Technical Support
Troubleshooting Guide
Step-by-step startup procedures, diagnostics and repair guides for all Zone-All products.
If you cannot resolve the issue using this guide, please contact our technical support team or use the Remote Access tool for live assistance.
An important part of any installation is the start up procedure where any wiring or component problems are discovered and corrected. When performing your first start up, or if you have any questions, please contact Zone-All technical support. A complete operations and maintenance manual can be found on the inside cover of each Master control panel.
When performing a start-up at a remote or distant location it is a good idea to have spare parts. Spare circuit boards provide a quick method of isolating problems and confirming whether or not a part is defective.
Required startup steps:
With the daughter board removed, measure all contact points against each other ensuring there are no shorts. An impedance that increases before becoming an open circuit is normal — this is a filter capacitor.
Confirm the wiring is correct for the thermostats and motor controllers. Double check to ensure the 24VAC and communication wires have not been reversed.
Measure the impedance across the TSA and TOA sensor inputs. Should be approximately 10K ohms. Ensure both sensors have their own cable — sharing a cable with 24VAC wires can affect accuracy.
Confirm 24VAC at the L & C terminals before turning power on. Voltages as high as 29VAC are normal.
After turning power on, all damper lights will turn green for at least 4 minutes indicating the dampers are opening. The fan should turn on and stay on. Check that all thermostats are reporting, the Master is in day mode, no alarms are present, and the TSA and TOA are working properly.
At each thermostat set the station number (1–32) from sub menu #4. Further information on programming thermostats can be found in section #2 of the manual.
After 4 minutes, pull dip switch #8 down to place the system into air balance mode. Confirm all dampers are fully open, then pull dip switches #9 & #10 — all damper lights should turn red and all dampers should drive to fully closed. Disconnect the AHU's R wire to ensure the fan is not running during this step.
Attached to each by-pass damper is a detailed explanation of the setup and calibration procedures.
Ensure that dip switch #8 on the Master controller is pulled down placing the Master into air balance mode.
Locate the set screw adjustment on the by-pass damper and turn it CCW until the green LED turns on indicating the damper is opening. Check to ensure the damper drives fully open. Next turn the set screw CW until the red LED turns on and drive the damper to the full closed position.
Slowly turn the adjustment screw CCW just to the point where the green LED comes on and the damper begins to open, then back off until the LED turns red. The objective is to have the set screw as close to opening as possible while still remaining fully closed.
If the by-pass damper is rapidly switching back and forth, the static pressure switch may be located too close to an elbow or turbulence source. Remove and extend the air pressure hose farther down the duct. Do not extend the tube farther than 10 feet from the static pressure sensor.
If you have not already done so, it is strongly recommended to contact our Technical Support department. Check to see if the controller's failures match one of the symptoms listed below:
This indicates a problem with the Master's main CPU recognizing a problem and attempting to reset itself. Swap the Master board with another Master and see if the problem follows the board.
This normally indicates a problem with the communication wiring on the thermostats. Remove all but the first thermostat and continue adding thermostats until the problem occurs. Check wiring between the good thermostat and the problem stat.
Check to see that the Limit alarm LED is ON or FLASHING. If this repeats regularly it could indicate a clogged filter on the AHU, or a by-pass damper stuck in the open position. This would not indicate a problem with the Master board but rather an air supply issue.
Turn the power off to the system at the Master control panel.
Gripping the thermostat towards the bottom of the base, remove the top portion of the thermostat from the base.
Install the replacement thermostat and set the correct channel number from menu option #4.
The motor controller LED indicates whether the actuator is driving open (green) or closed (red). If the LED is flashing green the MCB has just powered up and is going through its damper calibration procedure. If the LED is flashing red the MCB has lost communication with the thermostat.
If the LED is flashing red:
Swap the thermostat with another known good one.
If the problem persists, check to ensure the wiring between the thermostat and MCB is good.
If wiring is good, replace the MCB.
From menu option #3 on the thermostat you can place the thermostat into test mode, allowing you to drive the actuator fully open and closed to confirm the MCB and actuator are operating correctly.
The Starzone 3000 system has been discontinued however it remains fully supported and all parts continue to be available.
The system is resetting because of a failure on either the Master controller board or a Satellite controller. When a satellite is connected, remove the S & R communication wires and replace with a jumper. If the problem goes away, the issue lies with the Satellite controller or the communication wiring. If the board continues to fail with the jumper in place, swap the board with a known good board and ensure the problem follows the board.
A flashing limit light indicates the discharge air temperature has risen above or below the discharge temperature limits. A system going into a high or low limit condition once during a heating/cooling demand is normal. If the system persists in cycling the limit alarm you likely have an air supply issue such as clogged filters or a by-pass damper stuck in the open position.
This indicates a short on one of the damper outputs. Disconnect each damper one at a time until the problem disappears. Once isolated, check the wiring between the controller and damper to ensure there are no shorts.
Measure the following output voltages:
Check to ensure the display is indicating a valid set point and ambient temperature. If not displayed, replace the thermostat with a known good one.
Press the third button to display the duct temperature. If not displayed correctly, check that the duct sensor is connected properly at the damper. The sensor should measure approximately 10K ohm at 72°F (22°C).
Press the Override button (#4) to enter damper test mode. Press UP to drive the damper open and close the auxiliary heat contact. Press DOWN to close the damper and open the auxiliary heat contact.
Motor controller LED: Open = Green, Closing = Red. It can take up to 4 minutes for the damper to completely stroke open or closed.