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Weather Station Hardware => AcuRite Weather Stations => Topic started by: Jim_S on March 30, 2019, 02:27:23 PM
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My 5in1 is mounted to my deck and has been there for a little over 2 years. Right now it's easily accessible from the deck with a ladder but in a week or two we'll be putting up the awning and it will be much harder to get to. It's been working fine with no obvious problems and I haven't done any periodic maintenance on it so far (I know, my bad) but the lithium batteries need replacing so while I'm doing that is there anything else I should be checking or doing?
Thanks!
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Have you considered the remote battery box?
https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-06052M-Battery-Weather-Sensors/dp/B01HDW57T6/ (https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-06052M-Battery-Weather-Sensors/dp/B01HDW57T6/)
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Have you considered the remote battery box?
Thanks for the response. The lithium batteries have been in for over 2 years, since I originally installed the station. They're still working but my Access tells me they're getting low so I figured I'd change them before we put the awning up. Changing batteries every 2 years or so isn't big deal for me so I think I can skip the remote box.
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If your good with tinkering and small screws I would recommend removing the fan motor(carefully wires are tiny)and giving each side of the motor bearing a few drops of 3 n1 household oil, I do this at least once a year this will keep the motor running virtually quiet
and proper RPM's. Plus you can check out the inside clean the rain cups of any dirt, etc,etc..
Also the wind speed cup bearings there are two and can be lubed also.
My 5n1 is now 3 years old and purrs like a kitten..
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What Daman said... The fan motor will work really well if oiled every year. Also use a very thin lubricant on the anemometer. I like to do it from the bottom if you don't have the dual solar model with the screw in the shaft. If you do have a dual solar. One bearing is on top and one on the bottom, so be sure to get them both. Mine flies like a propeller... and I have the best wind speed around now, especially since moving my station as far from the houses as I could!
(http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wind.cgi?call=EW5945&tz=240&last=48&xsize=300&ysize=200&units=english)
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Thanks daman and DoctorKnow! That's exactly the sort of information I was looking for.
Currently, I have the single panel model but, since I'll be working on it anyway, I ordered the two panel upgrade to install. I've been very frustrated by temperature spikes in the morning and evening when the sun is too far north to strike the single panel. Hopefully this will help (fingers crossed).
I did find an Acurite blog post on maintenance, "Spring Cleaning: Weather Station Maintenance" (http://generator.my-addr.com/generate_links-and-generate_link_code/link_generator_tool.php). Pretty basic stuff but still useful.
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One needs to dig deeper then AcuRites list of things.
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Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
I've always been told that using wet lubricant on items exposed to the atmosphere and intended to run dry is a bad idea, as the lubricant traps dirt/grime and grinds the shaft away over time. Graphite or a similar dry lubricant might work, but both of my 5-in-1's met their demises with perfectly fine bushings that saw no maintenance whatsoever. One was smashed by a tree contractor dropping a tree on it, and the other one is still spinning fine on the mast even though its flaky electronics finally failed last fall.....
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Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
I've always been told that using wet lubricant on items exposed to the atmosphere and intended to run dry is a bad idea, as the lubricant traps dirt/grime and grinds the shaft away over time.
Davis goes as far as saying "never", not just "not recommended". I just used CRC QD on my bound up anny and it's working as new.
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Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
I've always been told that using wet lubricant on items exposed to the atmosphere and intended to run dry is a bad idea, as the lubricant traps dirt/grime and grinds the shaft away over time.
Davis goes as far as saying "never", not just "not recommended". I just used CRC QD on my bound up anny and it's working as new.
So what does Davis recommend using?
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Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
I've always been told that using wet lubricant on items exposed to the atmosphere and intended to run dry is a bad idea, as the lubricant traps dirt/grime and grinds the shaft away over time.
Davis goes as far as saying "never", not just "not recommended". I just used CRC QD on my bound up anny and it's working as new.
So what does Davis recommend using?
They don't. I used the CRC to see how it would do and it worked fantastically. If it didn't, my replacement wind cartridge is due in Tue. just in case. It's now a spare.
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BTW, as you scroll down, it's quite evident when I put the refurbished anny back up this afternoon. =D>
https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=twc&sid=C2274&num=48
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They don't. I used the CRC to see how it would do and it worked fantastically. If it didn't, my replacement wind cartridge is due in Tue. just in case. It's now a spare.
Thanks! While I personally agree with you regarding wet vs. dry lubes, others have reported good results with oil over several years of use, so I'm not going to discount their experience either.
Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
Actually, the two panel "pro" unit has an opening (covered by a screw) for adding lubricant. I can't find the page now with the instructions, I'll keep looking but I think it says oil.
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They don't. I used the CRC to see how it would do and it worked fantastically. If it didn't, my replacement wind cartridge is due in Tue. just in case. It's now a spare.
Thanks! While I personally agree with you regarding wet vs. dry lubes, others have reported good results with oil over several years of use, so I'm not going to discount their experience either.
Just to be clear, the CRC I use is not a lube, exactly the opposite.
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BTW, as you scroll down, it's quite evident when I put the refurbished anny back up this afternoon. =D>
https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=twc&sid=C2274&num=48
Certainly did the job... Good work!
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Thanks everyone for your tips, ideas, and suggestions!
Seems like I remember from another thread someone suggested treating the rain bucket surface with something to help the water flow better. Good idea? Bad idea? (or maybe I imagined it).
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BTW, as you scroll down, it's quite evident when I put the refurbished anny back up this afternoon. =D>
https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=twc&sid=C2274&num=48
Certainly did the job... Good work!
Thanks, certainly better than it was. However, after further observation, I still think the cups are sporadically hanging up at a very low speed, guessing ~2 mph or less, and then sits motionless until there's a wind strong enough to break them loose. New cart will be going in upon arrival.
I'll post in the Davis thread afterwards with results.
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Update:
My "Pro" dual solar panel upgrade arrived, I've installed it and at the same time done a little maintenance. Basically just cleaning things up a bit and changing the batteries.
Since the pro upgrade includes a new fan and anemometer I didn't "lube" them but I will keep that in mind for next time. I think I'll practice removing the fan motor using the old unit so I don't break anything.
There was very little debris inside the case but I did remove what looked like an old spider next and dusted everything out as best I could.
The rain bucket had a bit of mildew growing on it (no much just a few specks) and it had a layer of dust which I cleaned and then I waxed the surface with some automotive wax to help protect it. Is the screen in the rain bucket removable? It would be nice to clean underneath it but mine didn't want to budge. I didn't want to pull too hard and break anything.
It turned out that the batteries were alkalines (duracell), not lithium as I'd thought (senior moment, I guess). Regardless they had been in for over two years in temperatures as low as 0 deg F and worked fine. I did replace them with lithium batteries and I'll be curious to see how long they last.
I did notice the case had yellowed considerably compared to the new pro upgrade.
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Let me guess, AcuRite didn't recommend using a wet lubricant on the anemometer bushings?
Found it!
Here is what Acurite recommends:
TO LUBRICATE:
1. Remove screw located below sensor’s
wind cups. Keep the screw for step 4.
2. Spray a small amount of lubricant into
the hole.
3. Tip the 5-in-1 Sensor upside down (so
wind cups are on the bottom), then
right side up several times.
4. Reinsert the screw (removed during
step 1) into hole.
While Acurite doesn't specify wet or dry, I do agree with you regarding "wet" lubricants. When the time comes I'm leaning towards using something like this (CRC Dry PTFE Lube) (https://www.crcindustries.com/products/dry-ptfe-lube-10-wt-oz-03044.html). I would not expect something like CRC QD to work well long term, it's a cleaner with no lubricating properties. It might free up a stuck anemometer but I would expect the fix to be temporary if you don't follow up with some lubrication too.
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I lube everything with a 3n1 household oil works great never any problems.
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3n1 is crap. Right up there with Thompson's Waterseal. Use a good lube: without all the stoopid (tm) additives and junk. As much as it pains me, the only maintenance I've done to my 5n1 is clear the rain colletor. 5 years now and it has survived hail, snow, -40 etc. and still works. If only I could say the same for my DumbHub.
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3n1 is crap. Right up there with Thompson's Waterseal.
Is that really necessary? If you've had a bad experience with a product, say so and explain what happened so we all learn but let's skip the name calling. Please...
As much as it pains me, the only maintenance I've done to my 5n1 is clear the rain colletor. 5 years now and it has survived hail, snow, -40 etc. and still works.
Thanks, that's the sort of information I was looking for. My station was up for two years with no maintenance and I found no real problems other than a single maple tree seed in the rain collector.
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Do your own due diligence on 3-in-1 oil and Thompsons and you will soon know.
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The last spray lube I used on my anemometer was the walmart brand spray lube. For me, this stuff has done the best job of anything I have tried yet. Super Tech I believe it is labeled.
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Do your own due diligence on 3-in-1 oil and Thompsons and you will soon know.
That's your opinion, it works just fine :roll: sheeesh, how do you argue with that!!
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So here are some other maintenance related questions.
What kind of batteries do you use? How long do they last? When I changed mine I discovered that they were Duracell alkalines (not lithium as I thought). They had been in two years, survived temperature around 0 deg F this last winter and still had some life left in them. This time I did install Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries and I would expect them to last a very long time. We'll see.
Cleaning the rain bucket is difficult with the debris screen in place. Is it removable (I couldn't get it out)? If so how?
I was surprised at how much the white plastic had yellowed. I know from experience that even a slightly off white surface will heat up a LOT more than a pure white one. Any ideas on preventing this?
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In general you should expect 18 to 24 months of battery life if all is working well. A degraded temp/humidity sensor seems to drain batteries quickly.
Personally I use Energizer lithiums. Acurite support prefers you use alkaline unless cold weather conditions demand lithium. Why isn’t clear.
The rain grating is removable. I believe it just snaps out, though you might need to squeeze it just right.
In my testing of yellowed and non-yellowed 5n1s, the temp difference was negligible. Proper fan operation is far more critical.
Some apply a car wax with a UV inhibitor to help prevent yellowing. The Atlas seems to have plastics much less prone to yellowing than the 5n1.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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A long time ago, I started a topic about painting the 5n1 glossy white. It worked very well... If your 5 n 1 is yellow, I would consider trying it. A caution though is to be sure you do not get paint in the vents, on the solor panel, or under the anemometer.
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Some really good info here. I'll have to keep the tips in mind next time I take my stations down for a cleaning.
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I find myself having to, again, confess to a senior moment :oops: . I was checking my WU profile and noticed that I joined in January of 2016 and not 2017 as I'd thought. That means my 5in1 had been running for a little over 3 years, without maintenance or new batteries (time flies when
you're having fun when you're old). My embarrassment aside I think that's pretty impressive performance from a low cost station. While the fan was a little noisy the anemometer was was working smoothly with no signs of binding at all. The wind direction vane is, if anything, too sensitive.
I am confident about not changing batteries or doing any maintenance on the 5in1 since it was installed. I'd remember that and I checked the batteries and they're dated 2015/07.
Personally I use Energizer lithiums. Acurite support prefers you use alkaline unless cold weather conditions demand lithium. Why isn’t clear.
Other than cost I can't imagine a reason to use alkaline batteries over lithium...ever.
The rain grating is removable. I believe it just snaps out, though you might need to squeeze it just right.
Thanks. If anyone knows exactly where/how to squeeze it just right I'd like more details.
Some apply a car wax with a UV inhibitor to help prevent yellowing. The Atlas seems to have plastics much less prone to yellowing than the 5n1.
I like that. It might help and it certainly won't do any harm.
A long time ago, I started a topic about painting the 5n1 glossy white. It worked very well... If your 5 n 1 is yellow, I would consider trying it. A caution though is to be sure you do not get paint in the vents, on the solor panel, or under the anemometer.
Thanks for sharing your experience and the results!
Some really good info here. I'll have to keep the tips in mind next time I take my stations down for a cleaning.
I'm glad you found it helpful. I'm hoping folks will continue to share their experiences, what worked, what didn't.
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My battery's lasted well OVER 2 years I was impressed!!