Industrial air conditioning is a mission-critical feature for switchgear and electronic cabinets. Cooling units help ensure that the equipment or sensitive data housed inside your enclosures maintain their stability and are protected from the dangers of overheating. Like any mechanical system, they will require periodic maintenance to keep running smoothly.
A properly maintained air conditioner will:
- Save money
- Extend maintenance intervals
- Prolong the life of your equipment
Filter monitoring
In order to maintain the longevity of an enclosure and the materials housed within, Rittal’s Blue e air conditioners feature energy efficient cooling and filter monitoring, which allows you to set up a signal that tells you when airflow begins to be restricted. When that happens — usually due to contamination or a clogged filter — the temperature will rise, which signals that it’s time for the filter to be replaced.
To set up filter monitoring on a Rittal Blue e air conditioner, first take a look at the unit’s display to ensure that the unit is actively cooling. Sensors inside the unit detect the internal temperature, which you’ll see on the display, and the keypad will allow you to toggle between fahrenheit and celsius. You’ll know that the temperature is steady if there are no active alarms or warnings.
Access the menu
Set up filter monitoring by accessing the menu, which you can do by following these steps:
- Press and hold the set key for about five seconds
- Use the C or F key to toggle between options
- Toggle up past the set point to filter monitoring
- Touch the set key again and it’ll give you the value
- A value of 99 (the default from the factory) means that monitoring is off
Find your temperature differential
The next step is to find the temperature differential — or Delta T — between the incoming air hitting the sensor on the condenser fan and the external air leaving through the condenser coil. The Delta T is the difference between these two temperatures. You can use this value to set the condition that will trigger an alarm. To find the differential:
- Use the C and F buttons to look at what your temperature differential is
- The number shown is the Delta T
- Record or remember that for later
- Use this point to adjust for alarm condition
- For example, we’ll use five as the value for Delta T
Turn monitoring on
Once you’ve found your temperature differential, it’s essential to find the code that’s unique to your cooling unit. To find it, access the instruction manual that came with the air conditioner, or you can also find the manual online on our website. Once you’ve recorded the code:
- Go back to the set key and enter the code
- Hitting that number again, the meter starts with 10
- 10 is the lowest threshold level for alarm
- Add your Delta T. For this example, the Delta T is 5. Adding the two numbers together will give you 15
- Hold the set key down and you’ll see “ACC” for accept
- If you don’t hold down the button long enough, you’ll see ESC for escape and the changes will not be saved.
To verify that the numbers were added correctly, go back to the menu, go back to the value, and it’ll be 15.
What to do when the alarm is triggered
If you check the monitor on your Rittal Blue e air conditioning system and see an “A03” symbol, that’s the alarm code. To clear this, you must clear the problem. Much of the time, it will require a simple filter replacement.
Once the problem is fixed, click and hold the C and F keys at the same time to set it to a self-diagnostic mode so that the cooling system can check to make sure that the issue has been repaired. Once it has confirmed that there are no further problems, the code will be cleared.
Setting an alarm on your Rittal Blue e air conditioner will help ensure that your enclosures, environments, and the materials stored within, remain at a safe temperature while increasing the durability of the cooling system. For more information on Rittal’s NEMA-rated climate control solutions, download the Rittal Climate Solutions Handbook.