D.C. Power Supply Adjustment / Voltage Reading

LMartin

Firing up the control panel for the first test. I purchased the panel in kit form. Both D.C. power supplies have input of 21.4 volts, but I get a very low and fluctuating output reading from both supplies. Volt meter lights up, but not amp meter. Backed off the adjustment per instructions at installation. Attempted to adjust output but no amount of adjustment will increase the output voltage. Any ideas?

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 3:41 am Post subject:

Hi!

Can you try disconnecting the amp and volt meters from the power supplies and measure the DC voltage output from the power supplies? What does it measure? Are you able to adjust the power supply outputs up/down?

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:50 am Post subject:

Hi Kal,

OK, disconnected the wires to the meters at the power supplies. Powered the panel back up, I do get the blue power on light. Checked out voltage at the supplies and the reading counts down on the tester from 0.9XXX and reads consistent at 0.024V. The little red LED on both supplies is very bright for what that may be worth.

Lynn

LMartin · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:21 am Post subject:

Yikes! Rookie mistake. I didn't switch the tester to DC to measure the output. Now I get 26.00V. I have backed off the adjustment screw quite a bit with no drop in voltage, but I cranked it up a lot trying to get an output. Probably just have to keep backing off until I get it adjusted.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:23 pm Post subject:

You're getting 26VDC on the output side of the power supplies? It's really important that the output be adjusted to below 5VDC *before* hooking up to the meters as otherwise you may damage the meters. More information in the build instructions: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel-part-2?page=9

Cheers!

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:05 pm Post subject:

The following is the current readings after trying to make further adjustments:

Volt meter - IN=21.00VAC OUT=26.00VDC

Amp meter - IN=21.50VAC OUT=00.00VDC (I now get nothing out and the red LED light is not lit)

The only wires connected to the DC power supplies is to the IN terminals, I disconnected the OUT wires so nothing is going to the meters.

No amount of adjustment on either power supply makes ANY change in the volt readings.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:47 pm Post subject:

The order of operations here is important - what you did when to which power supply. Re-reading your posts I'm realizing I don't really follow.

Let's take the voltmeter:

Originally you mentioned in your first post that the voltmeter lit up fine, so I figured you would not touch that one at all or adjust it.

But then you wrote:

**kal** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:54 pm Post subject:

Slight aside Lynn: I was looking up your email to confirm something and noticed you purchased a couple of NC contactors a week or so ago... since you purchased our control panel kit you don't need extra parts like this. They're already included in your kit. I assume you were looking for a couple of NC contactors to use with the safe start interlock? From the build instructions:

LMartin · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:15 pm Post subject:

You are correct Kal, I did purchase "extra" NC contactors. I didn't realize until I was installing them that I already had them. I noticed on the other switches that there they were all the time. Good grief! At least they're cheap.

That said I think I may have caused damage to the control panel, maybe the DC power supplies I'm having trouble with. What I did was instead of adding the NC contactors on top of the element select switch like I was supposed to, I added the NC wiring to the NO contactors. I realized something was wrong when I powered up and the boil element relay closed, not the power in relay. Once I added the NC contactors as I should have the power in relay closes as it is supposed to. I fear I may have damaged the DC power supplies and probably the amp or both meters as well.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 8:35 pm Post subject:

Was this something you did before you posted above getting either 0v or 26v out of the power supplies? Again, the series of events are important here to troubleshoot, but either way sounds like the power supplies are no longer working as you mentioned.

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:14 pm Post subject:

Kal,

Unfortunately I built the panel with the safe start interlock wiring added on top of the element select switch wiring. So the sequence of events is I powered up the panel for the first time and determined something was wrong when the boil relay closed. Reading the safe start instructions again and more carefully I realized my mistake in not adding the NC contactors. After receiving the NC contactors I didn't need, I corrected that mistake and continued with the control panel setup instructions which was checking the D.C. power supplies.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:25 am Post subject:

Thanks for the extra info. I think the fact that the power supplies no longer work is likely something to do with the wiring issues that were encountered. Probably best they be replaced: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/products/power-supply

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:57 am Post subject:

Thanks for the help Kal, replacement parts ordered.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:51 pm Post subject:

Let us know how it goes! Make sure to adjust the voltmeters before connecting the meters to the output side. Cheers!

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:15 pm Post subject:

Yes, I'll post back once I get the new parts installed and I'll not make the same mistake twice.

Lynn

LMartin · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 12:14 pm Post subject:

Still having issues with the meters. Good news though that didn't stop me from my inagural brew last Sunday! The amp transformer now appears to be dead so I'm going to replace both and start over. My question is, I have no more telephone station wire, but I do have some 16 gauge wire. Any problems with using that from the transformers to the D.C. Power supplies and from there to the meters?

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 12:44 pm Post subject:

Hi Lynn,

You can use the 16 ga wire instead of 22-23 ga telephone station wire. It's always ok to use a thicker wire.

Kal

LMartin · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:21 pm Post subject:

I'm happy to report I have sorted out my self inflicted problems (damage). I replaced all components and wiring for both meters. My mis-wiring did far more damage than I first thought. My mistake was not reading the WRITTEN instructions carefully instead of just going by the pretty pictures in the instructions.

Thanks again for the help Kal.

Lynn

**kal** · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:25 pm Post subject:

Glad you figured it out and got everything working Lynn! Happy brewing!

Kal