Jobo ATL 1000 problem

[Pavan]

I hope someone can help. Recently I bought a used Jobo ATL 1000 . The machine has been sitting idle for about two months. Yesterday I tried using it, I first used the cleaning program, which I think went okay and then tried E6 3 bath, but the machine kept cutting off. Is this a fault or is it because the machine hasn't been used much lately? Could the machine be overheating?

A photographer told me that there could be a problem with the thermostat [he hasn't any experience of using the ATL 1000] and that if thermostat isn’t working properly the temperature will just ramp up until the PTC fails and the machine will cut off. If this is the case do I have a major problem? Can it be fixed?

Pav

[Trond]

I don't know what the problem might be, but you could try http://fotolaborservice.de/.

Very friendly and fast service. I'm sure he can give you some advise and he also has parts.

Trond

[Argentum]

I'm thinking that possibly it could be the water bath thermostat/regulator. Check your water feed is supplying water warm enough for E6 processing. i.e. stop it and measure the water bath temp.

There is one thermostat in the developer bottle which starts processing when temp is reached and I think another for the waterbath. the ATL1000 I used was old and didn't use the waterbath but it was only used for B+W so wasn't really necessary.

And when does it actually cut out? During processing from the chemical bottles or when it gets to wash cycle?

[Argentum]

Or possibly if you don't have water in the water bath then the heater may be getting too hot and cutting out.

[cesare]

A bit of a brain dump, help this is of some use.

I have an ATL1000 which I use for 3 bath E6 and B&W chemistry. I'll presume you are running it with a mains water supply, with a pump things are a little different.

Firstly, I think you are right to try the cleaning cycle. With cleaning selected, switch on with the cover open. With a tank fitted the motor will start and the tank will rotate back and forth. Fill each of the 6 tanks with water to the top. Use the wand by pressing the small black button on the side of the control panel.

Once they are all filled, close the cover. The machine should count down the bottles and run a cleaning cycle. Basically in turn it will pump the chemistry from the bottles into the tank, then invert the tank to empty them. Once the bottles are flushed it will rinse the tank a number of times from water via the supply. At the end it will beep to indicate it has finished.

Once finished, switch off, and inspect the tanks with a torch - check that all the chemistry has been successfully pumped out. If the chemistry wasn't pumped out it would indicate a problem with the seals/pump/feed lines.

Assuming the above worked as expected, you've tested the chemistry pumping, tank motor, tank inversion mechanism, water supply, basically everything except header/thermostat.

Next up, try a 3 bath E6. Fill the first 3 baths with cold tap water. Add a colour thermometer in the water bath at the right hand side of the water bath. Make sure the rotary drain knob is closed so the water bath can be filled. Attach a drum, close and start the process.

The drum should start rotating, and the water bath should fill from the water supply automatically. It rises until it reaches the line on the back of the bath (about 1 or 2 inches up the back). Once reached, filling will stop, and the heater will engage to raise the water bath temp to 38C. If you have filled it with colder water it would be good to check that the water increases in temp to 38. It actually rises slightly above 38, say 38.2 or something like that. You should see the temp rise quite quickly to this temp and stay there until the thermostat in the first tank hits 38. Whilst this is happening, there is no other behaviour other than the tank rotating.

Once the chemistry in tank 1 hits 38C the pump should start up and a processing run begins. I presume you aren't getting this far.

If the cleaning worked above as described, then the possible faults would be in the heater, the pump, or the two thermostats (one for the water bath and one for bottle 1). Isolating which of these misbehaves would be the key I think. My guess would be that the heating element has gone wrong, maybe from being run without water present or some other fault condition like that...

[cesare]

One other thing, if you are running with a pump not a mains feed, the water bath will not fill automatically. You need to fill by hand (well, by jug), up to the ridge on the back of the water bath. The switch between mains/pump is a contact within the 1/4 inch jack for the water pump. Basically if a jack is inserted the pump is used and only supply wash water, and doesn't operate for the wand or filling the water bath.

[Pavan]

I am running the processor with a pump. The cleaning cycle went through the steps as it should, but when I tried E6 3 bath [with water instead of chemicals] it started processing and processed the first step, then after it completed the rinse cycle it cut off, the processor just switched itself off. I thougt it was a fuse and changed the plug but it cut off again. I have been told that since I am using a large drum the 2551, I should remove the red ring on the cog lid as this causes friction and can overload the processor and cause it to cut off. Has anyone experienced this? I haven't tried this yet, but am hoping this will work.

Thanks

Pav

[cesare]

So you are using a pump - you've filled the machine manually with water right?

As for 2551 tanks, I use 2523 and 2553 without a problem with mine. The red rings stop the liquid leaking into the bath when they are emptying, so if you have some which are causing trouble you could remove them and see. Chances are though this has nothing to do with the problem you are experiencing. Why not run the process without a drum attached and see if the behaviour is different?

My guess is still some sort of trip with the heater not switching off. Fill manually with cold water (both the bath and the tanks) and use a thermometer to monitor the water temps. Make sure it hits 38C in the bath/tanks before the process starts.

Cesare

[Argentum]

also check that the programs are correct. Methinks you can modify them and someone may have changed them.

I think there is an option to reset machine to factory defaults and that may be worth doing so you know none of the programs have been messsed with.

[cesare]

The ATL1000 has no programming options, it's the ATL1500 that introduced that.

Another thought was to try a B&W program as it does't use the heater, and is little more complex than the clean cycle.

[Pavan]

I tried it again, this time with the red ring off the cog lid. I ran the cleaning cycle twice and everything was okay. When I tried E6 3 bath I monitored the temptrature it went as far as 37 [I think] and then the proccessor switched off. I waited about an hour and tried again the same thing happened, this is making me wonder that it's not the weight of the drum at all, if it's the heater is it a major problem to repair?

Thanks

Pav