was discussing problem on thread https://www.geoexchange.org/forum/t...t-buying-climate-master-tz22-no-support.6301/ thought it might be air in the ground loop but have re-flushed the line and am still getting a flash code 13 - does anyone know what might cause this?
You have DXM2 controls? Code 13 is internal flow controller. Is the pump built into the unit? DXM2.pdf I am not a pro but can help troubleshoot later today. Make sure you feel comfortable checking voltages as there is voltage inside the unit that can kill you. Download that guide and look up the sections A-J, A-O, etc.
Sorry never read your other thread. It looks like you have good advice in there. Your external flow center sounds like it is goofing up the controls/feedback to the internal flow controls. Can you check the voltages in the table just to see where they are at? I would think you can configure the board to select external pump. Maybe that has already been mentioned? I'll see if I can read up on the whole thread tonight.
These digital units need to be configured through a service tool or a thermostat. It sounds like yours was incorrectly configured. What kind of thermostat do you have?
If you do have the communicating thermostat turn the unit to off at the Tstat. Once it is off press up and down arrows at the same time. Then you should be in the config menu. You will want to see what is under the system configuration.
Yes I have a DXM board. The pumps are wall mounted as shown in pick. Thanks for the link to the manual. Let me give it a read and some time to try and assimulate it. I may take you up on the offer to talk me thru a little latter at a time convenient to us both.
I should have brought some of the history from the other thread. The system has been running fine for two winters and two summers. This error started in the new year. Nothing in configuration has been changed. I have a Honeywell thermostat but cant see a model number on it. It drives the geo-thermal and a back up propane furnace which is whats stopping us from freezing at the moment.
If you are getting a Internal Flow Center Fault and you don't have an Internal Flow Center than it is not configured correctly. Unfortunately you cannot configure it with a Honeywell Thermostat. Some of the DXM2 boards that climatemaster had in there units were troubled. I have seen a TE038 That was configured properly later show that it was configured for a 5 ton And trip out
Why don't you see if the guy you paid $900 to help and didn't get it fixed will make you a deal on the communicating thermostat? It seems silly to have a unit that can do all that and use a "dumb" thermostat. ATC32U02 is what you are after (let a pro here verify it first). It probably communicates over RS-485 and only needs 3 or 4 wires so it should be easy to switch over. Have him ship it to you so you don't need a return trip. I wouldn't think the thing wouldn't be more than $400. He should give it to you at cost since he was happy to take your money earlier and not fix anything.
Doing a quick search netted this site of course (which I have found a wealth of information as the pros are the best here). It looks like someone was quoted $200 for the communicating stat when they were buying the whole system. The service tool is another way to go and it was $347 if you are absolutely married to you tstat. It might require a little more learning on your part. Sounds like you need 3 stages of heat and 2 of cooling? https://www.geoexchange.org/forum/threads/climatemaster-diagnostic-tool.5570/ From the information it gives just for feedback I would think it is a no brainer. Unfortunately as things get more complicated they build in devices that really should be used. Sometimes I think my 10 year old single stage no frills unit is the way to go as it just plugs and chugs along. I am always trying to seek out more efficiency but as Doc say it isn't worth chasing COP if the thing is running right. I really can't complain with a 2400ft whole house electric bill at $195 for last month as that is the only connection to the man besides the Cable/Internet (Unless you include cell phone also )
Spending the $250-$300 0n the Climatemaster communicating t-stat is well worth the money as it will allow you all of the functionality of the diagnostic tool that the installers use on the original installation. I just had my installer take out the "dumb" Lennox t-stat that was controlling my system and install the ATC32U02 Climatemaster t-stat on my TZ22, and with a little help from Mark Custis on here my system seems to be running 100% better than it was before. Come to find out that although the installer did a good job of installing the system, they didn't do a good job setting it up properly. You can read errors in plain text and configure it 100 ways from Sunday, all from the t-stat itself. You can also see vital run-time statistics as well so you can seek help on here as needed. Pictures of the run-time statisticss were critical in working with Mark to set my system up w/o him needing to be here to assist! The only drawback to it is that you need a connected (wired) outdoor sensor to take advantage of locking out the electric backup strips.
My thermostat is far from dumb. I think it may be clever than me! However I m left with the question if it a config problem how comes I ran fine for 2 winters and 2 summers? Something that occurred to me this morning was that I had a 'Soft start' put on the system. I have a solar power system and the start up was sending spikes down the line that messed up one of my power system control boards. I never had problems before then. Could that have caused it???? Anyhow this morning im going to go do the tests suggested in the manual I down loaded yesterday. Ill look into the thermostat question later. Thks for all the help so far.
When "dumb" is in quotes the thermostat itself isn't dumb. They are far from that. Mine communicates with the internet and tracks how long it has been on. I can change the temp in my house when I am hours and hours away from home. That is far from dumb. What is dumb is how mine and your thermostat communicates to the unit. It just turns on and off 24VAC signals telling the unit what to do on as many lines as it needs to do the job. The thermostat that is described talks digitally to the unit. It only needs a few lines to do that. It can pass much much more information down those lines and that same information comes back from unit. DXM2 Replacement Look at that document it describes how the unit needs setup. You have a pro here saying he has experience of the DMX2 board forgetting what size of unit it was after it was setup properly. You also have a home owner here saying how much better his unit runs once Mark (a Geo pro) helped set the communicating thermostat up. If your Loop Config isn't on "other" it is going to be looking for those voltage levels described in the troubleshooting manual. If they are not there and within range it is going to throw the the flow center fault. I suppose your pumps could be variable speed and they could be controlled from that board. A pro should be able tell if those are the right pumps. If you are married to the thermostat then you need the diagnostic tool or an installer that has one. If you do get one of those you need to be careful with it as I am sure you can do more damage than good with it as the homeowner isn't suppose to have one.
UP AND RUNNING Si this morning I used the troubleshooting guide pfer10 had given me the link to. All the voltage checked out. The pumps seemed to be running but of course you cant 'see' the fluid flow. So i decided to turn the valves on the pump housing to isolate the ground loop and i ran hose to and from a bucket full of water/glcol mix into the housing. Set the thermostat up to start the unit. The modulating valve opened and i had good flow through the pumps and system. Of course with so little fluid in the circuit the liquid started to slug as it headed for freezing. At this time i saw a few air bubbles come through! I reconnected to the main ground loop and started it up. It ran for a while and died but with a code 10 this time. I heard some bubbling in the line, so flushed and bled the ground loop again. Started it up and its been running his morning with no problems since then. THANKS for all the help guys. Im still going to do some R&D on my config and possibly a climate Master thermostat. But at least im not burning propane any longer.
What was code 10? Never mind I looked it up. It says ECM fault which is odd as that is the blower control but it is a symptom of wrong sized unit configuration.
I think the code 10 was still related to the air in the loop. I was getting heat exchange and the air in the return got to 80F then kicked out. After re-flush of the ground loop the return air passed 100F and its been good since. Im not 100% sure i have all the air out but will re-flush and bleed again in a few days to be more sure.
