TL;DR
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.
What you might see
- process temperature fault alarm
- process air temperature below setpoint
- material not dried to specification, moisture in parts
- thermal cutout indicator tripped on the heater
Likely causes
Process heater element failed or degraded
Thermal over-temperature cutout tripped and requires manual reset
Reduced process air flow from a blocked filter starving the heater
Process thermocouple failed reading incorrectly causing the controller to under-fire the heater
Required tools
- Multimeter
- Process air filter replacement
- Replacement heater element (if needed)
- Replacement thermocouple (if needed)
- LOTO kit
Safety first
- Lock out the dryer before replacing heater elements or thermocouples.
- Do not reset an over-temperature cutout without identifying why it tripped. A repeated trip indicates a chronic airflow or heater problem.
Procedure
- 1
Note the process temperature reading on the controller and compare it to the setpoint.
- 2
Locate the manual thermal over-temperature cutout on the process heater assembly. Check if it has tripped and reset it manually if it is a manual-reset type.[1]
- 3
Identify the root cause of the over-temperature trip before resetting. A tripped cutout indicates the heater overheated, typically from low airflow.[1]
- 4
Lock out the dryer and replace the process air inlet filter to restore airflow.
- 5
Measure the process heater element resistance with a multimeter. Replace any open-circuit element.
- 6
Inspect the process thermocouple for correct installation and continuity. A damaged thermocouple will cause incorrect temperature readings.
- 7
Restart the dryer and verify the process air temperature reaches and holds the setpoint for a full drying cycle.
Sources
Conair Conair Carousel Plus Material Dryer / Drying System general technical documentation, Conair
Conair Carousel Plus dryer service manual, heater maintenance and temperature control troubleshooting (general)
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