Aquaworx Frequently Asked Questions

Temperatures of 40° F and below will significantly reduce the biological activity of all bacteria. A properly functioning septic tank maintains an inside temperature ranging from 48 to 52° in northern climates during the winter. Although the bacterial activity deceases in the winter it does not stop. The temperature of the inflow effluent and the activity of the bacteria in the tank maintain functional temperatures.

It is okay to cut the Transducer wire to length from the tank to the panel. However, the wire should NOT be spliced. The high potential of corrosion when splicing the signal wire will affect the signal and could reduce the accuracy of the unit. The Transducers come in 6 different lengths eliminating the need for field splicing. The lengths are: 40', 80', 120' 180', 240' and 300'.

Yes, Aquaworx offers a heater unit that can be easily setup in an existing or new IPC panel. Contact customer service for more information.

Yes, a remote alarm can be purchased as an option with all Aquaworx IPC panels. The remote alarm will provide the same alarm sequence as the alarms on the main enclosure. The remote alarm can be located up to 2000' away from the main control box. Contact customer service to purchase.

No, it is important to provide two dedicated circuits to the panel – one 120/240 volt circuit to the pump and one 120 volt to the alarm controls. In a 2-circuit system, if the power supply for the pump trips the breaker, then the alarm will still initiate during a high level event.

The IPC standard panel is not setup to handle addition I/O's. However, if the Zones are set with a manual zone valve it is possible to run the panel in multiple zones.

Yes, using a IPC Sandfilter panel specifically for installations that require two separate pump systems each needing a separate transducer for each pump. (Product ID number: IPC-DSF)

The Transducer bell shape was designed specifically for the waste water environment and the Auto Clear function is designed to clear the Transducer bell should it become clogged. It is important in a time dose application to set the Auto Clear to at least one dose.

The Transducer wire can be run thru the same conduit as the pump power supply without interference. However, the Transducer is a low voltage wire and in some jurisdictions it is not allowed to run both High/Low voltages in the same conduit. Check with both regional and State Regulations first.

Many jurisdictions do not require a permit for this technology as it is typically considered to be “remediation” of an existing system that has already been permitted. Your local licensed contractor will know the permit requirements in your area or call a technical representative at Infiltrator Water Technologies for help.

Enzymes are proteins produced by living cells that catalyze biochemical reactions. A majority of he enzymes that pumpers use are artificially produced and introduced in concentrations that will break down and dissolve (make soluble) the organic material in waste. The organic load is changed in form but not removed from the system by digestion. This includes the solids that are referred to as “scum” in septic tanks. This may clean a tank of some organic material but the problem is passed down stream to the disposal area where it will hasten the failure of the disposal area. Standard septic tanks are designed to store organic material for future removal by pumping. Enzymes defeat this purpose.

The Remediator is different because enzymes are being produced by living bacteria. Any food that is hydrolyzed by these enzymes is immediately consumed by the bacteria. In fact, these living bacteria pass with the effluent downstream to digest residual organic material that may have built up in the past.

Please review instructions included with the remote alarm.

There are two options for retrieving the Event in the panel using the MARC.

1. Under the Events menu, you can retrieve each event the panel has recorded by viewing the screen with a Date/Time & Liquid level stamp. Each Event can be viewed one at a time.
2. Using the MARC and a 1 GB SD card or less, insert the SD card into the designated slot on the MARC. Scroll through the MARC menus to the SD Card Settings menu, until the screen says Write Events. ENTER Y (yes) to capture events to SD card, ENTER N (no) to skip.

Note: The MARC will show the events being transferred to the SD card. Once the data transfer is complete, the SD card can be removed and placed in a card reader connected to a PC. On the PC, click on the file to identify the SD card events file. The file can be opened using a word pad, spread sheet or text editing program.

Symptoms of a failed septic system vary from surfacing effluent in the area of the disposal field, surfacing effluent over the septic tank, strong odors, green lush grass over the disposal field, or backed up plumbing and drains.

This screen sets the current date and time in the panel. Using the MARC under the Time Settings press the enter button. The following screens will appear: Seconds (refers to the seconds in an hour), Minutes (refers to the minutes of the hour), Hour (current hour in a 24-hour format), Day (refers to today’s date), and Month (refers to today’s month). Preset the screens to match the time/date.

There three steps to remember when setting a IPC panel from Time dose to demand dose:

1. In the Mode settings the Stop at Zero needs to be changed from N (no) to Y (yes). This will tell the panel to stop pumping once the transducer reads a 00.0" liquid level.
2. In the Pump A settings the Zero Bias should be set to 1 level above the calibrated level indicated on the Transducer bell (if the ZB on the bell says 07 make it an 08, if 09 make it a 0A).
3. The Auto Clear setting needs to be changed from Dose to Seconds – typically 10-15 seconds.

Using the MARC controller, under the Mode settings, the Run Both / SFI (Sand Filter Interface) menu will need to be set to Y (yes). This will not allow Pump A to initiate if pump B has a high level alarm.

The control side of the panel must only be wired for 120 volt installation. For the pump(s) power supply, the line side of the panel, using 3 wire connect the red wire to the neutral or Pump L1 terminal block and the black wire to the Pump L2 terminal block. The white neutral wire can be cut back.

Follow the instructions provided with the panel.

Septic systems are simple in nature but are very complex and robust treatment mechanisms. A properly designed, installed and maintained system can yield decades of service life. However like any system it has a finite life and will eventually need to be replaced just like your car or roof of your home. Septic systems are not immune to abuse or neglect, so the system can prematurely fail if abused. There are several causes for failure (as described below) but in a majority of these cases the system can be overloaded and an overly restrictive biomat formation can occur in the leachfield. When this occurs water enters the system at a greater rate than it can be absorbed causing the system to back up.

The input wires should be connected to the wire terminal strip attached to the circuit board from left to right: RED (RD), BLUE (BL), and BLACK (BK).

For the Aquaworx IPC panel the dose volume is defined as inches of liquid in the tank. To convert from gallons to inches you must know the gallons per inch of the tank. (Ex: a typical 1,000 gallon or 4' x 8' square tank will have approx. 20 gallons of liquid per inch.) To convert from gallons to inches simply divide the gallons of the dose by the gallons per inch of the tank and this will give you inches for the dose.

The best way to use a redundant off is to wire a load rated float switch in line with the power in the pump vault. Secondly, many pump companies supply a “piggy back float” option.

The Remediator solution helps remediate most septic system failures using three key principles:

1. The Remediator is an efficient aerator of septic tank effluent producing high levels of Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The exposure to oxygen promotes the growth of more efficient aerobic bacteria in the septic tank.
2. The Remediator bacterial catalyst helps to digest the organic material in the septic tank.
3. The Remediator bacteria then travels within the highly treated effluent into the failed disposal field to aid in digesting the biomat clogging the soil pores. With the biomat diminished, the soil pores are more free to accept septic effluent – rejuvenating the disposal field.

The clogging biomat, typical of conventional septic systems, is an anaerobic biomat composed primarily of a mucus slime. The intestinal bacteria that dominate the load to a septic tank need to produce this mucus to protect themselves in the intestinal tract. This mucus fills the pore spaces between the soil particles, retarding the absorption of liquid into the soil. At some point the soil becomes so restricted that the system fails.

The Remediator Bacterial Catalyst are facultative bacteria capable of surviving and thriving in both the anaerobic and aerobic environments found in a septic system. The Remediator Bacterial Catalyst, when combined with the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) from the air diffuser, create an aerobic colony of bacteria that travels to the biomat/soil interface and consumes the mucus producing anaerobic bacteria that restrict absorption of the liquid into the soil.

The Remediator is unique in several respects.

First, the Remediator is not an Advanced Treatment Unit (ATU). It is an Aerobic Bacteria Generator (ABG) used for remediation of failed septic systems. It functions by efficiently converting organic matter in a septic tank into a rich colony of specific bacteria introduced and grown within the Remediator unit. The species of bacteria in the Remediator Bacterial Catalyst have an aggressive appetite not only for the organic material within the tank, but also for the mucous coating which clogs the biomat that forms in the soil of a standard leach trench.

The second major distinction of the Remediator is in its simple design. It is designed to slide into most standard septic tanks without any major construction. Most ATUs require the installation of a separate tank that adds significant cost to the repair.

In most applications the air tube should extend out of the stand pipe in the riser 10" forming a “candy cane” shape. The tube may be cut to length. It is important to always keep the open end of the tube pointed down, so water or moisture doesn’t accumulate in the tube.

There will be an immediate improvement in septic tank function as the tank moves from an anaerobic tank to an aerobic tank. Most tanks will make this conversion in a few days, and can be identified as the tank loses its harsh “septic” smell. Some systems require more time to improve disposal field performance than others because there are many site specific conditions that could be affecting the performance of the system. Generally, in temperate weather climates, an improvement is apparent in the disposal field within two weeks. Your licensed installer will explain the factors affecting your area.

Since the initial Remediator installations in the year 2000, more than 3,000 systems have been successfully installed throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The operating cost of the Remediator is pennies per day and is driven by the cost of energy to run the air pump. The airlift pump uses 25 watts of power.

The control power must be 120V. The pump circuit for the panel can be wired either 120 volts or 240 volts depending on the pump requirements. It is important to provide two designated circuits to the panel, one circuit to the pump and one to the controls. The primary load draw is the pump and the most likely component to trip the supply circuit breaker. With two circuits, if the pump circuit tripped, power would be available to the controls and would notify the homeowner of the problem.

If the timer schedule and/or the level functions are changed, the AUTO feature must be selected. This will upload the new changes to the board and is found on the MARC unit between Manual A and Pump A settings.

A small pump chamber can be setup for either time or demand pumping. It is recommend that if the pump chamber has a long dosing range (in inches not volume), and the pump in the chamber is large enough to quickly pump the chamber out, that it be setup using demand pumping. The Stop at Zero setting should be set to Y (yes) so, the chamber will not pump dry.

Yes, all Aquaworx IPC panel assemblies have agency UL/cUL listing.

If the MARC screen is going blank during the download, then it is probably receiving too much current from the SD card. This may be caused by too much data on the card, or too much memory on the card. We recommend a 1 Gigabit maximum SD card with dedicated use for the MARC.

The VETO feature is a second timer setting (also known as an override in some markets). If the flows increase above the Veto level, the VETO timing replaces the normal time settings. If the level in the tank is at or above the VETO level the panel will operate in the VETO schedule below it operates in normal time settings.

Each Transducer manufactured has a slightly different resistance rating. Every Transducer is calibrated at the factory prior to shipment. The calibration rating is recorded on the outside of the transducer. This value needs to be programmed into the panel at start up. This process matches the Aquaworx panel to the Transducer.

Any ongoing pharmaceutical drug treatment (10 days or more) by any occupant of a residence being served by the Remediator system should be brought to the attention of the local Remediator representative. This includes house guests. Pharmaceuticals create toxic compounds after being utilized in the human body. They are typically excreted in the urine. When allowed to remain in sufficient concentrations within a septic tank, these compounds can kill the entire bacteria community. These compounds will seriously diminish the capacity of any bacteria community within the septic tank. We have found chemotherapeutic drugs, antibiotics and immune suppression drugs to be the most problematic. Combinations of many different pharmaceuticals can also be toxic. The most important thing to remember is the longer the problem exists without correction, the time and costs to correct the problem typically increase.

The Transducer replaces the floats. It senses liquid level by comparing the air pressure in the bell to the air pressure in the tank. The panel translates the difference in pressure to the liquid level relative to the bottom of the Transducer bell. It attaches to a 1" PVC stand pipe that mounts to the riser pump vault the same way a float tree would mount.

A varistor is a variable resistor used to protect excessive current in a circuit. Our varistor is connected between the incoming line and neutral. This 130V varistor serves as over voltage/surge protection for the controller.

Timed system:

The air trapped in the Transducer bell needs to be replaced on occasion. During periods of low or no flow the level will start to drop in the tank. Once the level drops down to the start level the computer tracks the next dose or doses as auto-clear doses. Since the start level is typically set to one dose volume, the auto clear is typically set to one (Example: a 40 gallon dose would translate to a 2" dose in most 1,000 gallon tanks). During one of the doses the level will drop below the start level. The next 2" dose will then end below the bottom of the bell and the system will be idle until the liquid level rises above the start level again. In the case of small doses multiple auto-clear doses may be needed (Example: If the dose volume is 10 gallons, then ½" enough doses are required to draw the level to one inch below the bell, so in this case an auto clear of 4 would be used).

Demand system:

In a demand system the start level becomes the pump ON and the bottom of the bell becomes the OFF level. The auto clear is set in seconds – typically 10 seconds. (Example: Pump will turn on at the start level, pump down to the bottom of the bell then wait through the OFF time then run the additional time to clear the bell).

The Remediator Bacterial Catalyst is a proprietary blend of bacteria grown from mushroom compost. The blend is rich in Bacillus bacteria which are a facultative species that is able to thrive in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This makes it the perfect solution for the conditions found in septic systems.

Its purpose is to keep the clock running, which will allow the data logging to record when the power goes out and for how long the power was off. The battery can last up to five years without a replacement but, it is recommend that it be changed every year. If the battery is lost and the power goes out all data and all settings are retained and will function once power is restored, however, the date and time will re-set to 00.

• Dose = A recorded standard Dose from pump A.
• ADose = A recorded Autoclear Dose.
• BDose = A recorded Dose from pump B.

When properly stored as per the supplier’s instruction, Remediator Bacterial Catalyst has a reasonable shelf life of up to 24 months. The Remediator Bacterial Catalyst should be stored in a dark, cool, dry environment.

The first Remediator units were installed in the latter part of 2000 as part of a research and development program. To date, it has not been necessary to re-inoculate these early systems (excluding toxic materials chemotherapy by-products, prolonged periods on strong antibiotics). The Bacterial Catalyst should maintain a viable colony within the Remediator unit. It is recommended to replace the Remediator Bacterial Catalyst on an annual basis to ensure that the bacterial community stays healthy and to encourage routine site inspection by a licensed installer. This conservative approach is not costly and ensures the system is performing.

The Transducer has a 0.2 – 4.7 volt output with a pressure range up to 48" in the tank.

The pressure sensor in the Transducer bell is encapsulated in epoxy resin and is completely water proof. The operating voltage of the sensor, depending on the liquid level, is between 0.2 to 4.7 volts.

There is a variety of conduit sealing compounds available, but we recommend Chico SpeedSeal Compound, as it will quickly harden to a dense, strong mass and are UL Listed and cUL Listed.

This setting is designed to run both pump A and pump B during a Veto level. This setting is used in conjunction with a Duplex panel to pump the tank down faster. This should only be used if the pumps are small and both pumps can run on one circuit or if it is a specialty panel setup for individual circuits for each pump.

If the liquid effluent cannot soak into the soil surrounding the leachfield, sewage may back up into the system creating two distinct symptoms, effluent surfacing on the ground at a location over the leachfield or septic tank or alternatively sewage backing up in to the house. The possible causes for this problem are:

• Poor Soil Conditions. A leaching system placed in unsuitable soil for the flow generated from a house.
• Excessive Water Usage. A septic system designed too small for the house it serves or too small for the water generated from the house.
• Soil Clogging. If sludge or scum is allowed to escape out of the septic tank and enter the leachfield, the soil may become clogged. If this happens the liquid will not be absorbed into the soil. This can be a common problem if there is a failure to have the septic tank pumped. It is also important to note that over the normal operating life of a septic system this clogging will naturally occur and can eventually overwhelm a system.
• High Water Table. During wet or abnormally wet seasons, groundwater may rise into a leachfield and force sewage to the surface. This is normally caused by an error in design or a significant change in the surrounding landscape.
• Roots and Clogging. The roots of trees and bushes planted too close to the system can sometimes enter and block the pipes of the system. Removal of the plants and clearing the pipes of the roots can sometimes correct the problem.
• Physical Damage to Septic System Components. Trucks or heavy equipment passing over any portion of the system can damage pipes or other portions of the septic system causing a malfunction.

If the Log Status in the panel is set to Y (yes), then it will record every event once per minute. This will cause the 4000 event to fill-up quickly in the panel. The Log Status may be set to N (no). To change this using the MARC, go to Mode settings and press enter. In the first screen named Log Status, if you press enter the Log Status can be changed to N (no).

In some cases the Transducer or circuit board may need to be replaced. Check all connections. Test any component before installing it. Checking a transducer with a bucket of water is an easy way to see if the new transducer solved the problem.

When conditions are normal the alarm light flashes every 8 seconds. This is called the “heart beat.” This is a quick and easy indicator that conditions are normal. If the alarm is solid red with a steady tone the tank is in a high level condition. If the alarm is flashing rapidly there is a different alarm condition. All alarms are accompanied by an audible tone. However the tone may have been silenced. If there is a question turn the power off and on again and the alarm will sound again. If there is no tone check the connections on the buzzer located on the bottom of the panel.

The transformer is used to provide a secondary voltage of 12V to the circuit board. This 12V is used for supplying CB, alarm, relay control, lamp, and input and transducer power. The transformer is thermal protected, meets Class II safety requirements and is UL/cUL listed.

The Transducer wiring to the circuit board is not in the proper sequence. Make sure the input wires are RED (RD), BLUE (BL), and BLACK (BK) from left to right on the wire terminal strip attached to the circuit board.

The AC power switching is done via a solid-state relay. This type of relay is very reliable. It has a quiet state change (meaning no clanking noise), relative to mechanical relays (which can be heard thru walls when opened or closed). Optical isolation from the power and the control is achieved with this relay, supplying the pump(s) with on/off power. Our SSR is rated for 40 amps, max load for the panel is 20 amps -safety factor of 2.

Pumping the septic tank is not required, however if the tank has more than 3" of scum or 6" of sludge then the contractor may want to pump the tank to make installation easier. Once the Remediator is installed, it has demonstrated in the field that the septic tank can be pumped less frequently. Solids that enter the septic tank are digested and leave the septic system as gas. In addition, there could be cases where a physical problem occurs with some construct of the system that would require the septic tank be pumped to make a necessary correction. In most typical systems, the leach lines do not need to be jetted prior to installations. It is important to note that these recommendations do not supersede a local regulation that may require a specified pumping frequency.