Maintenance & Troubleshooting
KL50555 RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller | Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Maintenance
If the glycol solution has been stored for an extended period of time then it is suggested to replace the solution, despite glycol having antimicrobial properties.
To replace the glycol empty the reservoir using the drainage port and then refill with the required concentration of glycol using a refractometer to confirm the concentration.
NOTE: It is recommended to drain and replace the gylcol solution every 12 months to avoid freezing issues, as glycol can break down and lose effectiveness over time
Clean out dust from the radiator periodically to maintain optimum efficiency
Troubleshooting
Reservoir not reaching Set Point Temperature
Thermal Loss
If the reservoir does not reach the Set Point Temperature when cooling, this can be due to thermal loss in the system. See Checking System for Thermal Loss below
Insufficient Clearance
A minimum of 100mm clearance is required on each side of the glycol chiller (except the front) to ensure adequate heat dissipation for the condensers. Move the unit into open space to improve cooling efficiency
Pump not working
Set Point Temperature not correct
The pump will cycle on or off as called by the cooling relay of the front controller. If the ambient temperature is higher than the set point, the pump will activate. Check that the set point temperature is lower than the measured temperature
Temperature probe in wrong location
For the most accurate results use a thermowell in the fermenter to insert the temperature probe
Faulty or blocked pumps
The pumps may be blocked due to contaminaints or ice build up in the reservoir. Empty, clean and flush the reservoir then test again
Checking System for Thermal Loss
The cooling power of the Glycol Chiller is independent of the cooling power of the system - IE the system when connected to fermenter(s). For best results it is important to minimise thermal loss by insulating all lines and fermenters, running as short a line as possible, and ensuring inlets and outlets of cooling coils or jackets are correctly connected.
If the Glycol Chiller is not cooling as expected, or if it is not cooling to the current set point, this can indicate that the thermal losses in the system are too great for the Glycol Chiller to overcome.
To determine if this is a issue with the unit or if it is an issue with the setup it is important to test the cooling Power of the Glycol Chiller independantly.
To do this, the Gylcol Chiller must be isolated from the fermenters and tubing connecting to the fermenters. We want to only test the cooling power of the reservoir. AS the included JoinTech fittings are a dry break this can be done by removing any connected coolant lines from the RAPT Bluetooth Glycol Chiller
When disconnected, fill the reservoir with fresh gylcol solution or with water. NOTE: If using water do not set the reservoir temperature below 2° as this may cause freezing issues.
Make a note of the starting temperature - this will be the ambient temperature or thereabouts. Make a note of the time this reading is taken.
Set the reservoir to 0°C (if using glycol) or 2°C if using water.
Leave the Glycol Chiller to run, checking every 10 minutes to observe and note the temperature of the reservoir.
When the set point temperature has been reached, make a note of the total time taken to reach this temperature.
If the Glycol Chiller takes a long time to reach the set point temperature - in excess of 4 hours* then there may be an issue with the Glycol Chiller preventing it from cooling effectively - see Reservoir not reaching Set Point Temperature Troubleshootiing above.
*NOTE: This number is a guide only and external factors will play a part in performance.
If the set point temperature is reached in a reasonable timeframe then it is likely that any cooling issues are caused by thermal loss in the system. To combat this, reduce the line length, check that the inlet and outlet are the right way round and insulate the fermenter(s).
It is recommended to set the reservoir temperature to around -5°C when using glycol solution when crash cooling (for example).
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