Unique hazer stopped hazing....?

[jona1984]

Our Unique Hazer has only worked for about 20% of the time we've had it. Before anyone asks, YES we have been completing the 'shutdown' procedure as detailed in the manual.

 

Last time it was spitting and making a burning smell, but I flushed it out with some distilled water and it was good as new.

 

 

The latest strange thing to afflict it is that it powers on, receives DMX fine, fan can be controlled fine but there is no smoke. All the right lights come on etc. but no smoke in either manual or DMX modes.

 

I can't tell if it's the pump or the heating element. When I change the 'pump' value I can't see/feel any movement in the fluid pipe (not that I can remember whether I would before or not....)

 

I think it's more likely to be the heating element because I can't feel the insides getting warm, and also when I perform the 'shutdown' sequence now but pushing 'off' in the menu, it powers down instantaneously rather than taking a few minutes while the little LED display flashes. I've found what I think is the thermal trip (seen below in this grainy camera phone photo) and tried pressing it but it doesn't seem to do much and for all I know I could be pressing a random loose bit of plastic....

 

http://I.imgur.com/2mligAkl.jpg

 

 

 

Anybody got any ideas??

[niclights]

That is the thermal trip. If it has gone you should feel a click when you press (reasonably hard) on it. All the symptoms you describe point to this.

 

When working you should be able to feel (and hear) short thuds from the pump. The higher the output level, the more frequent the thuds. Note that this will not happen immediately after resetting the trip as it needs somewhere between 30s and 1min to heat up first - it won't start pumping until it is hot enough.

 

Assuming the trip has gone the most likely reason (although not always) is from air traps in the line, often following a refill or if the brass collar wasn't engaged correctly in the bottle, which has allowed the vapouriser to run dry. It is therefore possible there will be no fluid in the line at all. Run it at a high level (say 80%) and watch for fluid pickup and movement through the line, leaving it running until any air has completely run through the vapouriser and there is a nice continuous line of fluid. Usually you will get a burst of burned smoke (residual in the block), followed by a dip in level while air clears before you return to nice steady output. Continue to run it at a reasonable level to clear any burned smell. If no fluid picks up but you can feel and hear the pump trying then disconnect and reconnect the bottle making sure it engages properly.

 

If it has run completely dry you may find you get an error part way through. If this happens immediately disconnect/reconnect power (to clear the error) and enable output again. Running around 75-80% instead of full seems to help prevent this happening. Similarly, it is possible the thermal trip could go again during the process. Keep an ear out for the tell-tale click and reset if necessary.

 

After a refill I always try to run out any air that has entered the line. This seems to help.

[gyro_gearloose]

That is the thermal trip.

Afraid not. That's a thermal switch, and is not manually resettable. The thermal trip in my Unique 2 is a small ceramic square with a lever that pokes out of the top. When it trips, the lever needs to be pressed back down. Have a look and see if your Unique (I'm assuming its a version 1) has one.

 

Assuming the trip has gone the most likely reason (although not always) is from air traps in the line, often following a refill or if the brass collar wasn't engaged correctly in the bottle, which has allowed the vapouriser to run dry.

Are you sure? The Unique 2 works by constantly running air through the heater block. There's a fluid pump which introduces haze fluid into this air stream, and the longer the pump runs the greater the level of haze/smoke. An air trap shouldn't cause over-heating problems. The most likely cause of over heating will be carbon build-up in the heater block. A thin piece of copper wire helps to clear any burnt-on deposits.

[alistermorton]

You might have the same problem we had - a small split in the fluid line where it meets the collar, so the pump was just pulling in air instead of fluid. Cutting the tube back and refitting it solved the problem.

[niclights]

Afraid not. That's a thermal switch, and is not manually resettable. The thermal trip in my Unique 2 is a small ceramic square with a lever that pokes out of the top. When it trips, the lever needs to be pressed back down. Have a look and see if your Unique (I'm assuming its a version 1) has one.

The photo might not quite be what I thought it was then. I have both mk1 and mk2 units. In both, the device that protects the heater is located at the side of the vapouriser adjacent to where the to white cables enter it. On both there is a small round piece of plasic that protrudes, roughly the same size as lead in a pencil. Not really lead I know... Whenever I had the symptoms described I have found that pressing this firmly until I feel a click fixes the issue. Obviously it may have changed in design but I would expect some sort of switch that would be located on the vapouriser somewhere.

 

Are you sure? The Unique 2 works by constantly running air through the heater block. There's a fluid pump which introduces haze fluid into this air stream, and the longer the pump runs the greater the level of haze/smoke. An air trap shouldn't cause over-heating problems. The most likely cause of over heating will be carbon build-up in the heater block. A thin piece of copper wire helps to clear any burnt-on deposits.

I cannot be certain that there are problems caused when small amounts of air enter the line following a refill but it can't hurt to let them run through. However, I have seen plenty of examples of the collar not being engaged properly, presumably having been knocked at some point during an event. Even though it looks connected the pump can no longer pickup fluid and it just runs through whatever it has in the line until it becomes dry and eventually trips.

In my experience it is unusual for the vapouriser to trip again when trying to draw fluid back from a dry line but it does sometimes misdiagnose as vapouriser blocked error. A quick reset by disconnecting mains will get it going again.

 

This is all based on experience operating both units for many years. I have never needed to use any copper wire, just an occasional flush with dionised water.

[jona1984]

Thanks guys - it does seem like there's no fluid in the tube so I suppose it could just be sucking air....It's sometimes difficult to tell whether what you're seeing in the tube is air or fluid....I'll investigate more thoroughly again tonight.

 

If that small component I photographed was indeed the thermal trip switch then I can confirm that when I push it back in it doesn't 'click'. In fact, it doesn't really move that much at all but it does feel slightly 'loose'.....??

 

I'll experiment with running the pump at 80% for a while but I think I was running it on about 30% for a while with absolutely no noticeable movement of the residual fluid/bubbles in the tube.....is there anything that would prohibit the pump from engaging? For instance, is there any procedure in place that would stop the pump from working until the correct temperature was reached etc? If so, that could be why I'm not getting any pump action....

[dmoorcroft]

Had exactly the same issue a few months ago where the thermal switch appeared loose. Couldn't reset it, concluded it was broken, and for the purposes of that gig I by-passed it before repairing it later with a new component.

[niclights]

As I mentioned above the pump won't run unless the vapouriser is at the correct temperature. Can you see anything like the trip that Gyro described?

[jona1984]

Thanks for all ongoing help -

 

Our Unique is a 2.1. It would probably follow from all the suggestions that the problem is a thermal trip which has tripped preventing the vapouriser from heating up and in turn preventing the pump from engaging.

 

@gyro_gearloose where exactly is this 'ceramic square with a lever' on yours?? I've looked everywhere, can't see anything that even looks like a switch. I saw a small brown capacitor-looking thing on what I assumed was the power circuit board; it could be pried up from its base (like an IC sitting in a holder) but I didn't think it'd be that......

[gyro_gearloose]

Since you've got your unit open, can you take another photo and I'll try and point out where it is? It has been over six months since I looked inside a Unique hazer so it might not be a ceramic block, but there are definitely two switches - the non-resettable one you photographed, and a resettable one somewhere near the heater block. It might be under the white fibrous heat shield material. I know I had to open our Unique 2.1 once during our panto run as it had lost power completely. Pressing a switch near the heater block cured it, and moving the machine to somewhere cooler meant it never over-heated again. Hope this helps

[niclights]

It must be on the vapouriser somewhere (metal coil, top centre) with two wires going to it (not the white ones!)

[jona1984]

Ok - have looked all over the thing for a button or switch and the only thing that looks remotely like a switch is the previously supplied photo.

 

I've taken some photos of various sections of the hazer's insides - see the gallery here.

 

If anyone can suggest where I might find a thermal trip (if this model even has one....) I'd be most grateful.

 

Example image:

 

http://I.imgur.com/OZp3X9Ll.jpg?1

 

[niclights]

The ?? is the air pump.

 

The part under the coil is certainly a thermal switch. Trace the wires back to the main PCB and see if there's a reset there instead.

[jona1984]

Any ideas if there's more 'stuff' in the back section, i.e. where all those wires disappear into the back of the unit through a small hole? If so I'll try and get into that part too, but I just assumed they all fed into there to keep things neat as it seems like the only stuff you'd need to access is in that main section....Is it worth me checking in there too??

 

Any ideas if there's more 'stuff' in the back section, i.e. where all those wires disappear into the back of the unit through a small hole? If so I'll try and get into that part too, but I just assumed they all fed into there to keep things neat as it seems like the only stuff you'd need to access is in that main section....Is it worth me checking in there too??

[niclights]

That is what I was suggesting. The main control PCB is in there.