TL;DR
A high dew point alarm on a carousel dryer means the desiccant wheel is saturated or the regeneration heater has failed. Check the regeneration temperature first.
What you might see
- high dew point fault on the dryer controller
- molded parts show splay or silver streaks from moisture
- dew point reading above the setpoint alarm level
- regeneration temperature not reaching setpoint
Likely causes
Regeneration heater failed or element degraded not fully drying the desiccant
Desiccant wheel contaminated with oil or chemicals causing permanent saturation
Process air filter blocked restricting airflow through the desiccant bed
Desiccant wheel drive motor or belt failed, wheel not rotating to the regeneration position
Required tools
- Multimeter
- Replacement regeneration heater element (if needed)
- Process air filter replacement
- LOTO kit
Safety first
- Lock out before accessing heater elements. Regeneration heaters operate at high voltages.
- Allow the dryer to cool before inspecting the desiccant wheel. Internal surfaces reach temperatures above 200 C during regeneration.
Procedure
- 1
Check the regeneration temperature readout on the Conair controller. It should reach the setpoint temperature during the regeneration cycle.[1]
- 2
Lock out the dryer and allow it to cool before opening the regeneration heater access panel.
- 3
Measure the regeneration heater element resistance with a multimeter. An open circuit indicates a failed element requiring replacement.[1]
- 4
With the dryer off and cooled, inspect the desiccant wheel for oil film contamination from upstream equipment. Oil-contaminated desiccant cannot be regenerated in service and requires replacement.
- 5
Inspect and replace the process air inlet filter if the pressure drop across it has increased.
- 6
Verify the desiccant wheel drive motor is rotating the wheel. A failed drive motor or broken belt will prevent proper desiccant cycling.
- 7
After repairs, allow the dryer to complete two full regeneration cycles before measuring the dew point to confirm it reaches setpoint.
Sources
Conair Conair Carousel Plus Material Dryer / Drying System general technical documentation, Conair
Conair Carousel Plus desiccant dryer operator and service manual (general)
More guides for Conair Conair Carousel Plus
How to fix a hopper level sensor fault on a Conair Carousel Plus material dryer
Hopper level sensor faults interrupt material flow to the processing machine. Inspect the sensor lens for resin coating and verify cable integrity before replacing the sensor.
How to fix a process air temperature fault on a Conair Carousel Plus material dryer
Process air temperature faults mean the process heater is not reaching setpoint. Check the heater element, the thermal cutout, and the process air flow before replacing the heater.
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