Developer Pump Does Not Replenish Dks1710

[KenTen]

Hi Everyone,

 

My DKS 1710 is not replenishing the developer.  The developer replenishment pump works if you go into Super User (SU) and try to calibrate it (40 turns), but when the machine is printing it does not work.  All the other pumps (Blix, Stab, EauRev, EauBlix, EauStab) come on intermittently when the machine is printing but not the developer pump.

 

I have checked in Chimie.exe and the pump is not disabled.  I recently increased the developer replenishment rate in Chimie.exe because I thought we were under-replenishing due to poor blacks.  I later found out that the EauRev (Developer Water) pump was running continuously.  I thought perhaps it was due to a dirty level sensor, so I found the level sensors and cleaned them in the Dev tank.  That seemed to stop the run-on water pump but I next noticed the developer replenisher bottle level  on the side of the machine was not going down.

 

I put a graduated cylinder on the dip tube and activated the developer replenisher pump in SU (40 turns).  The pump did not make the cylinder level go down so I cleaned the Dev filter and the pump began drawing fluid from the cylinder.  I thought my problems were solved when I noticed the bottle level was not going down again.  Next I noticed that while the machine was printing, all of the pumps came on to replenish except the developer pump.

 

Does anyone know why the developer pump would work when I activate it through SU (40 turns), but not when the machine is printing and normally replenishing?

 

Thank you for reading,

Ken

[KenTen]

Here's another thought ..could I turn the CTO on in Chimie.exe, set it up to the same parameters as the developer, reroute the developer tubes to the CTO pump and get it to replenish developer that way?

 

Ken

Edited September 27, 2016 by KenTen

[Beach Photo]

Have you tried to lower the fluid level in the Developer tank to force a signal to the pump and get it going? It seems to me the pump is not getting a signal to replenish.

[KenTen]

Thanks for the idea.  Maybe the drain hole is plugged up and the tank is over level.  Seems weird that the eauRev pump wouldn't shut off too, but it's worth a try.  I'll report on the possible effect the high level sensor has on replenishment pumps.

 

I've noticed that the developer tank has foam on top.  That's something I've never seen before.

 

Does anyone know if there is a screen that shows the condition of all the sensors?  I though tthere was a screen on this machine (DKS 1710) but I could be thinking of another we had.

 

Ken

Edited September 28, 2016 by KenTen

[Beach Photo]

That was kind of my point. You have to lower the level of the tank to force a signal. I have never seen foaming developer either. In that machine the recirculating circuit is so weak I cant believe is is foaming the tank. I think the eauRev pump works on a formula instead of fluid levels.

[KenTen]

I lowered the level in the Dev tank and it worked immediately in concert with the eauRev pump to top off the tank.  Then it didn't work for a while and now it seems to be working fine.  Go figure.

 

I think the overflow hole on the back of the developer tank may have been partially plugged causing the tank to have an unnaturally high level.  That's my theory for now.  I'll check better when it slows down  The level sensors were pretty dirty.  That may have been contributing to the problem too.

 

Thanks for reading and thanks for the support Ronnie.

 

Ken

[Beach Photo]

Your welcome. At one time I had the drain hole in the bleach tank clogged up and bleach was getting into my developer tank and killing it real fast. It took me 3 changes of developer before I found out the problem.

[relaxia]

Dirty sensors usually dos not affect level readings. But foam touching sensors and blocked overflow hole .. yes for sure. 

think now where this foam came from this will be main problem. 

[KenTen]

Thanks Ronnie and Relaxia for the reples.

 

I'm using Axelcolor Chemistry now.  I've had no problems with it in the past but I've never used it for high production.  The foam seems to be the problem.  Is there a defoamer that anyone has tried?  I'm tempted to try some hot tub defoamer in the developer.

 

Where was your drain hole clogged and how do you clean it Ronnie?  Did you take the waste tanks off and run a brush through that tube going up?  Or did you find it in the back of the tank and clean it from there?

 

Ken

[KenTen]

OK I've got this figured out finally (I think).  It was the foam tripping the overflow sensor.

The drain hole was not clogged.  That was evident when I drained the tank, filled it with water and heard the water running freely into the effluent tank   It was the Axelcolor developer and small leaks in the Rev Pump line.  It appears that the Axelcolor developer is more susceptible to foaming than the KIS developer.  My rubber hoses from the concentrated developer to the REV pump were all degraded, hard and bulging.  I ran a straight line of windshield washer hose from the auto parts store from the dip tube to the pump.  This did not immediately fix the problem.  The developer in the tank was apparently somewhat "carbonated".  I remixed the tank with newer Axelcolor developer and the Rev pump started working reliably.  I still have some foam though.  I've asked Axelcolor a few times if this is a problem, and I haven't gotten a straight answer.  After we slow down, I'll renew the tank with KIS developer and see if I still get foam.  If the foam disappears, I'll likely avoid Axelcolor developer in the future.

Happy Holidays to all.  Thanks again to Ronnie and Relaxia for the help and thanks to all who read.

Ken