neTWoRK / oPeRaTIon TRoUble
19
S O L A R H O T W A T E R
6.0.2. troubleshooting Operation
ISSUE
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SOLUTION
• Not Enough Hot Water
• Bad or no sensor readings
in the control software
Incorrect piping connections or
dip tube lengths
Check the heat transfer appliance tank connections and ensure the hot goes into the
top of the tank with a short or no dip tube, and the cold goes into the bottom of the
tank, or the top with a along diptube. Ensure the hot out of the tank to the fixtures is
not shared with the solar equipment.
Controller doesn’t turn on pumps
Check the sensors and ensure they are contacting the piping or tank sufficiently and
they are well insulated from the ambient temperatures to provide accurate readings.
Improper wiring or loose
connections
Ensure all the connections are placed in the proper input area i.e. the low tank sensor
actually does connect to the controller at T2; wire colors are oriented in the proper
terminals (Specifically grundfos VFS and RPS sensors), the connectors are firmly
connected and pressed all the way in or down, and all connections are metal to metal,
no plastic or wire insulation can interfere for proper operation.
Bad sensors or wiring
Use the Sensor Operational Test in 6.0.0. to determine if the thermistors are sending
an appropriate reading to the controller.
Sensor not installed
If the sensor reads a very low temperature in the range of -80°F to -110°F, the control
is not receiving any signal from that sensor, i.e. it is not installed or installed properly.
• Pump does not start
Controller is in OFF position
Review section 2.4.4. If there is no jumper in the correct location, use the jumper
located at JP5 for resetting the network parameters (No jumper at JP5 has no affect
on the network parameters).
No electricity to pump
Check the pump wiring to ensure pump(s) have correct wires at the terminals (i.e.
white goes to N, green to ground, etc) and at the relay contacts. Measure voltage at
the relay contact to determine if voltage is supplied. Ensure the unit is plugged in and
the controller voltage switch is set to provide the correct voltage. Check the fuse to
make sure it has not blown.
Differentials are set too high
Adjust the differentials back to the defaults as described in section 4.2.1.
Loose or bad contact
Clean contacts and firmly place connections, ensure metal to metal contact.
Bad sensors or wiring
Use the Sensor Operational Test in 6.0.0. to determine if the thermistors are sending
an appropriate reading to the controller.
• Pump cycles on and off
Minimal solar energy available
This can be normal operation in fall, winter and spring depending on the collector to
storage ratio. To alleviate in these months:
• Set a higher ON differential
• Increase the usable collector temperature
For open loop systems, the freeze
protection may be set too high
Decrease the temperature at which the controller will recirculate hot storage water to
prevent freezing; see section 4.2.1. to reset the default value.
Bad sensors or wiring
Use the Sensor Operational Test in 6.0.0. to determine if the thermistors are sending
an appropriate reading to the controller.
• Pump runs continuously
Controller is in ON position
Review section 2.4.4. and remove any unnecessary jumpers.
Usable Collector Temperature is
set too low
Increase the temperature at which the collector must reach to begin monitoring the
differential function; see section 4.2.1. to reset the default, or increase the value.
Bad sensors or wiring
Use the Sensor Operational Test in 6.0.0. to determine if the thermistors are sending
an appropriate reading to the controller.
6.0.1. troubleshooting Network Issues continued
ISSUE
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SOLUTION
• Can’t connect to the
controller on a network
[Wi-Fi] Router incompatible
The Wi-Fi router must be able to handle 802.11 b/g communication. The encryption
MUST be either Open, WPA - TKIP, or WPA2 - AES. If trouble exists with the
encryption, set the router to filter MAC addresses in open communication and add all
the MAC addresses destined for the network. See 4.1.0. for the controller’s MAC.
Incorrect network settings
Consult an IT professional or system administrator to ensure the correct parameters
are set in the controller for use on the network. If the settings were changed, the
controller will be available at the new saved IP Address rather than the default.
• Can’t get into the settings
Credentials were entered
incorrectly
The User ID and password are case sensitive, and must be entered exactly as the
defaults or saved value. See section 3.0 for default user ID and password.
Password was changed
If the password was changed and forgotten, follow section 2.4.5. to reset to the
defaults. This will also reset any changed network parameters.
