If your AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) High Definition Display or My AcuRite® account is not reporting rainfall from your AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) Weather Station, open the sensor to inspect the tipping cups that measure rainfall within the sensor for debris. These steps can also be used as routine maintenance to clean the interior of the sensor.
If no rainfall readings are being recorded:
- Confirm the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) display is showing 4 bars of signal strength (Wireless Signal Strength Indicator) during the rain event and/or that the My AcuRite Dashboard shows the sensor is online and updating during the rain event (How do I Check the Last Time a Sensor Updated).
- Be sure the stabilizer foam for the rain collector (put in place for shipping purposes) placed inside of the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensor has been removed. To open the rain gauge, use the black tab near the anemometer (see below) and pull it up.
- Make sure the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensor's internal tipping lever is able to move freely by visually inspecting the internal tipping cups. The black rain bucket detaches from the bottom half of the sensor using the clip indicated below to expose the interior where the tipping cups that measure rainfall are located. Inspect this area for any debris or obstructions that may be preventing the tipping cups from moving and measuring rainfall.
If you have not previously cleaned out the sensor, please complete the following procedure:
Items Needed:
AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensor, damp cloth, car wax, toothbrush (optional), mothball (optional)
- First, remove the batteries/power from your AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensor.
- Once powered down, open your sensor by detaching the rain bucket (black portion) from the bottom half of the sensor.
- After your sensor has been opened, remove any insects, cobwebs, or debris. An old toothbrush can help to clean out the hard-to-reach places.
- Check the drip pan (pictured below) beneath the opening where rain enters the sensor for debris. This part can be removed from the sensor for cleaning. Ensure that the drip pan is reinstalled in the proper orientation.
- Use a damp cloth to clean off the rain gauge tipping buckets and drip pan. Note: The damp cloth should only be used to clean the tipping buckets and drip pan. Do not use it to clean any other internal components.
- Place a small amount of car wax on a soft cloth and wipe down the tipping bucks to ensure that rain flows through smoothly. To test the rain gauge, slowly rock the tipping lever back and forth with your finger about 5 times. Wait 1 minute and the display should read approximately .05”. The MyAcuRite Dashboard will update every 5 minutes and may take a full 10 minutes to reflect the rain data.
- To further defend against insects crawling into your sensor, you may place a mothball in the nook, near the tipping cups. Adhere the mothball to the sensor with a piece of tape. Note: Insect repellent may be used for additional protection, but should not be sprayed on the internal components or into the sensor.
- Reassemble the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensor by reattaching the rain bucket to the bottom half of the sensor and reinstalling the batteries.
Here is a helpful video for cleaning the Atlas sensor:
Once you have cleaned out the sensor, please ensure the following:
- If you removed the tipping assembly, ensure that it has been re-installed correctly. On one side of the assembly, there is a silver plug. The silver plug is a magnet and must be above the compartment for it to register rain. Inside the compartment is the reed switch, when the magnet passes back and forth, it opens/closes the reed switch and that is how the rain is measured.
- The red light near the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) sensors battery compartment flashes every 10 seconds.
If the AcuRite Atlas® (7-in-1) is still not registering rain on the display unit or you would like to clear any false rain data that registered when testing the sensor, please perform the hard reset steps below.
Hard Reset:
Please follow the steps carefully as the order is crucial to the success of the reset. This will clear all historical data.
False rainfall reported during testing on My AcuRite® Dashboard cannot be deleted or altered.