ERR3 is displayed when the batch tank fill volume is significantly greater than expected.

Most Common Cause:  leak in the nozzle circuit.

Other Potential Causes:

• System Setup does not reflect installed system – 1) more nozzles installed than entered, 2) actual flow rate (AFR) is much greater than estimated nozzle flow rate (NFR) in controller, 3) the tolerance in the error calculation (TOL) is too small
• Flowmeter:  1) not working properly, 2) flow of water from the faucet is too high or turbulent for flowmeter to read correctly.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Attempt to reproduce ERR3:

• Clear error – press Red MENU/Stop button for 5 seconds.
• Run Manual Mist – press the Up and Down arrow simultaneously and hold for 2 secs.
• If ERR3 results, proceed with next steps.  Otherwise, run more Manual Mists to ensure system is working properly. (see Note about Slow/Small Leaks in Step 5)

2. Confirm System Setup is correct:

• Confirm nozzle count in controller (NOZ in Setup Menu) reflects number of nozzles installed.
• Confirm nozzle flow rate (NFR in DATA Menu) is reasonable (35 – 50 ml/min)
• Confirm tolerance (TOL in DATA Menu) is correct:

• If Setup changes are required, run Manual Mists to confirm system is working properly.

3. Confirm flowmeter is working correctly with Flowmeter Diagnostic.

• See Gen 3:  Flowmeter Diagnostic

4. Inspect nozzle circuit for leaks.

• Run an extended inspection cycle (MTCE Menu, press and hold INS) and look for leaks

5. Note About Slow, “Line-Fill” Leaks: 

During the hours between mist cycles, fluid can leak out of a fitting or drip out of nozzles and drain the nozzle circuit. The next time the unit mists, the nozzle circuit must be refilled completely and this may be a large enough additional volume to cause an ERR3.  Small leaks are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot because they are difficult to reproduce while onsite.

6. Additional Resources for Troubleshooting ERR3:

• Leak Diagnosis and Troubleshooting
• Troubleshooting Error 3: Line-Fill Leaks
• Troubleshooting Error 3: Elevated Nozzle Circuits
• Dripping Nozzles: Diagnosis and Troubleshooting

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• Error 3 on controller/High AFR in Data menu
• Visible Leak
• Portion(s) of nozzle circuit not misting adequately
• Insecticide’s fluid level runs empty faster than expected

Record Info and Run Troubleshooting Tests:

1.  Before running ANY mist cycle, record the AFR that caused the Error 3

• The AFR value can be found by going to the “DATA” menu and looking for “AFR”.
  • AFR stands for the Average Flow Rate (per nozzle) during a mist.
• Run a short inspection mist cycle until all nozzles are misting, then stop the inspection by hitting the red “MENU” button.
• Run a manual mist cycle by holding down the “UP” and “DOWN” arrows simultaneously while in the main menu.
• After completion of the manual mist, check and compare the new AFR to the original AFR that caused the error 3.
  • If the AFR remains the same/caused another error 3, proceed to Test 2.
  • If the misting unit no longer displays error 3 after a mist AND the AFR goes down by at least “10”, then proceed to our article on (Line-Fill Leaks Article Link).

2.  Visually Inspecting Nozzle Circuit To Find Leak

• Run an inspection mist cycle.
• Walk around and inspect nozzle circuit while unit is misting.
• Look for difference in mist intensity between adjacent nozzles or sections of nozzles that are misting poorly/not misting at all.
  • You can also use an in-line pressure tester (Part #28000) to check for noticeable drops in pressure between adjacent nozzles/branches to help determine the location of a leak.
• Check for and fix any leaks in tubing or fittings around these areas.
• Run a manual mist cycle.
  • Observe mist intensity of nozzles now that a leak has been fixed.
  • If error 3 returns once the manual mist cycle is complete, that would indicate that the nozzle circuit contains at least one more leak.
• Double check the AFR in the DATA menu after the manual mist and compare to the AFR from Test 1.
  • The AFR should at least have gone down after fixing the first leak.
• Repeat Test 2 as necessary until error 3 no longer appears after a manual mist and the mist intensity of the nozzles meets expectation.
• If there are no obvious visual differences in performance between nozzles, proceed to Test 3.

3.  Segmenting Nozzle Circuit Branches To Find Leak

• Choose a branch or section of the nozzle circuit to temporarily remove for testing purposes.
• Block off the chosen branch of the nozzle circuit using a plug.
  • Make sure to adjust the controllers original nozzle count by the number of nozzles on the plugged test branch to match the number of actively misting nozzles, otherwise this test will be inaccurate.
• Run a manual mist cycle.
  • If error 3 returns once the manual mist cycle is complete, that would indicate that the nozzle circuit likely contains a leak in another branch.
• Double check the AFR in the DATA menu after the manual mist and compare to the AFR from Test 1.
  • If the AFR has gone down, then there is a leak in the current branch that was removed for testing.
  • If the AFR saw minimal (less than 5) or no change, then there is no leak in the current branch that was removed for testing.
• Re-add the “test” branch to the nozzle circuit, run an inspection mist, and fix any leaks found.
  • Adjust the controller’s nozzle count back to normal once the test branch is re-added.
• Repeat Test 3 as necessary by choosing other branches until error 3 no longer appears after a manual mist.

4.  Replace Buried Tubing With New Tubing Above Ground

• This test is ideal for nozzle circuits that have only a small amount of tubing that runs underground.
• Choose a section of tubing that is underground and disconnect from the rest of the nozzle circuit at each end.
• Run a new line of tubing in its place above the ground.
• Run a manual mist cycle.
  • If error 3 returns once the manual mist cycle is complete, that would indicate that a different buried section of the nozzle circuit has a leak.
• Double check the AFR in the DATA menu after the manual mist and compare to the AFR from Test 1.
  • If the AFR has gone down, then there is a leak in the current buried branch that was removed for testing.
  • If the AFR saw minimal (less than 5) or no change, then there is no leak in the current buried branch that was removed for testing.
• Fix any leaks or replace the chosen buried line with new tubing.
• Repeat Test 4 as necessary at other sections of the nozzle circuit that are buried until error 3 no longer appears after a manual mist.

The post Leak Diagnosis and Troubleshooting (w/Leak Detection) appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

• Visible Leak
• Portion(s) of nozzle circuit not misting adequately
• Drum’s actual fluid level runs empty before the controller’s volume gauge

Troubleshooting Tests:

1.  Visually Inspect Nozzle Circuit To Find Leak

• Run an inspection mist cycle by going to the controller’s “Maintenance” menu, looking for “INS“, and holding down the “green” button. Take note of/record the pressure that is being read by the pressure gauge on the misting unit.
• Walk around and inspect nozzle circuit while unit is misting.
• Look for difference in mist intensity between adjacent nozzles or sections of nozzles that are misting poorly/not misting at all.
• Check for and fix any leaks in tubing or fittings around these areas.
• Run another inspection mist cycle.
• Compare the pressure at the misting unit and the mist intensity of the nozzles to the previous mist.
• Repeat Test 1 as necessary until pressure and mist intensity of nozzles meets expectation.

2.  Segment Nozzle Circuit Branches To Find Leak

• Run an inspection mist cycle and take note of/record the pressure that is being read by the pressure gauge on the misting unit.
• Stop the inspection mist cycle and choose the branch or section of the nozzle circuit that is not misting well to temporarily remove for testing purposes.
• Block off the chosen branch of the nozzle circuit using a metal plug.
• Run another inspection mist cycle and observe if pressure rises at the misting unit:
  • If pressure goes up to expected levels (230 psi – 250 psi), then your leak can be found at the branch that was blocked off for testing.
  • If pressure does not change, then the leak is in another area of the nozzle circuit and Test 3 will have to be repeated with a different branch.
  • If pressure only marginally goes up, the nozzle circuit may have leaks in multiple branches. Re-add the currently removed branch to the nozzle circuit, run an inspection cycle, and look closely for any potential leaks to fix.
• Repeat Test 2 as necessary until pressure and mist intensity of nozzles meets expectation.

3.  Replace Buried Tubing With New Tubing Above Ground

• This test is ideal for nozzle circuits that have a small amount of tubing that runs underground.
• Run an inspection mist cycle and take note of/record the pressure that is being read by the pressure gauge on the misting unit.
• Choose a section of tubing that is underground and disconnect it from the rest of the nozzle circuit at each end.
• Connect a new line of tubing in its place above the ground.
• Run another inspection mist cycle.
• Compare the pressure at the misting unit and the mist intensity of the nozzles to the previous mist.
  • If pressure or nozzle performance improves, that section of buried tubing has a leak.
  • If there is no improvement in either metric, then other sections of buried tubing must be tested.
• Fix any leaks or replace the chosen buried line with new tubing.
• Repeat Test 3 as necessary at other sections of the nozzle circuit that are buried until pressure and mist intensity of nozzles meets expectation.

The post Leak Diagnosis and Troubleshooting (No Leak Detection) appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

Symptoms:

• Error 3 on controller/High AFR in Data menu
• No Visible Leak
• Difficult to reproduce Error 3 while testing on-site

Record Info and Run Troubleshooting Tests:

1.  Before running ANY mist cycle, record the AFR that caused the Error 3

• The AFR value can be found by going to the “DATA” menu and looking for “AFR”.
  • AFR stands for the Average Flow Rate (per nozzle) during a mist.
• Run a short inspection mist cycle until all nozzles are misting, then stop the inspection by hitting the red “MENU” button.
• Run a manual mist cycle by holding down the “UP” and “DOWN” arrows simultaneously while in the main menu.
• After completion of the manual mist, check and compare the new AFR to the original AFR that caused the error 3.
  • If the misting unit no longer displays error 3 after the manual mist mist, proceed to Test 2
  • If the AFR remains the same and caused another error 3, proceed to our article on (Leak Diagnosis and Troubleshooting Link).

2.  Reduce Post-Mist HLD (Hold) Time

• Because this type of leak usually can’t be found on the initial service visit, the following setting that governs error 3 will be adjusted.
  • Find “TOL” in the SETUP menu and adjust it to 100.
• This adjustment will create a window for the misting unit to operate normally while buying time for the leak to grow and become visible. The unit should eventually encounter an error 3 again, but at that point the leak path should have expanded and be easier to troubleshoot.

The post Troubleshooting Error 3: Line-Fill Leaks appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

Symptoms:

• Error 3 on controller/High AFR in Data menu
• No Visible Leak
• Fluid level in drum is higher than reflected in the volume gauge on the controller

Record Info and Run Troubleshooting Tests:

1.  Before running ANY mist cycle, record the AFR that caused the Error 3

• The AFR value can be found by going to the “DATA” menu and looking for “AFR”.
  • AFR stands for the Average Flow Rate (per nozzle) during a mist.
• Run a short inspection mist cycle until all nozzles are misting, then stop the inspection by hitting the red “MENU” button.
• Run a manual mist cycle by holding down the “UP” and “DOWN” arrows simultaneously while in the main menu.
• After completion of the manual mist, check and compare the new AFR to the original AFR that caused the error 3.
  • If the misting unit no longer displays error 3 after the manual mist mist, proceed to Test 2
  • If the AFR remains the same or caused another error 3, please proceed to our article on Leak Diagnosis and Troubleshooting.

2.  Reduce Post-Mist HLD (Hold) Time

• Find “HLD” in the DATA menu and reduce the duration of the hold time to 10 seconds by setting HLD to 100 (the controller counts this time in tenths of a second).
• Run two manual mist cycles and check the AFR after the mist.
  • If the first manual mist causes an error 3, disregard it and clear it. The change to the HLD time from above won’t take effect until the second manual mist cycle.
• If the AFR went down AND no error 3 was displayed, then that will confirm that the original error 3 was caused due to the original hold time and verticality of the nozzle circuit.
  • Note: If error 3 returns after the second mist but the AFR has gone down, continue adjusting the HLD time down and repeating the test. Two manual mists must be run each time the HLD time is adjusted.
  • As it is an important setting for avoiding dripping nozzles, adjust the HLD time until the longest duration that does not cause an error 3 is found.

The post Troubleshooting Error 3: Elevated Nozzle Circuits appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

How it should work:

At the end of a mist cycle, when the controller stops the motor (and pump), the pressure in the line is relieved by a small amount of fluid flowing back through the auto-drain elbow into the tank. Because the fluid is incompressible, not much fluid has to leave the lines for the pressure to fall. The pressure should decay very quickly and minimize the time spent in the pressure range that causes nozzle dripping.

Scenarios that can induce dripping:

1. The check valve in the nozzle is working as it should, but the pressure in the nozzle circuit isn’t decaying quickly.  Something is restricting the fluid from traveling back into the misting unit through the auto-drain valve to relieve the pressure. The most common causes are:
   • There is a kink in the line between the unit and the dripping nozzles
   • The drum cover causes kink a in the nozzle circuit line that restricts flow
   • The agitation valve closed if HOLD time is too short
   • The agitation valve has failed and is only partially opening.  If this is the cause, the unit would mist while in agitation mode.
   • A check valve has been installed in the line (not necessary with our system).
2. The pressure in the nozzle circuit is decaying quickly, but there is something wrong with the internal check valve of the nozzle, causing it to stay open at a pressure that it is designed to close at.  Possible causes for this phenomenon are:

• • The valve is not aligned with the orifice and cannot seal it. This can be due to grit/dirt getting jammed internally or swelling/distortion of the check valve (caused by incompatibility between the insecticide and the seal material).
    • Cleaning and Rebuilding Nozzle Tips
    • What do I do about clogged nozzles?
  • The spring of the internal check valve is too light

The best way to test is to install an in-line pressure tester next to a dripping nozzle and mist the unit.  When the unit ends the mist cycle, observe the pressure decay on the gauge at the same time you watch the nozzle.  The pressure in the line should drop from an operating mist pressure (230 – 250 psi) to around 30 psi within 1 – 2 seconds.  Visibly, the nozzle should go from atomizing to off during that period.  From there, it should take a further 5 seconds for the pressure to decay to 5-10 psi.

The post Dripping Nozzles: Diagnosis and Troubleshooting appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

To function properly, the leak TOLerance should be calibrated to reflect the number of nozzles on the nozzle circuit.

To configure Leak Detection TOLerance for Nozzle Count

• DATA Menu, TOL.  Press and hold Green ► button for 5 seconds
• Use ▲ or ▼ buttons to adjust value based on nozzle count:

The post Gen 3 Setup: Leak Detection and TOLerance appeared first on TechSelfHelp.

• Enables Gen 1.3 to detect a leak in the nozzle circuit and suspend misting.
• Enables Gen 1.3 to accurately report the level of remaining solution in the drum  See Gen 1.3:  Level Display
• Required to enable full functionality of iMistAway.

To function properly, the leak TOLerance should be calibrated to reflect the number of nozzles on the nozzle circuit.  Leak Detection will not function on systems (or zones) with fewer than 12 nozzles because the flow meter is not reliable at very low flows.  And, it may not function reliably with mist durations shorter than 15 seconds.

To determine if Leak Detection is installed:

• Remove the controller from the unit and look for the flowmeter as pictured.

• The flowmeter is secured to the chassis with a zip-tie, and is installed on the discharge side of the pump, downstream of the agitation valve, on the tubing that feeds the nozzle circuit.

To determine if Leak Detection is operating:

• Go to the DATA Menu and cycle through the variables by pressing the Green ► button.
• Values labeled FL, TL, AFR, and TOL indicate that Leak Detection is operating.

To configure Leak Detection TOLerance for Nozzle Count

• DATA Menu, TOL.  Press and hold Green ► button for 5 seconds
• Use ▲ or ▼ buttons to adjust value based on nozzle count:

To disable Leak Detection:

• Unplug misting unit.
• Unplug the gray cable shown from the 6 pin connector on the back of controller as pictured below.
• Restore power to misting unit.

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