Weepmizer thermostat adjustment

[Earl Weiss]

Seems my new weepmizer thermostat temp reading is too low. The sensor is on the north side of the buiding in a corner and recently read 30 degees wehn y car said 35 and no water on the ground was frozen.

This makes the weep com on too soon and on longer than neccessary intervals.

1. Can you adjust this to match another thermostat?

2. Would you simply change the programming to start it at 30 degrees which would realy be 35 degrees.

3. Would you leave it alone?

 

[washnvac]

On the back of the sensor cube, there is a small set screw beneath the silicone. You turn it one way or the other to calibrate. Turning it one complete turn clockwise will lower the reading about 2 degrees.

Pack the sensor in ice water for 15 minutes, and it should read 32-33. That is the accurate to check it.

 

[Greg Pack]

The older style are adjustable. If it is the new sensor with yellow wire, it is not adjustable.

I have a fluke IR thermostat. That's one where you point with a laser light to determine temp. I must say that I have checked my weep mizers and they are usually within 1-2 degrees of what my IR thermostat says.

Another thought, maybe the ground was warm from the day's sun. I guess it would be best to check it first thing in the morning before any radiant heat is generated. If all else fails, you can adjust- I just hate deviating from factory programming to compensate for an inaccuracy somewhere else.

I would check mine with ice as suggested before I adjusted anything. You can also add a second sensor if you have places where the temp on your site varies drastically.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Leo, I also did a big dance with my weepmisers 2 years ago. We have 5 of them and it seemed like they were always a few degrees off either way when I tested with an IR thermometer. I tried the adjustment screw and that seemed to work somewhat. There is a maximum adjustment of, I believe, 7 degrees so write down what you do. Adjusting the screws came pretty close that year, but then they seemed off again last year. I ended up sending them all in for recalibration, $30 or $35 a piece. So far so good after that.

 

[bigleo48]

You can hook up two sensors. The weepmiser will use the coldest setting. That's my setup and it works fine.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

I ended up sending them all in for recalibration, $30 or $35 a piece.

That's the route I had to take as well.

 

[mjc3333]

Had a similar issue at my one wash. I actually purchased a radio shack digital thermometer and hung it off the same bracket as the weep mizer sensor. The readings were exactly the same, but to me it felt either colder or warmer in the bay than the reading itself on certain days.

Hanging a second sensor will help (it will take the lower of the two readings), but is not foolproof.

I start my weep mizer at 35 degrees F with a 30 second cycle, not a one minute cycle. I start out at 10% on 90% off ( 3 sec on , 27 sec off). Then at 25 degrees F it becomes 50% on 50% off ( 15 sec on , 15 sec off). Then finally at 15 degrees F it is 90% on 10 % off ( 27 sec on , 3 sec off). Below 15 degrees F it is on continuously.

I have never had a problem with this cycle setup in the past 20 years.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

"I start my weep mizer at 35 degrees F with a 30 second cycle, not a one minute cycle."

MJC3333,
just curious why you run a 30 second cycle instead of a minute? Your weep solenoid will have twice the cycles on it by the end of the year, although I'm sure most are rated for several hundred thousand cycles.

 

[mjc3333]

Just curious why you run a 30 second cycle instead of a minute? Your weep solenoid will have twice the cycles on it by the end of the year, although I'm sure most are rated for several hundred thousand cycles. [/QUOTE]

If you use a one minute cycle at the same rates and percentages I use, you may end up having freeze ups.

I initially ran the weep mizer at one minute cycles.

35 degrees F 10% on 90% off which would equal 6 sec on 54 sec off
25 degrees F 50% on 50% off which would equal 30 sec on 30 sec off
15 degrees F 90% on 10% off which would equal 54 sec on 6 sec off

The cycles that ran from 25 F to 35 F were too long of an interval. I did have freeze ups with this especially around a day that hovered at 29 to 30 degrees.

Changing it to the 30 sec intervals solved the problem without using more water.

p.s. it has been a while since my weep solenoid needed to be changed