Planar Heater, anyone know how to make it work?

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Quandary

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I recently installed a 2kw Planar air heater with a CP27 control panel, after I installed it it started up and ran fine, producing heat from the ducts. Today I tried it for the second time, it started up, briefly showing heating mode on the screen before immediately changing to the ventilation display mode and running the fan. I have tried all sorts of combinations of buttons without persuading it to heat. I even tried reading the instruction booklet for the control panel but it does not respond in any way to the different buttons as implied in the booklet. If I press the square start button it now just shows the identity number of the programme but does not change to any function, the arrow buttons do nothing. If I switch it off with the panel, I need then to isolate the power supply before it will light up again. If I could just persuade the control panel to display heating mode I think the rest might work. I am not bothered about the timer function, just on and off would do.

Surely these things are suitable for operation by idiots like me or have I bought something that is too complex for my intellect?
 
Is your battery fully charged? These heaters need good voltage to get going and will shut down if they don't get it.
 
+1 re the battery! It is the most common fault reported to me by my users!
Not sure about Planar heaters but if you can identify the trigger lead going to thetimer and put the positive timer lead to that you will by pass the timer.
I doubt that the timer is the problem but it is a quick way to eliminate it!
 
pcatterall said:
+1 re the battery! It is the most common fault reported to me by my users!
Not sure about Planar heaters but if you can identify the trigger lead going to thetimer and put the positive timer lead to that you will by pass the timer.
I doubt that the timer is the problem but it is a quick way to eliminate it!
Click to expand...

The boat is on shore power and the battery voltage is showing 13 so I think it is more likely to be the mickey mouse control panel and my lack of understanding of how to get it to work.
 
Quandary said:
The boat is on shore power and the battery voltage is showing 13 so I think it is more likely to be the mickey mouse control panel and my lack of understanding of how to get it to work.
Click to expand...

As matthewriches suggested, P F Jones are the UK's main dealer and have good technical help.
 
I should contact the dealer where the unit was purchased. Two of the main criticisms of them is the tacky control unit and the written instructions.
 
Try totally powering it down then go make a cup of tea

Power it up again after you’ve filled and boiled the kettle and ignore what the display says while you enjoy a biscuit with the tea

Turn off radio 4 so you can hear what happens when you push the Start button once for a second or so, and only push it once...

The fan should rev up once then go quiet while the start sequence runs the heater up

Once you get hot air then you can increase the hot air temperature on the controller

Thats what I did when I couldn’t get it to run, think I pushed too many buttons...I have a simple guide somewhere that I’ll get to you, is boatie in the canal still?
 
Thanks, Wully, sounds hopeful, I certainly may have pushed too many buttons this morning. I will try your advice and let you know how it goes.
She is still in Ardrishaig basin but if I do not have another boat to do tomorrow I may move her over to Crinan Rings.
 
I had problems getting my unit to function after installation.
Absolutely no problem with unit or accessories, simply my inability to understand and follow some very simple instructions.

Specifically wanted the basic control unit and its not as flimsy as some suggest, it does the job.
Anywho ... unit refused to start and of course after blaming everything and anything but myself, contacted supplier, who after asking some questions, then proceeded to explained exactly what the problem was.
It was with my installation and I do something very similar for living.:(
Having reassembled a fuel pump connection and made sure that the control unit was measuring the cabin temperature, pushed a button and waited.
After a nail biting few seconds a fan burst into life :) and then went off again :( , grrr.......BUT you just have to wait while the thing slowly goes through some sort of check and set up programme, after what seems ages (actually a min or two) the fan will start and warm air will emerge.
 
Press the Left Arrow button until the Bottom LED on the LEFT side lights.
Press the Middle button ONCE
The bottom LEFT LED should remain on.
After about 1 minute the system will start up. Pre-start and heating for ignition, be patient.
Adjust and set temperature with the Left and Right Arrow buttons. DO NOT PRESS MIDDLE BUTTON

To turn off

Press the Middle button to turn unit off, sometimes needs 2 presses. Bottom Left light flashes fast while shutting down.
Once all the lights are out and the fan stops it is safe to switch the power off. DO NOT Switch power off until the unit has purged and closed down.

Works for me :) Planar 2D PU22 Controller though.

Ian
 
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Does this help? Instructions I use on my boat Rose.
Planar%2044%20heater%20control.pdf
 
My thanks to all who responded, in particular to Ianfr for the clear and concise details which I have transcribed, I will go down to the boat shortly to try it out, quite hopeful that it might go.
 
vyv_cox said:
Send an email to Owen at Planarheaters.co.uk. He gives advice to all owners, whether they bought from him or elsewhere.
Click to expand...

The heater was bought from Owen, he did send me the translated instruction leaflet for the control but even though it is in English, (which is my first language), I have trouble making sense of it and the panel does not seem to respond in the way the diagrams imply. Ianfr's suggestion though different, is in language I can understand and seems to make sense so I am hopeful that if I try that it might work. If I can get the thing to start up on demand, produce some heat and shut down again when I decide, I will be well pleased.
 
Quandary said:
The heater was bought from Owen, he did send me the translated instruction leaflet for the control but even though it is in English, (which is my first language), I have trouble making sense of it and the panel does not seem to respond in the way the diagrams imply. Ianfr's suggestion though different, is in language I can understand and seems to make sense so I am hopeful that if I try that it might work. If I can get the thing to start up on demand, produce some heat and shut down again when I decide, I will be well pleased.
Click to expand...

Ians instructions are for a different timer, unfortunately they bare no resemblance to you timer.

Have you tried contacting Owen (since he sent the instructions) ?
 
Quandary said:
I recently installed a 2kw Planar air heater with a CP27 control panel, after I installed it it started up and ran fine, producing heat from the ducts. Today I tried it for the second time, it started up, briefly showing heating mode on the screen before immediately changing to the ventilation display mode and running the fan. I have tried all sorts of combinations of buttons without persuading it to heat. I even tried reading the instruction booklet for the control panel but it does not respond in any way to the different buttons as implied in the booklet. If I press the square start button it now just shows the identity number of the programme but does not change to any function, the arrow buttons do nothing. If I switch it off with the panel, I need then to isolate the power supply before it will light up again. If I could just persuade the control panel to display heating mode I think the rest might work. I am not bothered about the timer function, just on and off would do.

Surely these things are suitable for operation by idiots like me or have I bought something that is too complex for my intellect?
Click to expand...

The instructions for the CP27 panel are impenetrably complex, so I wouldn't blame yourself. Regrettably, this is what you get when you buy a cheap product; poorly developed user interface and dreadful documentation.

If I can try to be helpful, the manual says that after connecting the control panel to the heater, the control panel software version will be displayed, and it will then show the process of establishing the connection with the heater. This sounds like what you've described, except that connection doesn't seem to be established (otherwise the display should change to show the current time, day of the week and the supply voltage). So the first thing you could do would be to check the connections between the panel and the heater - are the plugs fully inserted? If it still doesn't work, you need to contact the supplier for a warranty repair.
 
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