Smart Recirculation Control 32 Installation Guide

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Smart Recirculation Control 32 – Installation Guide

Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced microprocessor-controlled hot water recirculation pump controller made. This system is designed to run the recirculation pump only when you need it, thus saving both water and energy. It is designed and built with pride in the USA to provide years of service and savings.

Unboxing Your Product

(1) Smart Recirculation Control 32 with RJ-45 connector

(2) Temperature Sensors with RJ-14 connectors and RJ-14 Splitter

(1) 3/4” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector

(1) Wiring Harness with RJ-45, RJ-14, and JST connectors

Items Note Included: You will need the following items for installation that are not included.

→ Electrical Tape
→ PTFE (Teflon) Tape
→ Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall

QUICKSTART GUIDE

Before you begin

Perform the following system test.

Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness.
Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slightly audible click and the red LED turns on for approximately 10 seconds.

If this test fails, disconnect all connections and inspect the wires to ensure they are not broken or loose and that the pins in the Y connector are not pushed to one side or the other.

NOTE: If the controller light blinks fast red, the issue is with a temperature sensor connection at the Y connector. See Troubleshooting Symptom 1.

QuickStart Install

Install the flow meter at the cold-water input to the water heater, ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.

NOTE: PTFE tape IS necessary when joining the flow meter to a female NPT connector. PTFE tape is NOT necessary when connecting to a flexible hook-up line, as they use a washer to create a seal. If installing with hard copper piping, it is recommended to install the flow meter using a union fitting.
Attach one temperature sensor to smooth copper piping near the hot water outlet from the water heater with electrical tape ensuring the entire length of the sensor is in contact with the pipe.

Do not attach it to a coupler, corrugated flex pipe or a hookup hose. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation. The temperature sensor lines can be extended with RJ-14 telephone line extensions if needed. Tested extensions can be purchased from the online store.
Attach the second temperature sensor to smooth copper piping on the returning hot water line before the return line Ts into the cold water feed and upstream from the check valve. It is preferable to install the sensor upstream from the recirculation pump as the thermal mass of the pump can cause slightly longer run times. Ensure the entire length of the sensor is in contact with the pipe and secure it with electrical tape.

Do not attach it to a coupler, corrugated flex pipe or a hookup hose. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness using the RJ-14 Y connector, connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second, and the pump should turn. If the hot water line is cold, the pump will continue to run until hot water recirculates throughout the house and raises the temperature of the return sensor to within 5F° (default) of the outgoing hot water sensor.

If the pump fails to turn on or fails to stay on past the initial 10 seconds or continues to run for longer than 5 minutes and the piping feels hot, see Troubleshooting.

LED Legend

GREEN LED: will blink 3 times when first plugged in to indicate the unit is functioning correctly.
GREEN LED: solid on when a timer is active and the pump is not running.
GREEN LED: will blink every 10 seconds when no other LED is lit (e.g., no timer active, pump not running).
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that one or both of the temperature sensors are not connected properly.
RED LED: will blink every 5 seconds when Max Pump Run Time is exceeded.
RED LED: solid on when the pump is running, whether due to a timer or due to demand.
BLUE LED: solid on when connected via the smartphone app.

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

Please read over the following detailed instructions. If you are not comfortable with any part of them, please contact a licensed plumber to perform the installation.

Before installation, you must perform the system test at the beginning of the QuickStart Guide.

Installation

Note the setting of the water heater thermostat and then set it to the lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
Disconnect the cold water supply line from the water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels, as a small amount of water will flow out of the hookup line. You don’t have to drain the tank. As long as all the faucets remain closed, you should not get any backflow from the hot water line.
Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of the water heater using PTFE tape, ensuring that the flow meter’s arrow is pointing toward the water heater.
Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow. The supply line uses a washer to seal, so you don’t need to use PTFE tape on this connection. Hand tighten and turn an additional ¼ to ½ turn.DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN!
Turn on the cold water supply to the water heater and inspect for leaks.
Turn the water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting.
Attach one temperature sensor to smooth copper piping near the hot water outlet from the water heater with electrical tape ensuring the entire length of the sensor is in contact with the pipe.
Do not attach it to corrugated copper pipe, the hook-up hose, or a coupler. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
NOTE: If installing with PEX
PEX is a good insulator and will cause a lag in the controller sensing the temperature change. You will need to plumb in a short section of copper pipe and attach the temperature sensors to the copper pipe instead of attaching the sensors directly onto the PEX.
Locate the recirculation pump.
Attach the other temperature sensor to smooth copper piping upstream from the pump with electrical tape ensuring the entire length of the sensor is in contact with the pipe.
Do not attach it to corrugated copper pipe or a coupler.
Cover the temperature sensor with insulation. You may install the sensor downstream from the pump; however, the pump absorbs heat requiring it to run longer before the temperature sensor detects the increase in temperature.
NOTE: Temp sensor placement
Temperature sensor must be placed before the return line T’s back into the cold water supply line.
Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness using the RJ-14 Splitter, ensuring they snap together securely.

NOTE:This is the primary source of issues when installing the controller. If, when the controller is plugged in, the indicator light blinks fast red, the problem is with a temperature sensor connection at the Y connector.
See Trouble Shooting Symptom 1 for more details.
Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector, ensuring it snaps together securely.
Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater.
Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Recirculation Control 32 via the RJ-45 connector, ensuring it snaps in securely.
Plug the recirculation pump into the Smart Recirculation Control32 and plug the Smart Recirculation Control 32 into an electrical outlet.
The green LED on the side of the controller will blink 3 times if everything is OK. If the red LED flashes, quickly see Troubleshooting Symptom 1.
Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. This will trigger the recirculation pump to turn on. The red LED turns on while the pump is running.
If the hot water line is cold, the pump should continue to run until the temperature difference between the two sensors is less than the low temperature difference (default 5F°).
The temperature of the sensors, water flow through the meter, and the status of the pump can be monitored via “Live Data” in the smartphone app.
If the pump fails to turn on when a faucet is fully opened for 1 second, see Troubleshooting Symptom 2.
If the pump fails to stay on past the initial pump run time of 10 seconds, see Troubleshooting Symptom 3.
If the pump runs longer than 5 minutes and the piping feels hot, see Troubleshooting Symptom 4.