Troubleshooting Guides

Elon® 100 first line support checklist V2.4
PowerOptimal Elon® 100 Troubleshooting Basics for Technicians v2.3
PowerOptimal Elon® 100 Troubleshooting Guide for Electricians v2.12

Elon® 100 first line support checklist V2.4

Elon® 100 water heating system 1^st line support checklist V2.4

STEP 1. COLLECT INFORMATION

Customer Name
Customer Address
Date				Elon® serial no.
What is the issue?
How long have you been experiencing this issue?
Have you had any power failures recently?
Have you used more hot water than usual (such as having guests over), or at a different time than usual?
Has the weather been cloudy or rainy in the last day or two?
Status of Elon® controller lights – GREEN light (X)	On	Off			Flashing				Flashing fast
Status of Elon® controller lights – RED light (X)	On	Off			Flashing				Flashing fast
Position of Elon® controller dial (X)	"MAINS ONLY"	1			2		3			"SOLAR ONLY"
Position of geyser circuit breaker in DB (distribution board) (X)			On			Off		Don’t know
Anything else to note?

STEP 2: TROUBLESHOOTING

PowerOptimal Elon® 100 Troubleshooting Basics for Technicians v2.3

NOTE: This Troubleshooting Guide is intended for technicians and not general users. Users should please refer to the User Manual, which can be found at www.poweroptimal.com/manuals. Please see page 7 for a summary of the Elon®’s controller and LED lights. You will need an AC & DC Multimeter with clamp adapter. Always check the PowerOptimal website for the latest version of this guide.

Information about the Site

Unit no.	Development name			Elon® serial no.
Date		Name: 1^st level support person
Unit construction status (Works OR Final Completion)		Resident name
Reported issue (customer)			Reported issue (Level 1 Support)

A Few Notes Before You Start

If you have a test / extra remote control (little black box with the control dial & lights), plug it into the Elon® unit.
If you identify the problem at a specific step, you can stop there and write your conclusion.
If you replace an Elon®, thermostat, element or wiring, you should commission the system again as per the Installation Manual.

On Arrival at Site – Preparation Checks

No.	Action	Notes	Result / Comments
1	Talk to Client / Manager to find out what the issue is.	Was it a new install or a retrofit? Was the issue present from the start, or did the issue start some time after installation?	🞏
2	Is geyser AC on at house DB?	Check that the geyser is switched on at the main house DB. Is there power in the house (i.e. it’s not loadshedding or no prepaid credits)?	🞏
3	Is there a geyser timer installed?	Check if there is a separate geyser timer installed at the house DB or elsewhere on the AC wiring to the geyser. A separate timer is NOT recommended, as it will work at cross-purposes with the Elon and you will reduce performance and hot water availability. Uninstall or bypass the geyser timer.	🞏

	Terminals
	1 2	SOLAR
	3 4	ELEMENT
	5 6	THERMOSTAT
	7 8 9	GRID

When You are at the Geyser & Elon unit

No.	Action	Notes	Result / Comments
1	Is geyser AC isolator on?	Check that the AC isolator is switched on. The isolator will be within 2m of the geyser.	🞏
2	Check that all the wiring to the Elon unit is correct	Take off (unscrew) the lid of the Elon 100 unit. See the wiring diagram on the previous page for reference. Confirm that: Solar panels are connected to Elon terminals 1 & 2 (marked “SOLAR PANEL”) Terminals marked “ELEMENT” on green element adapter (plugged into geyser element) are connected to Elon terminals 3 & 4 (marked “ELEMENT”) Thermostat is connected to Elon terminals 5 & 6 (marked “THERMOSTAT”) Grid power (neutral, line, earth) is connected to Elon terminals 7, 8 and 9 (marked “NEUTRAL”, “LINE” and “EARTH”)	🞏
3	Set thermostat to 10 °C and turn Elon remote control dial to “SOLAR ONLY”		🞏
4	Confirm correct polarity and check voltage of solar power (DC) input	Use your multimeter to check polarity at terminals 1 & 2. (Set multimeter to DC voltage measurement. You should measure a positive voltage with the red probe touching terminal 1.) Check the DC voltage – it should be between 70 and 240V DC in good sunlight, depending on the number of solar panels.	🞏 _____ V DC
5	Check voltage of grid power (AC) input	Set multimeter to AC voltage measurement. Check the AC voltage on terminals 7 & 8 – it should be between 200 and 250V AC.	_____ V AC
6	Confirm that thermostat is open	Set multimeter to DC voltage. Check DC voltage on terminals 5 & 6 – it should be between 11.5 and 13.5V DC. Polarity is not important.	_____ V DC
7	Confirm no power output to geyser	Confirm 0V DC and 0V AC on terminals 3 & 4 using your multimeter.	🞏
8	Confirm steady red & green lights on remote control	Both the red and green lights should be on. (Note that it will take 5 min from switching on AC power to the Elon before the red light will come on.) If both lights on the remote control are off, follow the steps in item no. 3 in the “Things to remember” section on page 6.	🞏
9	Set thermostat to 70 °C	The green LED should now switch off (indicating water temperature below thermostat set point temperature)	🞏
10	Check that thermostat is closed	Set multimeter to DC voltage. Check DC voltage on terminals 5 & 6 – it should be 0V (zero V). Polarity is not important. If not 0V now, thermostat might be faulty OR thermal fuse on element adapter might have blown – check if there is continuity on the element adapter thermostat female terminals. If there is no continuity, the thermal fuse has blown & you need to replace the element adapter.	🞏
11	Check that solar power is feeding to geyser	Green light on remote control should be flashing. Confirm presence of DC voltage on terminals 3 & 4. It should be the same DC voltage as on terminals 1 & 2.	🞏
12	Check that DC circuit breaker / isolator is not faulty	Measure voltage across DC circuit breaker whilst the element is drawing DC power. The voltage should be very close to zero. If there is a significant voltage across the DC circuit breaker, it is faulty and should be replaced. Also check any DC fuses if installed.	🞏
13	Turn Elon remote control dial to “AC only”		🞏
14	Check that grid power is feeding to geyser	Red light on remote control should be flashing & green light should be off. Confirm presence of AC voltage on terminals 3 & 4. It should be the same AC voltage as on terminals 7 & 8.	🞏
15	Set Elon remote control dial back to original setting (setting “3” or “SOLAR ONLY”)
16	Set the thermostat to 10 °C for about 10 seconds and then set it to original set point (e.g. 55 °C or 60 °C)	Check that unit switches back to solar mode in daytime. If customer needs hot water immediately, you can request one cycle of grid heating by turning the remote control dial to “MAINS ONLY” for a few seconds (until the red light starts flashing) and then turning it back to original set point.

What was the issue?
What did you do to fix it?

For assistance call Johan Theron @ 083 600 1827

Things to Remember

Note: Once the dial has been turned to “MAINS ONLY”, it will complete a full mains heating cycle (until the thermostat opens). Turning the control back to “SOLAR ONLY” at this point will not immediately switch the unit back to solar power. It will only switch back again after the mains heating cycle is completed (i.e. the thermostat opens) and the thermostat then closes again. You can finish the mains heating cycle faster by reducing the thermostat temperature setting until the thermostat opens. Test solar power first.
Fast flashing red / green LEDs indicate either:
1. a short between a PV (photovoltaic) lead and earth – this condition prevents solar power to the element;
2. a partial short of the element to earth, e.g., a puncture exposing element to water. This condition can be ruled out by disconnecting both wires to the element. If the LEDs stop flashing after about 20 seconds, the element is faulty. If the LEDs continue flashing, then the cause is likely as per item a. above.
3. Please note: wait at least 20 seconds after any disconnection or other correction step for the LEDs to stop flashing.
If no lights on remote control, then follow these steps:
1. Check that the remote control cable is properly (fully) inserted at both ends (both at the Elon and the remote control).
2. Change out the remote control. If lights now come on, the remote control is faulty. You can service the remote control by opening it up, spraying the inside with contact cleaner, turning the dial a few times and retesting. If this doesn’t work, install the new remote control.
3. If lights still don’t come on, plug a new cable and the old remote control into the Elon. If the lights now come on, the remote control cable is faulty. Install the new cable.
4. If the lights still don’t come on, either all power to the Elon is off, or the Elon is faulty.

The Mains & Solar indicator lights (LEDs) indicate the following conditions:

The control dial sets the mains & solar times as follows:

Dial Setting	Time on Mains*	Time on Solar*	24-Hour Clock
MAINS ONLY	24 hr	Never
1	12:00 to 08:00	08:00 to 12:00
2	14:30 to 05:30	05:30 to 14:30
3	17:00 to 03:00	03:00 to 17:00
SOLAR ONLY	Never	24 hr

	Lights (LEDs)	Meaning
⏺⏺	Green light ON	Geyser on temperature
⏺⏺	Green light flashing	Heating with solar
⏺⏺	Red light ON	Mains power available (power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red light flashing	Heating with mains
⏺⏺	Both lights ON	Geyser is on temperature. Mains power available (mains power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red light ON & Green light flashing	Heating with solar. Mains power available (mains power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red & Green light flashing fast	Isolation fault (contact electrician)
⏺⏺	Both lights OFF	No power to unit (e.g. no sun + power failure, or no sun + geyser breaker at DB board is switched off) OR supply voltage outside specifications

* Times are approximate – will vary slightly with season and location

Pictures of main items

Element adapter plugged into geyser element, with thermostat plugged into element adapter

Element adapter

Example AC/DC multimeter

Elon 100 remote control

Elon 100 main unit with lid off

Elon 100 main unit with lid on

PowerOptimal Elon® 100 Troubleshooting Guide for Electricians v2.12

NOTE: This Troubleshooting Guide is intended for electricians and not general users. Users should please refer to the User Manual, which can be found at www.poweroptimal.com/manuals. Please see page 3 for a summary of the Elon®’s controller and LED lights. Always check the PowerOptimal website for the latest version of this guide.

Unit no.	Development name		Elon® serial no.
Date		Name: 1^st level support person
Unit construction status (Works OR Final Completion)		Resident name
Reported issue (customer)
Reported issue (Level 1 Support)

Troubleshooting Steps

If you have a test controller (little black box with the control dial & lights), plug it into the Elon®.
If you identify the problem at a specific step, you can stop there and write your conclusion.
If you replace an Elon®, thermostat, element or wiring, you should commission the system again as per the Installation Manual.

No.	Action	Result	Units
1	Confirm correct wiring and polarity to Elon®. Also confirm test meter wires are connected correctly, black to common!	🞏
2	Confirm correct voltages and currents of all connections through the following steps:
2a	Confirm open / closed thermostat voltages (11 – 14 V DC open, 0 V DC closed).		V DC (open)
2a			V DC (closed)
2b	Confirm controller wire is connected properly. The connections should “click” into place and appropriate LEDs should indicate (be active).	🞏
2c	With solar power to element switched on (green LED flashing), confirm same DC voltage to element as measured at solar terminals.		V DC solar
2c			V DC element
2d	With DC clamp meter confirm that there is an active current through element.		A DC
2e	With mains power to element switched on (red LED flashing), confirm same AC voltage to element as measured at mains terminals (should be approx. 230V AC).		V AC mains
2e			V AC element
2f	With AC clamp meter confirm active current through element of between 9 and 18 Amps depending on element rating.		A AC
3	If you used a test controller for troubleshooting, remember to plug the wire from the installed controller back into the Elon® and check functioning.	🞏
4	Set thermostat back to original setting.	🞏
5	Write down the conclusion from your testing (What caused the reported issue?) & any other observations:

Things to Remember

The red mains LED will only start functioning once stable mains voltage between 190 and 260 V AC is present for more than 5 minutes. (In other words, the Elon® will only allow mains power to the element 5 minutes after mains connection or switch-on.)
Solar power is only recognised 40 seconds after active solar panels are connected to Elon®.
An open thermostat (water at correct temperature) measures between 11 and 14 V DC across the “thermostat” terminals on the Elon®. Polarity across these terminals is not important.
A closed thermostat (cold water) measures 0 V across the “thermostat” terminals on the Elon®.
If the thermostat measures between 11 and 14 V DC in the closed state, either the thermostat is faulty OR the thermal fuse on the element adapter might have blown. Check continuity on the element adapter thermostat female terminals. If there is no continuity, the thermal fuse has blown and you need to replace the element adapter.
How to switch on solar power to element: With enough solar energy (check at solar terminals), solar power will be routed to the element within 15 seconds after the thermostat closes and the controller dial is set to “SOLAR ONLY”. A green flashing LED indicates this condition.
How to switch on mains power to element: Turn control dial to “MAINS ONLY” and, if the thermostat is closed, mains power will be directed to the element indicated by a red flashing LED.
Note: Once the dial has been turned to “MAINS ONLY”, it will complete a full mains heating cycle (until the thermostat opens). Turning the control back to “SOLAR ONLY” at this point will not immediately switch the unit back to solar power. It will only switch back again after the mains heating cycle is completed (i.e. the thermostat opens) and the thermostat then closes again. You can finish the mains heating cycle faster by reducing the thermostat temperature setting until the thermostat opens. Test solar power first.
If you are having DC power supply issues, check if the DC circuit breaker or isolator is faulty by measuring the voltage across the DC circuit breaker or isolator whilst DC power is being supplied to the element. If there is a voltage drop across the disconnect switch, it is faulty and needs to be replaced. Also check all DC fuses if installed.
Fast flashing red / green LEDs indicate either:
1. a short between a PV (photovoltaic) lead and earth – this condition prevents solar power to the element;
2. a partial short of the element to earth, e.g., a puncture exposing element to water. This condition can be ruled out by disconnecting both wires to the element. If the LEDs stop flashing after about 20 seconds, the element is faulty. If the LEDs continue flashing, then the cause is likely as per item a. above.
3. Please note: wait at least 20 seconds after any disconnection or other correction step for the LEDs to stop flashing.

The Mains & Solar indicator lights (LEDs) indicate the following conditions:

	Lights (LEDs)	Meaning
⏺⏺	Green light ON	Geyser on temperature
⏺⏺	Green light flashing	Heating with solar
⏺⏺	Red light ON	Mains power available (power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red light flashing	Heating with mains
⏺⏺	Both lights ON	Geyser is on temperature. Mains power available (mains power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red light ON & Green light flashing	Heating with solar. Mains power available (mains power to Elon® unit on)
⏺⏺	Red & Green light flashing fast	Isolation fault (contact electrician)
⏺⏺	Both lights OFF	No power to unit (e.g. no sun + power failure, or no sun + geyser breaker at DB board is switched off) OR supply voltage outside specifications

The control dial sets the mains & solar times as follows:

* Times are approximate – will vary slightly with season and location

Dial Setting	Time on Mains*	Time on Solar*	24-Hour Clock
MAINS ONLY	24 hr	Never
1	12:00 to 08:00	08:00 to 12:00
2	14:30 to 05:30	05:30 to 14:30
3	17:00 to 03:00	03:00 to 17:00
SOLAR ONLY	Never	24 hr