Troubleshooting
Low or no gas production (hose connections, black cap not tight)
See ‘Operation Instructions – Testing the Gas Production and Lye Concentration’
No Bubbling
This indicates that there is a gas leak.
If no bottles are bubbling, the leak would either be between the PureONE and the first Purifier or it would be from the electrolyser cap. Make sure the cap is tightened all the way down.
If you still get no bubbles, disconnect the hose on the back of the PureONE from the first Purifier and plug that hose with your thumb (while the gas is being produced). This should over-pressurize the system and cause the PureONE to shut off its gas production.
This indicates that the PureONE itself is sealed and that the issue likely lies in the connection to the Purifier. If this doesn’t happen, double check the electrolyser cap is fully tight.
If some bottles are bubbling, the leak would be between the bubbling bottle and the not bubbling bottle. You’ll need to double check that the lid on the bubbling bottle is tight and that the connection between it and the next bottle is tight.
If you are still experiencing issues, please reach out to us by email or by phone.
778-460-7873
hi@pureffect.ca
Lye Spills
As lye is corrosive, lye solution can damage the paint on your PureONE. Some furniture/surfaces can also be damaged by lye.
To avoid damage from spilling lye, please use the provided funnel when filling your PureONE. You can also wrap a cloth or paper towel around the funnel to catch any drips.
Any spilled lye should be wiped up immediately. A spray bottle of vinegar can be used afterwards to neutralize any remaining lye residue.
Lye Leaks
The PureONE is designed with minimizing potential points of leaking in mind. However, if you see any signs of lye leaking, please reach out to us right away.
You’ll also want to clean up any lye that has leaked onto the surface on which it sits, and you may want to put your PureONE on a tray in the meantime.
Overfill
As the PureONE operates, the bubbles of Brown’s gas that form within the electrolyser will increase the volume of lye solution inside as they bubble through. As such, overfilling can either cause the overfill alarm to trip. In these rare cases, simply placing a 1” book under the front two feet of the machine should temporarily trick the sensor for a day or two until the water level recedes. Then you can test by removing the book.
If this does not fix the problem, please remove the black cap from the machine and pour out a bit of the solution in a cup and store for a few days until the solution recedes.
How to Fix and Avoid Overfills
If there is only a slight overfill:
- Place a book under the front of your PureONE to lift the front an inch or 2. This will drain some fluid from the float sensors
If that doesn’t work:
- Open the top of the PureONE and empty a small amount of lye solution. Don’t forget to reseal your PureONE with the black cap.
Contamination in the Lye Solution
Only use pure distilled water (0.5 ppm dissolved solids or less) in the lye solution, and only ever use distilled water to top up your PureONE:
- The PureONE requires a pure electrolyte solution. This limits unwanted reactions due to contamination.
- Mineral contaminants can also reduce the longevity of the electrolyser inside the PureONE.
Lye dissolved in water will form soap when in contact with fats or oils:
- This type of contamination can occur from oil on your skin, hair falling into the lye solution, mixing your lye solution in an improperly cleaned container, etc.
See “Contamination / Foaming” in “More About” for more information about how to avoid contamination from mixing / storage containers.
Lye Transfer / Bleed-Over
There is potential for lye to transfer “down the line” in your setup. This is avoided if the proper maintenance is followed.
A small amount of lye leaves the electrolyser in water vapor. The majority of this lye is captured in the Vapour Condenser, after which it drops back into the PureONE. However, trace amounts of lye can pass through the condenser.
The water in the Purifiers removes the remaining lye from the gas as it bubbles through. The Purifiers work most efficiently when the water inside them is pure – As the lye concentration in the Purifier increases, the chance for lye to transfer into the Infusion Bottle increases proportionately. To keep the Purifiers working optimally, we recommend replacing their water every time you top up your PureONE.
See page “More About” for other instances of lye transfer and how to resolve them.