Hydro-Temp Controller Frequently asked questions.

1.  Some settings will not change, how do I change the blower speeds in heating or cooling?

 

 Blower settings are preset at the factory at 400 CFM per ton in heat and 375 CFM per ton in cool.  These should never need changed.  If for some reason you have to change these settings or any others that are locked for viewing only you will have to change the security level to technician.  Please call Hydro-Temp for the technician level password and instructions.

 

 

2.  Is it important to update the firmware & if so should I a make special trip to the job to do so?

 

Version 1.0 was released on 9-25-08 and version 1.01 was released on 12-3-08 both have many small bug fixes, most of which are to fix advanced options and the looks of the toolbox and log programs.  Click here for a list of what's new in 1.  Yes you should install the newest version of firmware but a special trip just to update the firmware is not necessary.  It is recommended to update the firmware upon next service call or preventive maintenance check.  The firmware version should always be checked on each service call and update if needed.

 

 

3. How do I know if my priority / auxiliary hot water is calling or working?

 

You can always tell if your system is making hot water by looking at the P2 output to see if the hot water loop pump is on.  This light is at the bottom right corner.  The auxiliary hot water pump light is located on the upper portion of the board just above the PDA target.

 

 

4.  Can I hook all of my G wires up from my Thermostats?

 

Yes, Since the control board has a separate plug for each thermostat there is no possibility for feed back through the thermostat.

 

 

5.  I have a solid red light on for Freeze / High P / Low P. What does this mean?

 

The solid red light is an indication of a trip some time in the past or on previous boards we referred to it as a memory light.  If you have a solid red light that means that you have tripped that protection some time in the past.  A flashing red light means that you are shut down on that protection switch right now.

 

 

6.  My damper light is on. Does this mean its open or closed?

 

The green damper light comes on when the damper is calling to be open.

 

 

7.  I don't have a battery in my board. Will this affect it's operation?

 

The board will run, you will see the service required light come on.  Due to some programming issues it is recommended a CR 2032 3 volt battery be installed as soon as possible.  You are shortening the life of the board by not replacing the battery.

 

 

8.  What does the PWM light mean?

 

The PWM light means that the board is sending a Pulse width signal to the ECM blower motor which tells your blower to run.

 

 

9.  I have a Ranco hooked up for my Priority hot water. Can I still hook my sensor?

 

If you hook up both the sensor and the Ranco Aqua stat the system will run on which ever one calls for heat first.  The sensor is much more accurate and will normally turn on the system first.  Hydro-Temp recommends using the sensor only.

 

 

10.  What kind of time delays should I expect from the board?

 

The time delays can be field adjusted.  When the system leaves our test run area we will have the power up delay and limit reset delay set for 5 minutes.  The stage up delay will be set for 30 minutes.

 

 

11.  Do I have to have a Palm Pilot to work on the unit?

 

The lights on the board will tell you most of what is going on.  You will need a palm to adjust thermostat type, blower speeds and to set water temperatures if you use the sensor on the hot water tank.  The palm also makes it very easy to read real time temperatures of air in, air out, water in, water out, hot gas temp out, suction temp in.  One of the most useful advantages of the palm is to read these temperatures from the log at the time of a limit trip.  These temperatures and exact time of trip can be very useful to a service technician in diagnosing intermittent problems.

 

 

12.  I have anti-freeze in my loop. Do I still need the freeze sensor hooked up?

 

If you have anti-freeze in the loop the sensor can be disabled or unhooked then disabled.  Just unhooking the freeze sensor will make the board think the sensor has gone bad and cause it to lock out on safety.

    The freeze sensor is a major safety component.  It can only be bypassed when in advanced mode on the palm pilot.  This should be done by an authorized Hydro-Temp service personal only. Disabling the freeze without authority from Hydro-Temp Tech support will void warranty of the system.

 

 

13.  When I get a call from my T-stat all I get at first is just my loop pump. Is this normal?

 

There is a setting on the palm software you can set to allow the loop pump or well water valve time to open / start before the compressor will start.  If the system is a well water system this setting may be as high as 45 seconds.  You will also have a 5 minute power up delay that will limit the compressor from coming on if the system has just been powered up.  The pump may go ahead and run but the compressor will delay.

 

 

14.  Can I use my computer to communicate with the board? It has an infared port.

 

No.  Only a Palm Pilot will communicate with the board.

 

 

15.  Will any PDA w/infared work or does it have to be a Palm Pilot?

 

It must be a PDA or PDA equipped cell phone (palm treo) that runs the Palm OS (operating system) version 3.5 or later.

 

 

16.  The customer has a Palm Pilot. Would it be OK for them to use it on the board?

 

If the customer has a palm that is compatible with the board and the software that is fine.  Warn the customer against changing any settings.  They could easily create un-wanted service calls by adjusting settings.

 

 

17.  I am wiring up the sensors. I do not understand how to wire them and exactly where to put them.

 

All sensors are wired up in a daisy chain fashion.  Simply put from the board to the first sensor then from the first sensor to the second sensor, from the second sensor to the third and so on.  All sensors attached to a copper line are to be attached with the tin/lead plated foil facing / touching the copper.  They should then be taped and well insulated.

 

 

18.  What does the lettering beside the lights mean? DMPR, PSH, PSL, P1 etc.

 

The lettering is an abbreviated description of what that light means.  DMPR = Damper, PSH = Pressure switch High, PSL = Pressure switch low, P1 = Pump #1, and so on.

 

 

19.  Can I measure the voltage on the sensors to see if one is bad?

 

No, the sensors use two wires that communicate back and forth with the control board.  There is a small amount of voltage that is also pushed through the wire but none of this can be checked with a volt meter in the field.  All sensors can be checked with the PDA to insure proper function and accurate temperature.