chiller not working

[demifelix]

mine won't power on at all. does anyone know what could be the reason? It's an Artica, 5 years old.

 

[miami dolfan]

Check fuse

 

[demifelix]

where's the fuse at?

 

[rdnelson]

demifelix;782427 wrote: where's the fuse at?

Not certain but here is where I would be looking.

1. On the back next to the entry point of the power cord or next to the on/off switch there may be a black plastic screw off cap. If so, there is a fuse inside it.
2. If you don't see anything on the back, you may need to pull the outer cover off (make sure it is upplugged before you do this). Somewhere near the incoming power wires you may see a fuse box with a small fuse.

If you open the cover, becareful what you touch. There may be capacitors in that help the compressor start up. A capacitor acts sort of like a battery and stores energy so it could give you a pretty good jolt if you touch the terminals on it.

If you find a fuse, make sure to replace it with the same type and rating. One other word of caution. It is not common for a fuse to burn out for no reason. If it burned out, it most likely was doing its job. In other words, there was another problem in the chiller that caused the amp draw to climb which would have resulted in further damage to electrical parts. Therefore, the fuse is set to blow before it reaches that point. If you replace the fuse and it blows again, there is a problem internal that should be addressed. Don't just keep replacing fuses.

Hope that helps a little bit.

 

[demifelix]

Thanks Rich. I looked where I could but didn't see a fuse anywhere. Must be hidden. Could it be the control board that went bad? It's a great chiller until now. Do you or anyone know who can fix it?

 

[rdnelson]

If you wanted to bring it out this way this weekend I can run a few checks on the electrical side for you. Really hard to say what it could be for certain unless there is a wiring schematic on the inside of the case. Could be a high pressure switch has it locked out, low pressure switch, bad capacitor, etc. No guarantee I can fix it but I am willing to give it a try if you like.

 

[johniii]

I can fix it if you bring it to me. 10 years of commercial refrigeration experience.

 

[rdnelson]

JohnIII;783188 wrote: I can fix it if you bring it to me. 10 years of commercial refrigeration experience.

I would say your odds are much better with John than me. LOL I have some refrigeration experience but it was years ago and I no longer have the proper tools for that work.

 

[demifelix]

rdnelson99;783027 wrote: If you wanted to bring it out this way this weekend I can run a few checks on the electrical side for you. Really hard to say what it could be for certain unless there is a wiring schematic on the inside of the case. Could be a high pressure switch has it locked out, low pressure switch, bad capacitor, etc. No guarantee I can fix it but I am willing to give it a try if you like.

Thanks Rich. Let me see how far is John. I'll definitely take you guys' offer.

JohnIII;783188 wrote: I can fix it if you bring it to me. 10 years of commercial refrigeration experience.

Thanks for the offer John. Are you actually in Bowdon?

 

[johniii]

Yep I am in bowdon it is about an hour and a half from Suwanee. But I am in Cobb, paulding and Cherokee counties daily from 6am till 4pm

 

[frantz]

http://www.jbjlighting.com/pdfs/Arctica_troubleshooting.pdf">Trouble Shooting Arctica link</a>

[IMG]http://www.jbjlighting.com/pdfs/AquariumSeriesManual.pdf">Owners Manual Link</a>

I would guess the fuse is attached to #16 in the blow out pictures. Hope maybe the links help ya

 

[demifelix]

Thanks Doug. That helps alot. I'll take a closer look at #16 tonight.

 

[demifelix]

Found the fuse box and replaced it. Everything is working great now. Thanks for all your help.

 

[miami dolfan]

I knew it was the fuse....same thing happened to me years ago with a JBJ chiller as well.