Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced micro processor 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.
Contents:
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.
Contents:
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1 Smart Recirculation Control with RJ-45 connector
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2 Temperature Sensors with RJ-11 connectors and RJ-11 Splitter
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1 ¾” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector
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1 Wiring Harness with RJ-45, RJ-11 and JST connectors
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Needed:
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
Electrical Tape
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness.
4. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
5. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight 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 bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together and re-test. If this test still fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Attach one temperature sensor to 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. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
3. Attach the second temperature sensor to copper piping on the returning hot water line before the return line T’s into the cold water feed upstream from the check valve ensuring the entire length of the sensor is in contact with the pipe. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
4. The temperature sensor lines can be extended with standard RJ11 telephone line extensions if needed.
5. Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness using the RJ11 Y connector, connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
6. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
7. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on. If the hot water line is cold the pump should continue to run until hot water recirculates throughout the house and raises the temperature of the return sensor to within 5 F degrees (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 Trouble Shooting.
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 pump is not running
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that one or both of the temperature sensors are not connected properly
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 smart phone 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.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of the water heater thermostat and then set it to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
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4. Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some 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 back flow from the hot water line.
5. Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of the water heater using PTFE tape being sure that the arrow on the flow meter is pointing toward the water heater. 6. Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow meter. The supply line uses a rubber 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! 7. Turn on the cold water supply to the water heater and inspect for any leaks. 8. Turn the water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting. |
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9. Locate the recirculation pump.
10. Place one temperature sensor against the recirculation loop return pipe immediately before or after the pump and tape it securely in place ensuring it is in contact with the copper piping for its entire length. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation. Note 1: If installing on PEX you will need to plumb in a short section of copper pipe to which to attach the temperature sensors. PEX is a pretty good insulator and will cause a lag in the controller sensing the temperature change. Note 2: Temperature sensor MUST be placed before the return line T’s back into the cold water supply line. |
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11. Place the other temperature sensor against the hot water outlet pipe of the water heater and tape it securely in place ensuring it is in contact with the copper piping for its entire length. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
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12. Connect the temperature sensors to the wiring harness using the RJ-11 splitter ensuring they snap together securely.
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13. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector ensuring it snaps together securely.
14. Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater. |
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15. Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Recirculation Control via the RJ-45 connector ensuring it snaps in securely.
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16. Plug the recirculation pump into the Smart Recirculation Control and plug the Smart Recirculation Control into an electrical outlet.
17. The green LED on the side of the controller will blink 3 times if everything is OK. If the red LED flashes quickly see Trouble Shooting item 1. 18. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. This will trigger the recirculation pump to turn the pump on. The red LED turns on while the pump is running. 19. 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 small temperature difference (default 5 F degrees). 20. The temperature of the sensors and the status of the pump can be monitored via the smart phone app by selecting “Live Data” from the menu. |
21. If the pump fails to turn on when a faucet is fully opened for 1 second, see Trouble Shooting item 2.
22. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial pump run time of 10 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
23. If the pump continues to run for longer than 5 minutes and the piping feels hot see Trouble Shooting item 4.
Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Recirculation Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the recirculation loop hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the recirculation loop has heated up and then it shuts the pump off while continuing to monitor the flow demand and the recirculation loop temperature. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by searching for “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Recirculation Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button at the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometime have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Recirculation Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will be lit. When the Smart Recirculation Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the loop is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
When connected to the controller via the smart phone app, the blue LED will always be lit. To know if the pump is running or a timer is active, select “Live Data” from the menu and it will provide the status of the pump and timers. The Smart Recirculation Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Recirculation Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Recirculation Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Recirculation Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Recirculation Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the controller more sensitive to flow (require fewer pulses to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the controller is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the unit less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more pulses to turn the controller on).
Temperature Range – The temperature range setting allows the user to set the temperature differences that cause the controller to turn the pump on and off. When the controller senses flow, it checks to see if the temperature difference between the two temperature sensors is greater than the large difference and if it is, it turns the pump on. It runs the pump while reading the temperature sensors until the temperature difference is less than or equal to the small difference. The default large difference is 8 F deg and the default small difference is 5 F deg. These values work fine for most installations, however if you find that the controller is turning on and never turning off, you should increase the value of the small difference. See Trouble Shooting item 4.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after sensing flow and heating up the loop. As long as there is hot water flow within the dormant interval, it is assumed that the temperature sensor on the outlet of the water heater has an accurate temperature reading and therefore the pump doesn’t need to run unless the temperature difference gets greater than the large difference specified in the Temperature Range setting. Therefore when flow is detected within the dormant interval, the dormant interval timer is reset. The dormant interval is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active between pump runs. If you want the pump to turn on more quickly while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if there hasn’t been flow within the dormant period. This is to ensure that water from the water heater makes it to the first temperature sensor in order to obtain an accurate temperature comparison between the two temperature sensors. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check the temperature of the recirculation loop. This value is set to 10 seconds which is fine for most installations. If the temperature sensor for the hot water outlet is installed some distance from the water heater this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Red LED flashes quickly after it is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The Smart Recirculation Control is not able to get temperature information from the temperature sensors.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Recirculation Control from the wall, disconnect the connection to the temperature sensors, disconnect the wiring harness from the Smart Recirculation Control. Inspect the pins in the connectors and ensure they are not bent or broken. Inspect the wires connecting to the connectors and ensure they are not broken or loose. Reconnect the temperature sensors ensuring they are firmly connected and snapped together. Plug the wiring harness back into the Smart Recirculation Control. Plug the Smart Recirculation Control back into the wall outlet.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by your faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE: The controller isn’t sensing a temperature difference greater than the large difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 8 F degrees).
RESOLUTION 1: Ensure that the temperature sensor is securely connected to the copper piping coming out of the water heater as close to the water heater as reasonable. Typically this will be after the hookup line. If it is loose, re-secure it in place with electrical tape, cover it with insulation and test it again. If it still won’t stay on see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: This is typically a situation where it is taking longer than 10 seconds for the pump to get hot water out to the location of the first temperature sensor and cause the temperature difference to be greater than the large difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 8 F degrees). To test this, after the pump has run for the initial 10 seconds, turn the hot water on again for a few seconds. If the pump kicks on and starts running then you need to increase the Initial Pump Run Time under Advanced Settings. The default is 10 seconds. I would recommend increasing this by 5 seconds at a time and test again when the system is cold. You can also view the “Live Data” in the app which displays live temperature values and difference to see what is actually being sensed.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run even though the piping feels hot.
ISSUE: The controller isn’t sensing the temperature difference dropping below the small difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 5 F degrees).
RESOLUTION 1: Ensure that the temperature sensor is securely connected to the copper piping on the return line and that it is connected before it T’s into the cold water feed into the water heater. If it is loose, re-secure it in place with electrical tape, cover it with insulation and test it again. If it still won’t stay on see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. It will display the temperature values and the difference. If this difference is greater than the small temperature difference in the Temperature Range setting (default 5 F degrees) then the pump won’t turn off. Go into the Settings → Temperature Range and increase the small temperature difference value to be greater than the value observes in “Live Data” and the pump will turn off. This typically happens in homes where the hot water line isn’t well insulated and the water looses temperature as it recirculates throughout the home. Do your best to insulate all hot water pipes that you can reasonable access. It will
make the system perform better and it will save you money on energy bills. Note: You may also need to increase the large difference value. If you were to make these values the same the pump would cycle on and off often. It is recommend that these values be at least 3 degrees apart.
5. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Recirculation Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The sensitivity of the Smart Recirculation Control is to low and should be adjusted higher.
22. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial pump run time of 10 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
23. If the pump continues to run for longer than 5 minutes and the piping feels hot see Trouble Shooting item 4.
Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Recirculation Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the recirculation loop hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the recirculation loop has heated up and then it shuts the pump off while continuing to monitor the flow demand and the recirculation loop temperature. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by searching for “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Recirculation Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button at the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometime have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Recirculation Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will be lit. When the Smart Recirculation Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the loop is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
When connected to the controller via the smart phone app, the blue LED will always be lit. To know if the pump is running or a timer is active, select “Live Data” from the menu and it will provide the status of the pump and timers. The Smart Recirculation Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Recirculation Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Recirculation Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Recirculation Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Recirculation Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the controller more sensitive to flow (require fewer pulses to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the controller is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the unit less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more pulses to turn the controller on).
Temperature Range – The temperature range setting allows the user to set the temperature differences that cause the controller to turn the pump on and off. When the controller senses flow, it checks to see if the temperature difference between the two temperature sensors is greater than the large difference and if it is, it turns the pump on. It runs the pump while reading the temperature sensors until the temperature difference is less than or equal to the small difference. The default large difference is 8 F deg and the default small difference is 5 F deg. These values work fine for most installations, however if you find that the controller is turning on and never turning off, you should increase the value of the small difference. See Trouble Shooting item 4.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after sensing flow and heating up the loop. As long as there is hot water flow within the dormant interval, it is assumed that the temperature sensor on the outlet of the water heater has an accurate temperature reading and therefore the pump doesn’t need to run unless the temperature difference gets greater than the large difference specified in the Temperature Range setting. Therefore when flow is detected within the dormant interval, the dormant interval timer is reset. The dormant interval is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active between pump runs. If you want the pump to turn on more quickly while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if there hasn’t been flow within the dormant period. This is to ensure that water from the water heater makes it to the first temperature sensor in order to obtain an accurate temperature comparison between the two temperature sensors. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check the temperature of the recirculation loop. This value is set to 10 seconds which is fine for most installations. If the temperature sensor for the hot water outlet is installed some distance from the water heater this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Red LED flashes quickly after it is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The Smart Recirculation Control is not able to get temperature information from the temperature sensors.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Recirculation Control from the wall, disconnect the connection to the temperature sensors, disconnect the wiring harness from the Smart Recirculation Control. Inspect the pins in the connectors and ensure they are not bent or broken. Inspect the wires connecting to the connectors and ensure they are not broken or loose. Reconnect the temperature sensors ensuring they are firmly connected and snapped together. Plug the wiring harness back into the Smart Recirculation Control. Plug the Smart Recirculation Control back into the wall outlet.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by your faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE: The controller isn’t sensing a temperature difference greater than the large difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 8 F degrees).
RESOLUTION 1: Ensure that the temperature sensor is securely connected to the copper piping coming out of the water heater as close to the water heater as reasonable. Typically this will be after the hookup line. If it is loose, re-secure it in place with electrical tape, cover it with insulation and test it again. If it still won’t stay on see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: This is typically a situation where it is taking longer than 10 seconds for the pump to get hot water out to the location of the first temperature sensor and cause the temperature difference to be greater than the large difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 8 F degrees). To test this, after the pump has run for the initial 10 seconds, turn the hot water on again for a few seconds. If the pump kicks on and starts running then you need to increase the Initial Pump Run Time under Advanced Settings. The default is 10 seconds. I would recommend increasing this by 5 seconds at a time and test again when the system is cold. You can also view the “Live Data” in the app which displays live temperature values and difference to see what is actually being sensed.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run even though the piping feels hot.
ISSUE: The controller isn’t sensing the temperature difference dropping below the small difference that is set in the Temperature Range setting (default 5 F degrees).
RESOLUTION 1: Ensure that the temperature sensor is securely connected to the copper piping on the return line and that it is connected before it T’s into the cold water feed into the water heater. If it is loose, re-secure it in place with electrical tape, cover it with insulation and test it again. If it still won’t stay on see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. It will display the temperature values and the difference. If this difference is greater than the small temperature difference in the Temperature Range setting (default 5 F degrees) then the pump won’t turn off. Go into the Settings → Temperature Range and increase the small temperature difference value to be greater than the value observes in “Live Data” and the pump will turn off. This typically happens in homes where the hot water line isn’t well insulated and the water looses temperature as it recirculates throughout the home. Do your best to insulate all hot water pipes that you can reasonable access. It will
make the system perform better and it will save you money on energy bills. Note: You may also need to increase the large difference value. If you were to make these values the same the pump would cycle on and off often. It is recommend that these values be at least 3 degrees apart.
5. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Recirculation Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The sensitivity of the Smart Recirculation Control is to low and should be adjusted higher.
Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced micro processor 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.
Contents:
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.
Contents:
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1 Smart Thermostatic Control with RJ-45 connector
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¾” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector
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1 Wiring Harness
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Needed:
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
4. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight
audible click and the red LED turns on. It will stay on for approximately 5 minutes but you don’t need
to wait for it to turn off. The test was to ensure that the flow meter can turn on the controller.
If this test fails, disconnect all connections and inspect the wires to ensure they are not broken or loose and that
the pins are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together tightly and re-test. If this test still
fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on
the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on for at least the initial run time
of 5 seconds. If the hot water line is cold the pump should continue to run until hot water reaches the
thermostatic cross over valve causing it to close and the flow to be cut off. When this happens the
controller will turn the pump off.
If the pump fails to turn on or fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds or continues to run after you have hot
water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting.
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 pump is not running
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 smart phone 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.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the
pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water
quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
4. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight
audible click and the red LED turns on. It will stay on for approximately 5 minutes but you don’t need
to wait for it to turn off. The test was to ensure that the flow meter can turn on the controller.
If this test fails, disconnect all connections and inspect the wires to ensure they are not broken or loose and that
the pins are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together tightly and re-test. If this test still
fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on
the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on for at least the initial run time
of 5 seconds. If the hot water line is cold the pump should continue to run until hot water reaches the
thermostatic cross over valve causing it to close and the flow to be cut off. When this happens the
controller will turn the pump off.
If the pump fails to turn on or fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds or continues to run after you have hot
water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting.
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 pump is not running
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 smart phone 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.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the
pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water
quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
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Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some water will flow out of the hookup line. You don’t have to drain the tank and as long as all the faucets remain closed you should not get any back flow from the hot water line.
5. Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of water heater using PTFE tape being sure that the arrow on the flow meter is pointing toward the water heater. 6. Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow meter. The supply line uses a rubber washer to seal so you don’t need use PTFE tape on this connection. Hand tighten and turn an additional ¼ to ½ turn. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! 7. Turn on the cold water supply to the water heater and inspect for any leaks. 8. Turn water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting. |
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9. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector ensuring the connector snaps together securely.
10. Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater. |
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11. Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Thermostatic Control via the RJ-45 connector ensuring it snaps in securely.
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12. Plug the recirculation pump into the Smart Thermostatic Control and Plug the Smart Thermostatic Control into an electrical outlet.
13. The green LED on the side of the controller will blink 3 times if everything is OK. 14. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. This will trigger the recirculation pump to turn on and run until the thermostatic crossover valve is up to temperature. The red LED turns on while the pump is running. 15. Once the thermostatic crossover valve heats up and closes, the flow will stop and the pump will turn off. |
16. If the pump fails to turn on when a faucet is fully opened for 1 second, see Trouble Shooting item 1.
17. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 2.
18. If the pump continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
Smart Thermostatic Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Thermostatic Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the crossover valve closes while continuing to monitor the flow demand. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Thermostatic Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Thermostatic Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the hot water line is up to temperature and the thermostatic crossover valve closes, the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
The Smart Thermostatic Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Thermostatic Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Thermostatic Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Thermostatic Control. To
access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of
basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on and off. When the controller senses flow greater than the large value it turns the pump on. When the flow falls below the small value, the controller turns the pump off. The default on value is 20 and off value is 5 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, see Trouble Shooting item 1. If the controller isn’t turning off when the plumbing is hot, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the hot water line up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check if the thermostatic valve has opened. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that the pump has time to get up to speed and start moving water through the thermostatic valve before checking the flow value. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check thermostatic valve. This value is set to 5 seconds which is fine for most installations, but some pumps have electronic controls requiring longer for the pump to start running once power is connected so this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by the faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE 1: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) already heated up and aren’t allowing flow.
RESOLUTION 1: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is, wait for the water to cool off and test it again. If it is not 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set too high and the controller isn’t registering enough flow to keep the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Unplug the controller from power, wait 10 seconds and plug it back in. Open the smart phone app and go to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time to 30 seconds. Go back to the menu and select “Live Data”. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. The pump will now run for 30 seconds and you should see the flow value that the pump is pushing through the thermostatic crossover valve(s). If this value is 0 then the crossover valve(s) is (are) closed and not allowing flow. If this value is not 0, then set the small value in Settings → Sensitivity to be less than this value and the pump will continue to run when triggered. Don’t forget to go back to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time back to 5 seconds.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run after hot water is detected at the faucet(s) where the thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) installed.
ISSUE: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) not up to 95F and therefore still allowing flow.
RESOLUTION: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set below the flow value the controller is registering and therefore keeping the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The flow value that the controller is registering will be displayed. Go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the small value to be greater than this value and the pump will turn off.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Thermostatic Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The large sensitivity setting is too low. Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the large value higher by 5 and see if the issue persists.
17. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 2.
18. If the pump continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
Smart Thermostatic Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Thermostatic Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the crossover valve closes while continuing to monitor the flow demand. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Thermostatic Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Thermostatic Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the hot water line is up to temperature and the thermostatic crossover valve closes, the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
The Smart Thermostatic Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Thermostatic Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Thermostatic Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Thermostatic Control. To
access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of
basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on and off. When the controller senses flow greater than the large value it turns the pump on. When the flow falls below the small value, the controller turns the pump off. The default on value is 20 and off value is 5 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, see Trouble Shooting item 1. If the controller isn’t turning off when the plumbing is hot, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the hot water line up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check if the thermostatic valve has opened. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that the pump has time to get up to speed and start moving water through the thermostatic valve before checking the flow value. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check thermostatic valve. This value is set to 5 seconds which is fine for most installations, but some pumps have electronic controls requiring longer for the pump to start running once power is connected so this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by the faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE 1: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) already heated up and aren’t allowing flow.
RESOLUTION 1: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is, wait for the water to cool off and test it again. If it is not 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set too high and the controller isn’t registering enough flow to keep the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Unplug the controller from power, wait 10 seconds and plug it back in. Open the smart phone app and go to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time to 30 seconds. Go back to the menu and select “Live Data”. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. The pump will now run for 30 seconds and you should see the flow value that the pump is pushing through the thermostatic crossover valve(s). If this value is 0 then the crossover valve(s) is (are) closed and not allowing flow. If this value is not 0, then set the small value in Settings → Sensitivity to be less than this value and the pump will continue to run when triggered. Don’t forget to go back to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time back to 5 seconds.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run after hot water is detected at the faucet(s) where the thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) installed.
ISSUE: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) not up to 95F and therefore still allowing flow.
RESOLUTION: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set below the flow value the controller is registering and therefore keeping the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The flow value that the controller is registering will be displayed. Go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the small value to be greater than this value and the pump will turn off.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Thermostatic Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The large sensitivity setting is too low. Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the large value higher by 5 and see if the issue persists.
Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced micro processor 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.
Contents:
Contents:
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1 Smart Thermostatic Control with RJ-45 connector
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1 Temperature Sensor with RJ-11 connector
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1 ¾” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector
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1 Wiring Harness with RJ45, RJ11 & JST connectors
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Needed:
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
Electrical Tape
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Connect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness.
4. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the side of the controller flashes green 3 times.
5. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight audible click and the red LED turns on for approximately 5 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 RJ11 connector are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together and re-test.
If this test still fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Attach the temperature sensor to 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. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on for at least the initial run time of 5 seconds. If the hot water line is cold the pump should continue to run until hot water reaches the thermostatic cross over valve causing it to close and the flow to be cut off. When this happens the controller will turn the pump off. If the pump fails to turn on or fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds or continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting.
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 pump is not running
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that the temperature sensor is not connected properly
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 smart phone 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.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
Electrical Tape
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Connect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness.
4. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the side of the controller flashes green 3 times.
5. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight audible click and the red LED turns on for approximately 5 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 RJ11 connector are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together and re-test.
If this test still fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Attach the temperature sensor to 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. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on for at least the initial run time of 5 seconds. If the hot water line is cold the pump should continue to run until hot water reaches the thermostatic cross over valve causing it to close and the flow to be cut off. When this happens the controller will turn the pump off. If the pump fails to turn on or fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds or continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting.
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 pump is not running
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that the temperature sensor is not connected properly
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 smart phone 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.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
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4. Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some 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 back flow from the hot water line.
5. Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of water heater using PTFE tape being sure that the arrow on the flow meter is pointing toward the water heater. 6. Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow meter. The supply line uses a rubber washer to seal instead of PTFE tape so you don’t need use PTFE tape on this connection. The rubber washer will seal the line to the flow meter. Hand tighten and turn an additional ¼ to ½ turn. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! 7. Turn on the cold water supply to the water heater and inspect for any leaks. 8. Turn water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting. |
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9. Place the temperature sensor against the hot water outlet pipe of the water heater and tape it securely in place ensuring it is in contact with the copper piping for its entire length. Cover the temperature sensor with insulation. Note: If installing on PEX you may need to plumb in a short section of copper pipe to which to attach the temperature sensor. PEX is a pretty good insulator and will cause a lag in the controller sensing the temperature.
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10. Connect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness using the RJ-11 connector ensuring it snaps together securely.
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11. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector ensuring it snaps together securely.
12. Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater |
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13. Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Thermostatic Control via the RJ-45 connector ensuring it snaps in securely.
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14. Plug the recirculation pump into the Smart Thermostatic Control and plug the Smart Thermostatic Control into an electrical outlet.
15. The green LED on the side of the controller will blink 3 times if everything is OK. If the red LED flashes see Trouble Shooting item 1. 16. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. This will trigger the recirculation pump to turn on and run until the thermostatic crossover valve is up to temperature. The red LED turns on while the pump is running. 17. Once the thermostatic crossover valve heats up and closes, the flow will stop and the pump will turn off. |
18. If the pump fails to turn on when a faucet is fully opened for 1 second, see Trouble Shooting item 2.
19. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
20. If the pump continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting item 4.
21. If the pump runs for 30 seconds and then shuts off before there is hot water throughout the house, see Trouble Shooting item 5.
Smart Thermostatic Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Thermostatic Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the crossover valve closes while continuing to monitor the flow demand. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Thermostatic Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Thermostatic Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the hot water line is up to temperature and the thermostatic crossover valve closes, the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
The Smart Thermostatic Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Thermostatic Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Thermostatic Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Thermostatic Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to
turn the controller on and off. When the controller senses flow greater than the large value it turns the pump on.
When the flow falls below the small value, the controller turns the pump off. The default on value is 20 and off
value is 5 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a
faucet on and off, see Trouble Shooting item 2. If the controller isn’t turning off when the plumbing
is hot, see Trouble Shooting item 4.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when
you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the
controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the hot water line up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check if the thermostatic valve has opened. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that the pump has time to get up to speed and start moving water through the thermostatic valve before checking the flow value. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check thermostatic valve. This value is set to 5 seconds which is fine for most installations, but some pumps have electronic controls requiring longer for the pump to start running once power is connected so this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Red LED flashes quickly after the controller is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The Smart Recirculation Control is not able to get temperature information from the temperature sensor.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Recirculation Control from the wall, disconnect the connection to the temperature sensor, disconnect the wiring harness from the Smart Recirculation Control. Inspect the pins in the connectors and ensure they are not bent or broken. Inspect the wires connecting to the connectors and ensure they are not broken or loose. Reconnect the temperature sensors ensuring they are firmly connected and snapped together. Plug the wiring harness back into the Smart Recirculation Control. Plug the Smart Recirculation Control back into the wall outlet.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by the faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE 1: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) already heated up and aren’t allowing flow.
RESOLUTION 1: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is, wait for the water to cool off and test it again. If it is not 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set too high and the controller isn’t registering enough flow to keep the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Unplug the controller from power, wait 10 seconds and plug it back in. Open the smart phone app and go to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time to 30 seconds. Go back to the menu and select “Live Data”. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. The pump will now run for 30 seconds and you should see the flow value that the pump is pushing through the thermostatic crossover valve(s). If this value is 0 then the crossover valve(s) is (are) closed and not allowing flow. If this value is not 0, then set the small value in Settings → Sensitivity to be less than this value and the pump will continue to run when triggered. Don’t forget to go back to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time back to 5 seconds.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run after hot water is detected at the faucet(s) where the thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) installed.
ISSUE: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) not up to 95F and therefore still allowing flow.
RESOLUTION: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set below the flow value the controller is registering and therefore keeping the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The flow value that the controller is registering will be displayed. Go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the small value to be greater than this value and the pump will turn off.
5. SYMPTOM: The pump turns off after 30 seconds and the water at the faucets is only lukewarm.
ISSUE 1: If the temperature of the water coming out of the water heater after 30 seconds is not at least 95F, the controller will turn the pump off.
RESOLUTION 1: Check that the temperature sensor is securely attached to copper piping coming out of the water heater. If it has come loose, tape it back in place ensuring that the entire length of the sensor is contacting the piping. Secure insulation over the temperature sensor. If the temperature sensor is firmly in place, see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The temperature that the controller is sensing will be displayed. If a lot of hot water has been recently used the tank may cool off to below 95F. If this happens the water won’t be hot enough to cause the thermostatic crossover valve(s) to close. If the controller senses that this has happened it will turn the pump off and wait the duration of the dormant period before turning on again. This is to give the tank time to heat up rather than run the pump and recirculate lukewarm water.
6. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Thermostatic Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The large sensitivity setting is too low. Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the large value higher by 5 and see if the issue persists.
19. If the pump fails to stay on past the initial 5 seconds, see Trouble Shooting item 3.
20. If the pump continues to run after you have hot water at the faucet(s) where the crossover valve(s) is (are) installed, see Trouble Shooting item 4.
21. If the pump runs for 30 seconds and then shuts off before there is hot water throughout the house, see Trouble Shooting item 5.
Smart Thermostatic Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Thermostatic Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the crossover valve closes while continuing to monitor the flow demand. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Thermostatic Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Thermostatic Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the hot water line is up to temperature and the thermostatic crossover valve closes, the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
The Smart Thermostatic Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Thermostatic Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Thermostatic Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Thermostatic Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Thermostatic Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to
turn the controller on and off. When the controller senses flow greater than the large value it turns the pump on.
When the flow falls below the small value, the controller turns the pump off. The default on value is 20 and off
value is 5 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a
faucet on and off, see Trouble Shooting item 2. If the controller isn’t turning off when the plumbing
is hot, see Trouble Shooting item 4.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when
you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the
controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the hot water line up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check if the thermostatic valve has opened. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow if the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that the pump has time to get up to speed and start moving water through the thermostatic valve before checking the flow value. When a timer is active the pump will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check thermostatic valve. This value is set to 5 seconds which is fine for most installations, but some pumps have electronic controls requiring longer for the pump to start running once power is connected so this value may have to be increased.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Recirculation Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Red LED flashes quickly after the controller is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The Smart Recirculation Control is not able to get temperature information from the temperature sensor.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Recirculation Control from the wall, disconnect the connection to the temperature sensor, disconnect the wiring harness from the Smart Recirculation Control. Inspect the pins in the connectors and ensure they are not bent or broken. Inspect the wires connecting to the connectors and ensure they are not broken or loose. Reconnect the temperature sensors ensuring they are firmly connected and snapped together. Plug the wiring harness back into the Smart Recirculation Control. Plug the Smart Recirculation Control back into the wall outlet.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by the faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
3. SYMPTOM: Pump won’t continue running after the initial pump run time expires.
ISSUE 1: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) already heated up and aren’t allowing flow.
RESOLUTION 1: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is, wait for the water to cool off and test it again. If it is not 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set too high and the controller isn’t registering enough flow to keep the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Unplug the controller from power, wait 10 seconds and plug it back in. Open the smart phone app and go to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time to 30 seconds. Go back to the menu and select “Live Data”. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. The pump will now run for 30 seconds and you should see the flow value that the pump is pushing through the thermostatic crossover valve(s). If this value is 0 then the crossover valve(s) is (are) closed and not allowing flow. If this value is not 0, then set the small value in Settings → Sensitivity to be less than this value and the pump will continue to run when triggered. Don’t forget to go back to Settings → Advanced Settings and set the Initial Pump Run Time back to 5 seconds.
4. SYMPTOM: Pump continues to run after hot water is detected at the faucet(s) where the thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) installed.
ISSUE: The thermostatic crossover valve(s) is (are) not up to 95F and therefore still allowing flow.
RESOLUTION: Check the temperature of the water at the location of the crossover valve(s) and see if the water is 95F. If it is 95F, see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The small sensitivity setting is set below the flow value the controller is registering and therefore keeping the pump running.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The flow value that the controller is registering will be displayed. Go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the small value to be greater than this value and the pump will turn off.
5. SYMPTOM: The pump turns off after 30 seconds and the water at the faucets is only lukewarm.
ISSUE 1: If the temperature of the water coming out of the water heater after 30 seconds is not at least 95F, the controller will turn the pump off.
RESOLUTION 1: Check that the temperature sensor is securely attached to copper piping coming out of the water heater. If it has come loose, tape it back in place ensuring that the entire length of the sensor is contacting the piping. Secure insulation over the temperature sensor. If the temperature sensor is firmly in place, see RESOLUTION 2.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. The temperature that the controller is sensing will be displayed. If a lot of hot water has been recently used the tank may cool off to below 95F. If this happens the water won’t be hot enough to cause the thermostatic crossover valve(s) to close. If the controller senses that this has happened it will turn the pump off and wait the duration of the dormant period before turning on again. This is to give the tank time to heat up rather than run the pump and recirculate lukewarm water.
6. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Thermostatic Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The large sensitivity setting is too low. Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and go into Settings → Sensitivity and set the large value higher by 5 and see if the issue persists.
Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced micro processor 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.
Contents:
Contents:
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1 Smart Countdown Control with RJ-45 connector
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1 ¾” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector
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1 Wiring Harness with RJ45 & JST connectors
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Needed:
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
4. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight audible click and the red LED turns on. It will stay on for approximately 5 minutes but you don’t need to wait for it to turn off. The test was to ensure that the flow meter can turn on the controller.
If this test fails, disconnect the flow meter from the wiring harness and the wiring harness from the controller. Inspect the wires to ensure they are not broken or loose and that the pins are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together tightly and re-test. If this test still fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on and run for approximately 5 minutes.
If the pump fails to turn on see Trouble Shooting item 1.
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 pump is not running
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that the temperature sensor is not connected properly
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 smart phone app
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Please read over the following instructions. If you are not comfortable with any part of them please contact a licensed plumber to perform the installation.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
PTFE (Teflon) Tape
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
QUICKSTART GUIDE
Prior to installation perform the following system test.
1. Connect the wiring harness to the controller.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
3. Plug the controller into a wall outlet and ensure that the LED on the controller flashes green 3 times.
4. Blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow and ensure the controller makes a slight audible click and the red LED turns on. It will stay on for approximately 5 minutes but you don’t need to wait for it to turn off. The test was to ensure that the flow meter can turn on the controller.
If this test fails, disconnect the flow meter from the wiring harness and the wiring harness from the controller. Inspect the wires to ensure they are not broken or loose and that the pins are not bent. Reconnect all connections ensuring they snap together tightly and re-test. If this test still fails, contact customer support.
1. Install the flow meter at the cold water input to the water heater using PTFE tape ensuring the arrow on the flow meter points in the direction of flow.
2. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness and plug the wiring harness into the controller.
3. Plug the controller into an outlet and plug the pump into the controller.
4. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and the pump should turn on and run for approximately 5 minutes.
If the pump fails to turn on see Trouble Shooting item 1.
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 pump is not running
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that the temperature sensor is not connected properly
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 smart phone app
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Please read over the following instructions. If you are not comfortable with any part of them please contact a licensed plumber to perform the installation.
Prior to installation you must perform the system test at the beginning of the Quickstart Guide.
Installation:
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
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4. Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some 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 back flow from the hot water line.
5. Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of the water heater using PTFE tape being sure that the arrow on the flow meter is pointing toward the water heater. 6. Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow meter. The supply line uses a rubber washer to seal so you don’t need use PTFE tape on this connection. Hand tighten and turn an additional ¼ to ½ turn. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! 7. Turn on the cold water supply to the water heater and inspect for any leaks. 8. Turn water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting. |
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9. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector ensuring it snaps together securely.
10. Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater. |
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11. Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Countdown Control via the RJ-45 connector ensuring it snaps in securely.
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12. Plug the recirculation pump into the Smart Countdown Control and plug the Smart Countdown Control into an electrical outlet.
13. The green LED on the side of the controller will blink 3 times if everything is OK. 14. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second. This will trigger the recirculation pump to turn the pump on and run for the duration of the countdown time (default 5 minutes). The red LED turns on while the pump is running. 15. Once the time is up, the pump will turn off and won’t turn on again until the dormant interval has expired (default 10 minutes). 16. If the pump fails to turn on when a faucet is fully opened for 1 second, see Trouble Shooting. |
Smart Countdown Control Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Countdown Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump for the countdown time amount and then goes to sleep for the dormant interval. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Countdown Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Recirculation Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will be lit. When the Smart Recirculation Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the loop is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
When connected to the controller via the smart phone app, the blue LED will always be lit. To know if the pump is running or a timer is active, select “Live Data” from the menu and it will provide the status of the pump and timers.
The Smart Recirculation Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Recirculation Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Recirculation Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Countdown Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Countdown Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the controller more sensitive to flow (require fewer pulses to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the controller is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the unit less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more pulses to turn the controller on).
Run Time – This setting allows you to set the amount of time the controller will run the pump when it is triggered. It is configurable up to 15 minutes with the default being 5 minutes.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits between runs when a timer is active. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to a default of 10 minutes.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Countdown Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by your faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Countdown Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The sensitivity of the Smart Recirculation Control is to low and should be adjusted higher.
The Smart Countdown Control can be used simply as an on demand controller for your recirculation pump or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the hot water line hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump for the countdown time amount and then goes to sleep for the dormant interval. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the controller so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
There is no need to “pair” the Bluetooth device, running the app will find and connect to the Smart Countdown Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. Note: I have noticed that Android devices can sometimes have a hard time connecting so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item a couple of times, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one.
The real time clock in the Smart Recirculation Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will be lit. When the Smart Recirculation Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the loop is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the LED will change back from red to green.
When connected to the controller via the smart phone app, the blue LED will always be lit. To know if the pump is running or a timer is active, select “Live Data” from the menu and it will provide the status of the pump and timers.
The Smart Recirculation Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 24 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Recirculation Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Recirculation Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Countdown Control Settings:
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Countdown Control. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many pulses of the flow meter are required to turn the controller on. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the controller is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the controller more sensitive to flow (require fewer pulses to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the controller is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the unit less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more pulses to turn the controller on).
Run Time – This setting allows you to set the amount of time the controller will run the pump when it is triggered. It is configurable up to 15 minutes with the default being 5 minutes.
Timers Enabled – This switch enables and disables the timers. This can be used to turn the timers off when you go away on vacation or to simply turn them off if you just want to use the on demand feature of the controller.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the controller lies dormant after having run the pump. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the controller waits between runs when a timer is active. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to a default of 10 minutes.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the controller counts the number of pulses that occur in the flow meter. If the number of pulses is above the sensitivity threshold then the controller deems that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Countdown Control back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the controller, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting
1. SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE 1: If the controller has run within the dormant interval, the pump won’t automatically turn on when flow is detected.
RESOLUTION 1: Unplug the controller from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in. This will reset the controller and it will now turn on automatically when it detects flow. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and then turn it off. If it still doesn’t turn on see ISSUE 2.
ISSUE 2: The sensitivity is set to high for the controller to detect the flow provided by your faucet.
RESOLUTION 2: Open the smart phone app and go to the menu and select “Live Data”. This will show you what the controller is sensing. Turn a hot water faucet fully on for 1 second and watch the flow value. If it goes greater than 20 then the pump will turn on. If it doesn’t go greater than 20 then you will need to reduce the sensitivity setting to be less than the maximum value you observed. For example, if the Flow Meter value went to 15, then set your sensitivity to 13. Then try this test again.
2. SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Countdown Control to trigger the hot water recirculation pump to turn on.
RESOLUTION: The sensitivity of the Smart Recirculation Control is to low and should be adjusted higher.
Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced micro processor controlled, on demand hot water solution made. This system is designed to run only when you need it thus saving water and energy while not sacrificing comfort. It is designed and built with pride in the USA to provide years of service and savings. I know people don’t like to read instruction manuals so I will try to be brief, but please bear with me to ensure a trouble free installation. If you are not comfortable with any part of these instructions please contact a licensed plumber to perform the installation.
Contents:
Contents:
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1 Smart Pump Control assembly
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1 Smart Flow Control
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2 ¾” Stainless Steel hook-up lines
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2 ½” Stainless Steel Tee assembly with two ½” nipples. One nipple is already attached to the ½“ to ¾” bushing.
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1 Temperature Sensor with RJ-11 connector
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1 ¾” or 1” NPT Flow Sensor with JST connector
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1 Wiring Harness with RJ-45, RJ-11 and JST connectors
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1 RJ-11 Connector
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Needed: The following items are needed for the installation, but are not included.
Electrical Tape for connecting temperature sensor to piping
PTFE (Teflon) Tape (Poly-Temp 36336 anti-seize nickel-filled PTFE recommended for Stainless Steel)
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
System Test
The system relies on a 915 MHz transceiver to communicate. These transceivers, under ideal conditions, have a range of up to a mile or more. But installation in a home is certainly not ideal conditions. There are appliances, piping, wiring and ducting that work to confound the transmission of information. So before the system is installed perform the following system test to ensure the transceivers will work at the locations where they will be installed. This will require two people to complete.
Electrical Tape for connecting temperature sensor to piping
PTFE (Teflon) Tape (Poly-Temp 36336 anti-seize nickel-filled PTFE recommended for Stainless Steel)
Wire fasteners for securing wiring to the wall
System Test
The system relies on a 915 MHz transceiver to communicate. These transceivers, under ideal conditions, have a range of up to a mile or more. But installation in a home is certainly not ideal conditions. There are appliances, piping, wiring and ducting that work to confound the transmission of information. So before the system is installed perform the following system test to ensure the transceivers will work at the locations where they will be installed. This will require two people to complete.
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1. Connect the wiring harness to the Smart Flow Control via the RJ45 connector.
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2. Connect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness using the RJ11 connector ensuring both ends snap in securely.
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3. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness.
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4. Plug the Smart Flow Control into a wall outlet at the water heater and ensure that the green LED on the Smart Flow Control flashes 3 times. If it doesn't, but instead rapidly flashes red, the controller is unable to communicate with the temperature sensor. See Troubleshooting item 1.
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5. Take the Smart Pump Control to the sink at the furthest location from the water heater where it will be installed and plug the Smart Pump Control into a wall outlet. The LED on the side of the controller should flash green 3 times indicating the units are able to communicate. If it doesn’t, unplug the Smart Pump Control and wait 15 seconds and plug the Smart Pump Control back in. If it still doesn’t flash green 3 times please contact customer support at support@smartrecirculationcontrol.com or 831-761-8659.
6. One final test to ensure the flow meter is working correctly. This is where you will need a second person. Have one person remain with the Smart Pump Control and have the other person go back to the Smart Flow Control. Ensure you can communicate with the other person and then gently blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow until you see the red LED on the Smart Flow Meter turn on for approximately 3 seconds. The person at the Smart Pump Control should now notice the red LED turn on, hear valve open and the pump turn on. It will run for approximately 10 seconds. Congratulations! The system test was successful and you can proceed with the plumbing installation.
LED Legend For Smart Flow Meter:
GREEN LED: will blink 3 times when first plugged in to indicate the unit is functioning correctly
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that temperature sensor is not connected properly
RED LED: solid on for 3 seconds when flow threshold exceeded.
LED Legend For Smart Pump Control:
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 pump is not running
RED LED: solid on when the pump is running whether due to a timer or due to demand
RED LED: blinking indicates that communication with the Smart Flow Meter has been interrupted
BLUE LED: solid on when connected via the smart phone app
Smart Flow Meter Installation
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
4. Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some water will flow out from the piping and the hookup line. You don’t have to drain the tank and as long as all the faucets remain closed you should not get any back flow from the hot water line.
6. One final test to ensure the flow meter is working correctly. This is where you will need a second person. Have one person remain with the Smart Pump Control and have the other person go back to the Smart Flow Control. Ensure you can communicate with the other person and then gently blow through the flow meter in the direction of the arrow until you see the red LED on the Smart Flow Meter turn on for approximately 3 seconds. The person at the Smart Pump Control should now notice the red LED turn on, hear valve open and the pump turn on. It will run for approximately 10 seconds. Congratulations! The system test was successful and you can proceed with the plumbing installation.
LED Legend For Smart Flow Meter:
GREEN LED: will blink 3 times when first plugged in to indicate the unit is functioning correctly
RED LED: fast blinking indicates that temperature sensor is not connected properly
RED LED: solid on for 3 seconds when flow threshold exceeded.
LED Legend For Smart Pump Control:
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 pump is not running
RED LED: solid on when the pump is running whether due to a timer or due to demand
RED LED: blinking indicates that communication with the Smart Flow Meter has been interrupted
BLUE LED: solid on when connected via the smart phone app
Smart Flow Meter Installation
1. Note setting of water heater thermostat and then set to lowest temperature setting (do not turn off the pilot light).
2. Shut off the cold water supply to the water heater.
3. Open the closest hot water faucet to the water heater to depressurize the hot water line. When water quits flowing, turn off the faucet.
4. Disconnect the cold water supply line from water heater. Be careful not to bend and crease the supply line when manipulating it. Be prepared with some towels as some water will flow out from the piping and the hookup line. You don’t have to drain the tank and as long as all the faucets remain closed you should not get any back flow from the hot water line.
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5. Connect the flow meter to the cold water input of water heater using PTFE tape being sure that the arrow on the flow meter is pointing toward the water heater.
6. Connect the cold water supply line to the input side of the flow meter. The supply line uses a rubber washer to seal instead of PTFE tape so you don’t need to use PTFE tape on this connection. The rubber washer will seal the line to the flow meter. Hand tighten and turn an additional ¼ to ½ turn. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! 7. Turn on cold water supply to water heater and inspect for any leaks. 8. Turn water heater thermostat back to its original temperature setting. |
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9. Place the temperature sensor against the hot water outlet pipe of the water heater and tape it securely in place. Note: The temperature sensor must be taped securely in place UNDERNEATH the insulation that is covering the pipe.
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10. Connect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness using the RJ-11 connector as you did in the system test ensuring it snaps together securely.
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11. Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness via the JST connector.
12. Secure the wires to the wall away from the water heater. |
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13. Plug the wiring harness into the Smart Flow Control via the RJ-45 connector.
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14. Plug the Smart Flow Control into an electrical outlet.
15. The green LED will blink 3 times if everything is OK. If the red LED flashes quickly instead please see Trouble Shooting item 1. |
Smart Pump Control Installation
1. The next step of the installation requires a little planning. In order to have the highest flow to provide hot water the quickest, the system was designed to connect directly to the ½” rough plumbing line coming out of the wall instead of going through the much smaller connection on the shutoff valves. So you will be inserting the supplied Tees in between the shutoff valves and the rough plumbing and hooking the Smart Pump Control up to the other line of the Tee.
2. Shut off the water supply to the installation location. Typically this will require shutting of the main water supply to the house.
3. Turn on both the hot and cold water at the installation location until there is no water coming out of the faucet.
4. Disconnect the hookup line from both the hot and cold shutoff valves to the faucet.
5. Remove both shutoff valves from the rough plumbing.
A. If you purchased the NPT kit, the valves should unthread from the rough plumbing.
B. If you purchased the compression adapter kit, the nut on the back of the shutoff valve will unthread allowing you to remove the shutoff valve.
6. Next you will be connecting the Tees to the rough plumbing. The Tees can be configured in a couple of different ways as shown in the pictures. I recommend test fitting them to see which configuration works best for your installation.
1. The next step of the installation requires a little planning. In order to have the highest flow to provide hot water the quickest, the system was designed to connect directly to the ½” rough plumbing line coming out of the wall instead of going through the much smaller connection on the shutoff valves. So you will be inserting the supplied Tees in between the shutoff valves and the rough plumbing and hooking the Smart Pump Control up to the other line of the Tee.
2. Shut off the water supply to the installation location. Typically this will require shutting of the main water supply to the house.
3. Turn on both the hot and cold water at the installation location until there is no water coming out of the faucet.
4. Disconnect the hookup line from both the hot and cold shutoff valves to the faucet.
5. Remove both shutoff valves from the rough plumbing.
A. If you purchased the NPT kit, the valves should unthread from the rough plumbing.
B. If you purchased the compression adapter kit, the nut on the back of the shutoff valve will unthread allowing you to remove the shutoff valve.
6. Next you will be connecting the Tees to the rough plumbing. The Tees can be configured in a couple of different ways as shown in the pictures. I recommend test fitting them to see which configuration works best for your installation.
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7. Once you know how the Tees are going to be installed and prior to attaching the Tees to the rough plumbing, attach the nipples to the correct ports on the Tees using PTFE tape and attach the shutoff valves to the nipples using PTFE tape. 4 to 6 wraps of PTFE is recommended for stainless steel.
8. Now connect the Tees to the rough plumbing.
A. If you purchased the NPT kit then you will connect the Tee using PTFE tape.
B. If you purchased the compression adapter kit, connect the compression adapter to the Tee using PTFE tape and then connect the Tee to the rough plumbing.
9. Connect the faucet hookup lines to the shutoff valves.
10. Connect the hookup lines from the Smart Pump Control to the Tee ensuring that the arrow on the pump is pointing from HOT to COLD. The HOT line connects to the pump side of the Smart Pump Control and the COLD line connects to the valve side.
8. Now connect the Tees to the rough plumbing.
A. If you purchased the NPT kit then you will connect the Tee using PTFE tape.
B. If you purchased the compression adapter kit, connect the compression adapter to the Tee using PTFE tape and then connect the Tee to the rough plumbing.
9. Connect the faucet hookup lines to the shutoff valves.
10. Connect the hookup lines from the Smart Pump Control to the Tee ensuring that the arrow on the pump is pointing from HOT to COLD. The HOT line connects to the pump side of the Smart Pump Control and the COLD line connects to the valve side.
11. Turn the water back on and inspect for leaks.
12. Go to a faucet and turn the hot water on and then off. This will trigger the Smart Pump Control to turn on and run until it is up to temperature. The red LED turns on while the pump is running. If the Smart Pump Control doesn't turn on, turn on the hot water for a bit longer and then turn it off again. If it still doesn't turn on see Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone – Basic Settings – Sensitivity.
13. Once the difference in temperature between the water leaving the water heater and the water arriving at the Smart Pump Control is within the set range OR 104 Deg F (mandated by Uniform Plumbing Code), the controller will turn the pump off. For more information see Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone – Basic Settings – Temperature Range.
Smart Recirculation Retrofit Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Recirculation Retrofit can be used simply as an on-demand hot water control or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the water hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the water has heated up and then it shuts the pump off while continuing to monitor the flow demand and the water temperature. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the Smart Pump Control so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
Note: Only the Smart Pump Control has the ability to connect via a smart phone. You cannot connect to the Smart Flow Meter from the app. The Smart Flow Meter’s setting are updated via the Smart Pump Control.
Running the app will connect to the Smart Pump Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. NOTE: I have noticed that some smart devices have a harder time connecting than others so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one. You must close the app to disconnect and enable the Smart Pump Control. Sending the app to the background does not disconnect it and the Smart Pump Control will not run when the app is connected. The app is connected if the blue LED is lit.
The real time clock in the Smart Pump Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Pump Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the water is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the led will change back from red to green.
The Smart Pump Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 48 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Pump Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Pump Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Recirculation Retrofit Settings
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Recirculation Retrofit. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many clicks of the flow meter are required for the Smart Flow Meter to send a signal to the Smart Pump Control tell it there is flow in the hot water line. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the Smart Pump Control is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the Smart Flow Meter more sensitive to flow (require fewer clicks to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the Smart Pump Control is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the Smart Flow Meter less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more clicks to turn the Smart Pump Control on).
Temperature Range – The temperature range setting allows the user to set the temperature differences that cause the Smart Pump Control to turn on and off. When the Smart Flow Meter senses flow, it sends the temperature at the water heater to the Smart Pump Control. The Smart Pump Control compares the received temperature with the local temperature and if the difference is greater than the large difference it turns the pump on. It runs the pump while receiving the remote temperature and reading the local temperature until the temperature difference is less than or equal to the small difference. The default large difference is 8 F deg and the default small difference is 5 F deg. These values work fine for most installations, however if you find that the controller is turning on and never turning off, you can increase the value of the small difference. If you find that the controller turns on but doesn’t run the pump for more than the Initial Pump Run Time (see Advanced Setting), you can decrease the large difference. NOTE: As per to Uniform Plumbing Code the highest temperature allowed to be pumped into a cold water line is 104 deg F. The Smart Pump Control will shut off when the temperature reaches this value.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the Smart Pump Control lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the water up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the Smart Pump Control waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check the water temperature. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the Smart Flow Meter counts the number of clicks that occur in the flow meter. If the number of clicks is above the sensitivity threshold then the Smart Flow Meter sends a signal to the Smart Pump Control to tell it that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow IF the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that water from the heater makes it to the temperature sensor in order to obtain an accurate temperature comparison between the water temperature at the water heater and at the Smart Pump Control. When a timer is active the Smart Pump Control will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check the temperature of the water. This value is set to 10 seconds which is fine for most installations.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Pump Control and Smart Flow Meter back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the Smart Recirculation Retrofit system, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting:
12. Go to a faucet and turn the hot water on and then off. This will trigger the Smart Pump Control to turn on and run until it is up to temperature. The red LED turns on while the pump is running. If the Smart Pump Control doesn't turn on, turn on the hot water for a bit longer and then turn it off again. If it still doesn't turn on see Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone – Basic Settings – Sensitivity.
13. Once the difference in temperature between the water leaving the water heater and the water arriving at the Smart Pump Control is within the set range OR 104 Deg F (mandated by Uniform Plumbing Code), the controller will turn the pump off. For more information see Smart Recirculation Control Setup with Smart Phone – Basic Settings – Temperature Range.
Smart Recirculation Retrofit Setup with Smart Phone
The Smart Recirculation Retrofit can be used simply as an on-demand hot water control or, once configured using either an iPhone or Android smart device, it will also work as an advanced timer keeping the water hot between specific times of day and on specific days of the week (up to 10 timers can be set). Even when a timer is active it only runs the pump until the water has heated up and then it shuts the pump off while continuing to monitor the flow demand and the water temperature. The app uses Bluetooth in order to communicate with the Smart Pump Control so you need to be sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your smart device. The app can be downloaded for free from either the Apple App Store or from Google Play by looking up “Smart Recirculation Control”.
Note: Only the Smart Pump Control has the ability to connect via a smart phone. You cannot connect to the Smart Flow Meter from the app. The Smart Flow Meter’s setting are updated via the Smart Pump Control.
Running the app will connect to the Smart Pump Control and display the timers currently set. The blue LED on the controller will illuminate when the app is connected. If the blue LED doesn’t illuminate, press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Scan for Recirc Control”. NOTE: I have noticed that some smart devices have a harder time connecting than others so if it fails to connect after pressing the “Scan for Recirc Control” menu item, try restarting the app.
Once connected you can tap any of the existing timers to edit or delete them or press the Add Timer button to add a new one. You must close the app to disconnect and enable the Smart Pump Control. Sending the app to the background does not disconnect it and the Smart Pump Control will not run when the app is connected. The app is connected if the blue LED is lit.
The real time clock in the Smart Pump Control is set when you connect to the controller with your smart phone. When a timer is active the green LED will light. When the Smart Pump Control turns the pump on, the LED will change from green to red. When the water is up to temperature the pump will shut off and the led will change back from red to green.
The Smart Pump Control has a built in power backup that will keep the clock’s time for approximately 48 hours after which the clock will lose its time and the controller’s timers won’t function until the time is set by running the app and connecting to the Smart Pump Control.
The clock does not adjust for daylight savings time so when the time changes you will need to connect to the Smart Pump Control with your smart device and the time will be set to the time of your smart device.
Smart Recirculation Retrofit Settings
The app also allows for controlling all the settings of the firmware of the Smart Recirculation Retrofit. To access the settings press the menu button in the top right of the app and select “Settings”. There will be a list of basic settings and the ability to expand the settings to “Show Advanced Settings”.
Basic Settings:
Sensitivity – The sensitivity setting allows the user to set how many clicks of the flow meter are required for the Smart Flow Meter to send a signal to the Smart Pump Control tell it there is flow in the hot water line. The default value is 20 which is fine for most installations. If you find that the Smart Pump Control is not turning on when you turn a faucet on and off, you would decrease this value to make the Smart Flow Meter more sensitive to flow (require fewer clicks to turn the controller on). Correspondingly, if you find that the Smart Pump Control is turning on when there is no timer active and no hot water being drawn, you would increase this number to make the Smart Flow Meter less sensitive to fluctuations in flow (require more clicks to turn the Smart Pump Control on).
Temperature Range – The temperature range setting allows the user to set the temperature differences that cause the Smart Pump Control to turn on and off. When the Smart Flow Meter senses flow, it sends the temperature at the water heater to the Smart Pump Control. The Smart Pump Control compares the received temperature with the local temperature and if the difference is greater than the large difference it turns the pump on. It runs the pump while receiving the remote temperature and reading the local temperature until the temperature difference is less than or equal to the small difference. The default large difference is 8 F deg and the default small difference is 5 F deg. These values work fine for most installations, however if you find that the controller is turning on and never turning off, you can increase the value of the small difference. If you find that the controller turns on but doesn’t run the pump for more than the Initial Pump Run Time (see Advanced Setting), you can decrease the large difference. NOTE: As per to Uniform Plumbing Code the highest temperature allowed to be pumped into a cold water line is 104 deg F. The Smart Pump Control will shut off when the temperature reaches this value.
Advanced Settings:
Dormant Interval – The dormant interval is the number of minutes that the Smart Pump Control lies dormant after having run the pump and gotten the water up to temperature. This setting prevents fast cycling of the pump when hot water is being turned on and off over a short period of time. This is also the number of minutes that the Smart Pump Control waits when a timer is active after turning the pump off before turning the pump on again to check the water temperature. If you want the pump to turn on more often while a timer is active or more quickly between pump runs when you draw hot water you would reduce this value. This value is set to 10 minutes which is fine for most installations.
Flow Meter Delay – The flow meter delay is the amount of time in hundredths of a second during which time the Smart Flow Meter counts the number of clicks that occur in the flow meter. If the number of clicks is above the sensitivity threshold then the Smart Flow Meter sends a signal to the Smart Pump Control to tell it that there is flow in the hot water line. This value is set to 75 hundredths of a second which is fine for most installations.
Initial Pump Run Time – The initial pump run time is the number of seconds that the pump runs when it first senses flow IF the pump hasn’t run in the last dormant interval. This is to ensure that water from the heater makes it to the temperature sensor in order to obtain an accurate temperature comparison between the water temperature at the water heater and at the Smart Pump Control. When a timer is active the Smart Pump Control will turn on every dormant interval for the length of the initial pump run time in order to check the temperature of the water. This value is set to 10 seconds which is fine for most installations.
Reset to Factory – This will reset the Smart Pump Control and Smart Flow Meter back to the factory defaults. If you experience strange behavior of the Smart Recirculation Retrofit system, resetting to the factory defaults would be a good thing to try to resolve the issue. This will also reset all the timers back to the 4 factory default timers so if you have changed the timers you will need to reset them after performing a factory reset. You must type “yes” when prompted in order for the factory reset to take place.
Trouble Shooting:
- SYMPTOM: Red LED on the Smart Flow Meter flashes quickly after it is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The Smart Flow Meter is not able to get temperature information from the temperature sensors.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Flow Meter from the wall, disconnect the wiring harness from the Smart Flow Meter, disconnect the temperature sensor. Reconnect the temperature sensor to the wiring harness ensuring it is firmly connected and snaps together. Plug the wiring harness back into the Smart Flow Meter. Plug the Smart Flow Meter back into the wall outlet. - SYMPTOM: Red LED on the Smart Flow Meter flashes slowly after it is plugged in and never stops.
ISSUE: The flow meter is not connected correctly to the wiring harness.
RESOLUTION: Connect the flow meter to the wiring harness. If it is connected, then unplug the Smart Flow Meter from the wall, disconnect the flow meter and inspect the wires on the wiring harness and the flow meter to ensure none are broken. Reconnect the flow meter to the wiring harness. Plug the Smart Flow Meter back into the wall outlet. - SYMPTOM: Pump won't turn on when hot water is drawn from a faucet.
ISSUE: Water in the line is already hot.
RESOLUTION: Unplug the Smart Pump Control from the wall outlet, wait 15 seconds and plug it back in. Ensure that the green LED blinks 3 times. Go to the faucet and turn on the hot water and see if the pump turns on for the Initial Pump Run Time and then off. If it does, then the unit is functioning correctly. If it doesn't, then the sensitivity of the Smart Flow Meter needs to be adjusted. Please see Basic Settings – Sensitivity on Page 5. - SYMPTOM: Pump turns on when no hot water is being drawn.
ISSUE: Pressure spikes in the cold water supply line caused by abrupt turning off of the cold water (for instance when a toilet fills) or caused by fluctuations in the feed from the utility company can cause the Smart Flow Meter to trigger the Smart Pump Control to turn on.RESOLUTION: The sensitivity of the Smart Flow Meter should be adjusted. Please see Basic Settings – Sensitivity. - SYMPTOM: Red LED on the Smart Pump Control is flashing.
ISSUE: The Smart Pump Control is not receiving data from the Smart Flow Meter.
RESOLUTION: Ensure that the Smart Flow Meter has power. Unplug the Smart Flow Meter, wait 15 seconds and plug it back in. Ensure that the green LED blinks 3 times. If it doesn’t double check the power.