upster

This weekend was crazy with spring league hockey and golf so this is my first chance to post my first experience with my new doser. The three pumps will eventually be used to dose alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium. For now, it'll be just the big two.

Installation - I decided to mount the unit above the reservoirs. This was done using two L brackets used for holding up shelves. I found these for a few dollars at the hardware store. The unit is 9 1/4 inches long and sits well with no real chance of movement. The power chord on this unit is really neat. The socket swivels which should give it a better chance fitting into tightly packed power bars. It's a small thing, but I thought is was kinda trick.





Programming - Because I had setup everything including the lines and liquids I got a bit of a shock when pump 1 began running as soon as it received power. I assumed that the program would be blank, not so. Not a big deal, out of the box pumps 1 and 2 were set to dose 40ml per day on 6 intervals. This is about the extend of the programming options. Simple, perfect for someone like me. The instructions say that the unit comes installed with a memory so the programming will be saved if the unit loses power. The "problematic" english translation of the instructions were fine to get me going. Pretty much just set the clock and the two options for each pump. I set the pumps one and two to dose 45 ml at 6 intervals per day.The buttons were really hard but it shouldn't matter in the long run. Hopefully, these will soften up with time.

Concerns

- The instructions say that the unit should not be used in a "damp environment." I don't know what that means to an aquarium product, but I placed the unit out of direct contact with splashes.

- The strength needed to push the buttons means that you almost need an extra hand to hold the unit in place.

- The air line included is a bit small for the fittings on the inlet and outlet. Really just a nit picky thing, but it would have been nice if the line could be pushed all the way up to the "hilt" of the connector.

- The unit is not silent. Not a deal breaker for me, but it will be noticeable when the pumps cycle. The sound produced isn't much more than the hum of my MP40w.

- This is still a new product. Both good and bad reviews are few and far between. Maybe a lack of horror stories is a good thing!

Positives

- Ease of use! Very straight forward and intuitive interface.

- Price. The unit is priced such that you get a third pump for free compared with the comparable Aqua Medic doser.

- No flow valves needed. Apparently, the pumps have four rollers so there is no back flow.



I hope this is a help to anyone looking into this dosing unit. Overall, I am very happy with the easy setup right out of the box. Whether the roller assemblies hold up over the years is anyone's guess. I'll be sure to post any problems I encounter.