43
11. Problem Identification and Resolution
11.1 Common Operation Problems
1. Prover doesn’t stabilize at the proper Flow Rate
For 2M/10M, 10M portion of 80M Systems
The most likely cause would be a problem with the valve mechanism. Some examples of this include a
sticking solenoid, valve, or valve linkage; a worn, damaged, or improperly adjusted valve linkage; or an
obstruction in the valve, valve piping, meter(s), silencer, or hose(s). A malfunction by the Blower or the
Blower's Controller may also be the cause. For suspected Blower problems, try swapping the Blower power
cords where they connect into the Controller. Try turning the Controller off and then back on to reset the
electronics. Then reconfigure or reselect the test settings, restart, and rerun the test. Flow Rate surging is
typically due to insufficient back pressure in the system, which causes the valves to open too far. Blowers
at maximum power usually means that there is a restriction somewhere in the system or that the
solenoid-operated butterfly valve is not opening properly.
For Mobile 5M, 20M/5M and 80M portion of 10M/80M Systems
The most likely cause is a malfunction in the motorized gate valve, slip clutch, or gear reduction mechanisms.
Turning the power switch off and then back on causes the Controller to energize the valve positioning motor
to close the gate valve. The slip clutch must not slip until the gate valve is fully closed. Once the valve closes,
the slip clutch should slip for several seconds.
2. One or more of the Blowers comes on without initiating a test
The Blower(s) are controlled by the electronics in the Controller. If one of the triacs controlling the Blower(s)
operation shorts or leaks, the Blower may start or run faster than it is supposed to. Usually turning the
Controller off, waiting a few seconds, then turning it back on will correct the problem. If the problem
persists, contact the factory for assistance.
3. The test stops shortly after the Blowers start (the Blowers start and then stop almost immediately)
If the Controller gets no indication that the Master Meter's impellers have started rotating, the Controller will
stop the test once the Blowers start. No error messages appear but the test ends with no indication other
than that the Blowers have stopped. This commonly occurs after a Leak Test when you forget to remove the
seal at the inlet of the Field Meter or upon initial start up if the shipping seals have not been removed from
the Master Meter(s) and the air exhaust(s) port. It could also occur if debris or trash restricts air flow or
locks up the Master Meter. Insufficient power can also cause this problem.
4. The Prover software or the computer locks up
If this happens, make note of where and how the malfunction occurred and what keys were pressed.
Be able to describe exactly what appeared on the screen before and after the problem occurred. Try turning
the computer and the Controller off, wait several seconds, and turn both of them back on again; then
attempt to duplicate the problem. Make certain that at least 32 megabytes of RAM memory are available to
the Prover software. Try opening other software programs that are installed on the computer (for example a
spreadsheet or a word processing program) to verify that the computer is fully functional. If the computer
itself does not appear to be the problem, try reinstalling the Prover software from the original disk (or the
backup of the original disk). If the problem persists, contact the factory for assistance. Refer to Getting
Assistance/Service in the Help Directory.
