
12 mm (0.5 in.) diameter into a postcard-sized Styro-
foam plate with a thickness of about 25 mm (1 in.).
Insert the pH electrode into this hole and let it float
during the water change.
Important! When applying this method, do not lower
the water to the extent that the tip of the pH elec-
trode is in contact with the stones or gravel at the
bottom!
e. Immersion depth of the electrode (10)
Follow the immersion-depth indicators on the sera
pH electrode. Insufficient immersion may lead to
erroneous measurements. Immersing too deep may
cause corrosion within the electrode.
f. Aging
Although the pH electrode can be optimally cared
for with sera cleaning solution and sera care solu-
tion KCl, every pH electrode is technically subject to
aging. Symptoms of aging are, delayed reaction
time, inaccurate and drifting display values, etc. In
this case, replace the pH electrode by a new one.
Proper use provided, a sera pH electrode may func-
tion for several years. This includes storage (non-
use) time. The (limited) life span of an electrode
always begins at the time it is manufactured.
Water flowing back into/through the solenoid valve
(among other, in saltwater):
Caused by old, defective or missing safety non-return
valves, water may enter and destroy the built-in CO
solenoid valve (in case of longer exposure).
Note: Safety valves can become leaky due to deposits
after contact with water that has flowed-back, even if
the connections are tight at this time.
What to do if the water from the aquarium has flowed-
back into the solenoid valve.
1. Open the solenoid valve.
2. Press through a few milliliters sera aqua-dest with a
hose piece, e.g. by using a syringe. Allow the valve
to switch several times while doing so.
3. Connect a membrane pump and allow it to pump
dry room air instead of CO
noid valve for several hours. Allow the valve to switch
(close for a short time and reopen) several times
while doing so.
through the open sole-
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