Johnson Controls Dig. Temp. Control Not Working?

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berkeleyjack

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Hey guys,

I bought a Johnson Controls digital temperature controller from Northern Brewer about three months ago. Worked great when I got it, but suddenly stopped working in the last week or so. :(

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/johnson-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html

It seems to power on fine, and it still accepts controls and registers the current temperature correctly, but for some reason it doesn't trigger the freezer to turn on to cool it down.

I went through the manual but can't seem to figure out what's wrong. Any ideas about error messages or other things I should check?

I don't want to have to send it back for a replacement if it's something I might be able to fix myself.

Thanks! :)
 
Are you sure it's not ur fridge? If the light is coming on and it's not getting cold it's not the controller.
 
Most common failure is the probe, but that controller does do a check on the probe - if it's OPEN it'll flash SF alternating with OP, if it's SHORTED it'll flash SF with SH.

The two things to try are to totally disconnect the incoming line power to do a full reset. Then reconnect the incoming line power, and connect a working 110v lamp to the output line, reprogram the unit, and see if you can get the lamp to light up. If it doesn't, it may be the output relay is toast, or your output wiring has come undone...

Cheers!
 
Thanks for the replies! I'll give the test with the lamp a shot.

I know it's not the freezer, just because the freezer comes on when I plug it directly in the outlet without the controller connected.
 
Just tried the lamp test, and it didn't turn it on.

When I plugged it in it displayed "C03" or "CO3" then did the thing where it flashes "Asd" and the temperature, and then seemed to operate normally, but wouldn't turn on the lamp. Got the little snowflake and stuff so I assume it's set on cold.

I've gone over the PDF of the instructions and can't seem to find "C03" or "CO3" listed anywhere in the instructions... Found another discussion online that mentioned the same code, but they couldn't figure out what it was either.

Bum unit?
 
No clue what the CO3/C03 means. I believe the "ASD" flashing signifies the "anti short cycle delay" is set non-zero. You might actually try setting that to zero just to see if it changes the current behavior.

Otherwise...unless one of the function jumpers fell off its pins, or the output wire has come loose from the terminal, it seems like the controller needs to visit a repair center...

Cheers!
 
Mine is doing the same thing today after working for a year. What was the verdict?
 
anyone ever figure out what this means? i have one i bought over a year ago, but never used until yesterday. Its doing the same thing
 
Ok, well. I finally got pissed off enough at this thing and hit it.
And it started working.
must have been a loose connection somewhere. Just start beating your Johnson (controller) when you have problems i guess is the moral here.
 
I had the same problem--turned out to be a faulty ground in the outlet that it plugs into. So check your connections, especially grounding wires.

I have the unit controlling my fermentation chamber and it plugs into an extension cord that has three outlets. Low and behold, the ground on one of the outlets doesn't work. Figured it out on happenstance as I was about to take the Johnson apart to troubleshoot but plugged it into another outlet on the extension cord and--viola--it started working again as it always did. Hope this helps.
 
I've got one that isn't working. It's not the outlet, because a replacement works just fine.

Is there a place I can send it to be fixed? I wouldn't mind having it as a backup, as I did pay $70 for it 13 months ago... (bad luck, it was just out of warranty)
 
That C03/ASD error pops up for me whenever i unplug it. Just set the asd to 0, that will clear the error. Then set the asd to whatever you want.

My controller read 90 today in a 68 degree fridge...thats another story...
 
Ressurecting this one again, guys. Same problems listed here: C03 shows up. All functions seem to work. Light comes on when appropriate but the relay never fires (no output voltage, no audible click). I actually replaced the relay with the same part and still, nothing. I was thinking it might be the transformer that sits next to the relay but I imagine that transformer is supplying the voltage that powers the LCD and green light, so that shouldn't be it... Running out of ideas. Anyone have any luck?
 
Have you tried their tech support? I've installed a dozen or so of these but don't recall seeing that problem ever.....
 
Hi guys, I have been looking into this problem and think I have come to probably the best answer.
I own a LHBS and had a customer return one of these today (I exchanged it) and looked into it myself.
the LCD seems to oscillate between different readouts but always goes back to every cell being illuminated followed by C03 (or CO3) being displayed for a moment, it may appear to opperate for a short time then repeat the process.

I called Johnson Controls (not my distributor) and it seems they prefer not to deal with individual users that much given the scale of their business but I was able to get a good answer none the less

the C03 or CO3 code is not an error code. It correlates to the version of firmware that is on the device. It is not mentioned anywhere in the literature because it will change periodically over time and should only be displayed when the unit is plugged in. The reason it is repeatedly being displayed in some units appears to be a power short of some kind going into the main board on the unit.

If you are having this problem I recommend returning the unit for an exchange. the replacement unit should work fine. If you are brave enough to open it up and fiddle around to try and find the short just be aware you may not be eligible for an exchange. These units do carry a warranty.

hope this helps
 
pndupont said:
Hi guys, I have been looking into this problem and think I have come to probably the best answer.
I own a LHBS and had a customer return one of these today (I exchanged it) and looked into it myself.
the LCD seems to oscillate between different readouts but always goes back to every cell being illuminated followed by C03 (or CO3) being displayed for a moment, it may appear to opperate for a short time then repeat the process.

I called Johnson Controls (not my distributor) and it seems they prefer not to deal with individual users that much given the scale of their business but I was able to get a good answer none the less

the C03 or CO3 code is not an error code. It correlates to the version of firmware that is on the device. It is not mentioned anywhere in the literature because it will change periodically over time and should only be displayed when the unit is plugged in. The reason it is repeatedly being displayed in some units appears to be a power short of some kind going into the main board on the unit.

If you are having this problem I recommend returning the unit for an exchange. the replacement unit should work fine. If you are brave enough to open it up and fiddle around to try and find the short just be aware you may not be eligible for an exchange. These units do carry a warranty.

hope this helps
Click to expand...

I had this same issue with my controller I bought last year. Ended up calling northern brewer and exchanging it. The new one they sent has been working fine for the past year.
 
RogueGoose85 said:
That C03/ASD error pops up for me whenever i unplug it. Just set the asd to 0, that will clear the error. Then set the asd to whatever you want.

My controller read 90 today in a 68 degree fridge...thats another story...
Click to expand...

+1 I struggled with this for a good 20 minutes before coming here and finding this gem. No matter what I tried, the display continued to flash. I set the ASD to O, pressed the MENU button and viola. Thanks Rogue Goose.
 
+1

Setting ASD to 0 and Pressing Menu solved my problem too.
WOOT WOOT!
 
So ironic...just happened to me as well. Set the asd to 0 and poof she came on..then set it back to 12....hopefully that worked. Thanks for the advice...
 
We'll it did it again, even after I did the asd to 0. Went from a working 38 degree environment to a 60 degree one causing the pressure change to somehow open a faucet every slow slightly to leak all over my floor.. At least the basement smells wonderful. Off to northern brewer to exchange this POS tomorrow..
 
My A419 Johnson Control worked fine at room temperature for years. When placed in my 3rd stall of my garage to lager beer at 36 F (Minnesota Winter), the C03 came up on the display. The ASD fix above did not work. The control worked fine when brought back inside.

To me, this looked like a cold solder defect on the main control board. After taking a photo of the wires, I removed the temperature sensor and the AC lines on the control board. Two screws hold the control board into the housing. I found the black capacitor (330uf 50V) was not soldered on the board. I soldered the 2 capacitor leads to the board and the control has been working fine for weeks while my beer lagers.

Hope this helps. Make sure to get the AC and temperature sensor wires connected properly. Please only attempt this repair if you are handy enough and have the equipment to solder.
 

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