Dimplex EPX 2000 Panel Heater

[Invisible-Man]

Hi,

My Dimplex EPX Panel Heater comes on when requested but is more like pulsating on off on off as it heats inluding the heat light.......

I know this is down to the electronic control panel px08014 but can anyone give there ideas to the part on the control that may be causing it.......

Capacitor, transistor, etc etc

Would rather change a part than the whole board at £60...

Many thanks

 

[jj4091]

My initial approach to any on/off switching of a circuit board would be to start by looking for dry joints & resoldering them( infact re-tinning every joint if it is only a small board), then look for swollen capacitors & replace them. Not having any experience of your particular board I can't be more specific. Perhaps some pics may help.

 

[Invisible-Man]

My initial approach to any on/off switching of a circuit board would be to start by looking for dry joints & resoldering them( infact re-tinning every joint if it is only a small board), then look for swollen capacitors & replace them. Not having any experience of your particular board I can't be more specific. Perhaps some pics may help.

Hi,

2 photos below,

I can tell you that the output 220v live is the red wire between the 2 blue wires, it appears to be fed from the middle leg of the transistor BTA16-600B and is only live when thermostat is in heat mode, the other 2 outer legs seem to be live permanently, it is the center leg that is oscillating on the output many times a second, the other 2 legs are steady 220v.........

Not too sure if the transistor is at fault or the voltage to the transistor is at fault causing the transistor to oscillate!

Did read that this type of transistor may rely on a snubber capacitor etc to control the input side to the transistor, could there be a fault there?

Many thanks,

Untitled

• Invisible-Man
• 30 May 2012
• 1

Untitled

• Invisible-Man
• 30 May 2012
• 1

 

[zipper]

I don't want to burst your bubble but if you want to find out about snubber capacitors, transistors & the like then you'd be better off asking on an electronics forum. Most of us are mere domestic appliance engineers & whether a panel heater is considered a domestic appliance or not is a matter of debate. Without a circuit diagram it is virtually impossible for anyone to guess which component(s) have failed by looking at a photograph. We don't normally fault-find down to the component level you're talking about anyway....a pcb is either good or bad & that's the end of the matter.

 

[jj4091]

You say oscillating many times a second, but ac does that anyway. What are you measuring the voltage with that you can tell it is so unstable. If you meant several times a minute & it is switching from 220 to 0, then I would suspect that it may be the relay chattering, if that is what the yellow box like component is. It's only a guess though.

 

[Invisible-Man]

You say oscillating many times a second, but ac does that anyway. What are you measuring the voltage with that you can tell it is so unstable. If you meant several times a minute & it is switching from 220 to 0, then I would suspect that it may be the relay chattering, if that is what the yellow box like component is. It's only a guess though.

Hi, maybe a better word would be cycling on and off a few times a second.....this was apparent when the heater was complete, could even be noticed when watching the electric meter......

The yellow box is a capacitor....

Thanks

 

[jj4091]

I'm sorry but your response is confusing, what testing equipment are you using. Measuring a voltage that was cycling at a few times a second would be impossible with a multimeter & in fact would probably not affect the operation of the heater. It sounds like you are somehow measuring unsmoothed DC & as a triac will only switch with a load on it I would be suspicious that the problem is further downstream than the control board.Have you looked for a dry joint on the back of the board or even a poor connection between it & the thermostat/element ?

 

[Invisible-Man]

I'm sorry but your response is confusing, what testing equipment are you using. Measuring a voltage that was cycling at a few times a second would be impossible with a multimeter & in fact would probably not affect the operation of the heater. It sounds like you are somehow measuring unsmoothed DC & as a triac will only switch with a load on it I would be suspicious that the problem is further downstream than the control board.Have you looked for a dry joint on the back of the board or even a poor connection between it & the thermostat/element ?

Sorry if I come across as confusing.......Since stripped down I have been testing the board on the load side with a 60 watt bulb, it has been illuminating on and off at a rate of approx ONCE a second (not few times sorry for the error)........

I take on board what you say about the triac only switching with a load, I assume that the 60 watt standard bulb would be sufficient, the cycling on and off of the bulb does represent exactly how the heating element was reacting when complete......

I also am assuming that it could be problem prior to the optoisolator which works with the triac......I am a little suspicious that although the mains on neon/led is fine, the neon/led heat light also cycles on and off in line with the light bulb, and I did not think that the optoisolator or triac outputs had any relationship with the neon/led but was controlled prior to these 2 components.....

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[jj4091]

First of all I have to congratulate you on your bravery in attempting to fault find with a 60 watt bulb, but frankly I truly think it may well be leading you up the garden path. Get a decent multimeter & firstly establish that there is a problem with the voltage supplied to the thermostat/element( whether or not you are getting 230v output from the control panel) & also the continuity of the components & the wiring.

 

[Invisible-Man]

First of all I have to congratulate you on your bravery in attempting to fault find with a 60 watt bulb, but frankly I truly think it may well be leading you up the garden path. Get a decent multimeter & firstly establish that there is a problem with the voltage supplied to the thermostat/element( whether or not you are getting 230v output from the control panel) & also the continuity of the components & the wiring.

I do not see a problem with connecting a light bulb via a holder to the live and neutral 220v output of the control board!

 

[jj4091]

First of all I have to congratulate you on your bravery in attempting to fault find with a 60 watt bulb, but frankly I truly think it may well be leading you up the garden path. Get a decent multimeter & firstly establish that there is a problem with the voltage supplied to the thermostat/element( whether or not you are getting 230v output from the control panel) & also the continuity of the components & the wiring.

I do not see a problem with connecting a light bulb via a holder to the live and neutral 220v output of the control board!

Because it does not give you a true indication of what you are measuring. The bulb will light with ac or dc current & at any voltage probably between 50 & 250 volts. As I said it's leading you up the garden path & compounding your lack of knowledge. You're right a good trademan doesn't blame his tools, but he knows what tool to use for the job. There is also another saying" you can't help those who won't help themselves"

 

[Invisible-Man]

First of all I have to congratulate you on your bravery in attempting to fault find with a 60 watt bulb, but frankly I truly think it may well be leading you up the garden path. Get a decent multimeter & firstly establish that there is a problem with the voltage supplied to the thermostat/element( whether or not you are getting 230v output from the control panel) & also the continuity of the components & the wiring.

I do not see a problem with connecting a light bulb via a holder to the live and neutral 220v output of the control board!

Because it does not give you a true indication of what you are measuring. The bulb will light with ac or dc current & at any voltage probably between 50 & 250 volts. As I said it's leading you up the garden path & compounding your lack of knowledge. You're right a good trademan doesn't blame his tools, but he knows what tool to use for the job. There is also another saying" you can't help those who won't help themselves"

I quote "First of all I have to congratulate you on your bravery".......You portrayed that there was a danger in what I was doing, this is why I gave the response "I do not see a problem with connecting a light bulb via a holder to the live and neutral 220v output of the control board"

It seems you have back tracked!

You also seem to think that its cool to try and belittle people as you believe you have more knowledge than the OP.....

"A bad workman always blames his tools!" Was just a bit of fun for those with a sense of humor, clearly lacking in this case!

CONCLUSION

I think the only VALID advise was from zipper, which was that I would be better off asking on an electronics forum, I think he's right....so that's exactly the advice I will take!

 

[jj4091]

Oh dear