Four Troubleshooting Tips for the Aquaworx Control Panel
Posted on by Eoghan O'Connor
The Aquaworx Intelligent Pump Control box panel provides an innovative approach to pump control. Designed specifically for the onsite industry, the IPC Panel leverages simple pressure transducer technology for the enhancement of pump system performance and ease of installation. Relying on an embedded microprocessor in the pump controller and a floatless pressure transducer in the pump chamber, the IPC Panel monitors liquid levels, controls pumping time intervals, and logs events in real-time.
Here are some of the common areas of the panel that our technical services team troubleshoots with customers.
1. Visual inspection of the panel components
- What type of battery is in the upper right-hand corner of the circuit board?
- If it is a AAA battery and it has become at all corroded, then this is often the source of the problem. The components surrounding the battery are sensitive and, if damaged, can interfere with the way the panel communicates with the level sensor. In this case a new circuit board is typically necessary. The new circuit boards use CR2032 (coin cell or watch style) batteries that are far less susceptible to issues and only need to be replaced once every 5 years.
- Has the varistor on the power terminal strip been damaged? The varistor protects against sudden high voltages and acts as a short circuit to protect panel components. They are typically black, about the size of a quarter, and will create a blackened area if damaged. This is rare and commonly cause by lightning or pump issues.
- Do any other wires or components look blackened or corroded? If so, it could be that gasses or moisture are finding their way into the panel. Check the conduit for appropriate sealing.
2. High Alarm
First, it’s a good idea to check the battery on the circuit board as outlined in section one. If the battery looks OK, then here are a few items to take into consideration.
- Consider any significant rainy weather. If it has been raining there may be issues with water intrusion at some point along the systems plumbing or in the tank/riser.
- Ask about the possibility of leaky or faulty fixtures in the home or facility.
- Ask about current usage in the home or facility. Have they had higher usage then usual?
All the above issues can lead to increased flow to the tank and overwhelm the pre-programed settings in the control panel. If the problem is corrected, then the liquid level should return to normal over time. The pump can be manually run if necessary.
3. Checking the pump and solid-state relays
The pump can be manually operated using the MARC controller or Tapper handheld controllers. If a controller is not available to you the pump can be manually run as follows:
- Turn off power to the panel. This can be done using a breaker or by unclipping the blue and yellow wire on the left-hand side of the circuit board.
- Press and hold the silence button on the front or toggle switch on the side (depending on panel style).
- While holding the switch or button, return power to the panel by switching the breaker back on or clipping the blue and yellow wire back into place.
- Once the board has power again (LEDs on the circuit board will light up), let go of the button or switch. This panel will now be in manual pump mode. This means that whenever, and for however long you hold the switch or button it will send power to the pump.
While in manual mode it is possible to troubleshoot the solid-state relays and pumps. The solid-state relay controls whether power can flow to the pump. One or two of these (depending on panel type) will be located under the circuit board. They are black square components with clear cases on them and a small red LED in the middle. While manually running the pump keep an eye on the red LED to see that it lights up. If it does then the relays are likely not the problem and power should be going to your pump. If the pump does not kick on the pump may be the problem.
4. Level sensor issues
These issues are often conveyed by three flashes and a series of beeps.
First, it’s a good idea to check the battery on the circuit board as outlined in section one. If the battery looks OK, then here are a few items to take into consideration.
- Clean the level sensor including the clear tube that comes out of the level sensor assembly. This tube should be free of liquid and solids. Inverting the entire assembly and rinsing lightly with water should clean the sensor effectively. Keep in mind that the clear tube is not open all the way through. Water introduced in the top will not travel out of the lower end and will need to be poured back out the top of the tube.
- Check the wires at the circuit board. They are the red, blue, and black (in that order) wires in the small blue terminal strip on the lower right-hand corner of the circuit board. If there is excess wire available in the panel, then old wire can be cut away to expose new wire and reconnect to the terminals.
- If you have a controller for the panel then it is possible to see the level that the sensor is reading. The sensor conveys how high the liquid has risen above the bottom of the sensor. If it looks to be reading an incorrect level, then the sensor can be removed from the tank, cleaned and tested in a bucket of water. If it continues to misread after completing the above steps, then a new sensor may be necessary. Keep in mind that the sensor wire cannot be spliced to add length, so it is important to buy one with a long enough wire. They are sold in varying lengths and can even be ordered with a custom length.
About the Author:
Eoghan O'Connor
Sales Development Representative
Eoghan O’Connor is the Infiltrator Water Technologies Sales Development Representative for the Central United States. Eoghan joined Infiltrator in 2016 and is responsible for assisting engineers, contractors and regulators with technical and design information, training, installation, and operation & maintenance of their onsite wastewater needs. Eoghan holds an associate degree in Fresh Water Sciences and a BS in Environmental Sciences from The University of Connecticut.
Contact us if you have any questions about this blog post.