Chiltrix V18-B Air to Water Heat Pump Backup Heater User Manual
- June 5, 2024
- Chiltrix
Table of Contents
V18-B Installation and
Operation Manual
Thank you for purchasing the world’s most advanced and efficient hydronic
backup heating solution for air-to-water heat pumps. The V18 adds backup heat
in a more precise amount, with variable & automatic real-time control. For use
with Chiltrix air-to-water heat pumps.
The new B-Model uses the Chiltrix CX34 onboard controls and does not need a
separate V18 controller, requires CX34 firmware P228-S10-V200B26 or later, it
generally applies to all CX34 units produced after November 2019. Some older
units also have this firmware version but it must be verified.
WARNING!
THIS PRODUCT USES HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY!
DO NOT OPEN OR SERVICE THIS DEVICE UNLESS POWER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED
This product must be assembled and installed by a licensed electrician in
a manner that conforms with all national and local electrical and safety
codes. All high voltage electrical components meet UL requirements.
SERVICE OR REPAIR TO BE PERFORMED ONLY BY A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN DO NOT DRY
FIRE THIS DEVICE / INSTALL VERTICALLY ONLY WITH FLOW ENTERING FROM THE BOTTOM
AS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS
USE 208-240V 30a Circuit with GFCI Breaker.
Note special procedure for chilled water capable systems.
Read the entire manual before beginning installation.
Follow all instructions.
Version 1.2
The V18 communicates with the Chiltrix air-to-water heat pump via low
voltage signaling. The Citrix heat pump always understands the load as part of
its capacity Management program, as such, if a heating shortfall is detected,
the quantity of such shortfall is known.
Real-time monitoring and calculation allow the Chiltrix air-to-water heat pump
to operate with the V18 with the goal being that only the needed amount of
extra heat is added.
Power increments of adjustment as small as 55 watts (188 BTU) are possible, as
needed, for precise control.
Note, the 5.5 kW rating is for 240v line voltage and is equal to 18,760 BTU.
Actual max heating BTU is determined by your local line voltage.
The standard included element is rated for 240v, 5500w, and 18,760 BTU.
Voltage deratings for a 5500w element rated at 240v if used at a different
voltage (Ohms Law):
230v= Up to 5051w (17,234 BTU)
220v= Up to 4621w (15,766 BTU)
208v= Up to 4131w (14,094 BTU)
Shown above: V18 mounted on a painted plywood board with Uni-struts. Or mount
to another wood mounting, not metal. The flow must enter from the bottom, the
plastic cover should be closer to the bottom as shown The pipe fittings are
NPT 2” female, use a bushing or adapter to match it to your piping. Always use
Teflon tape /dope for any threaded pipe connection, particularly important to
liberally apply when using stainless steel threaded fittings as stainless is a
very hard material and will not “give” and seal on its own like copper or
brass NPT fittings.
Note, that water flow should enter from the bottom.
Do not attach to metal studs etc. to prevent harmonics. Use PEX for vibration
isolation from the copper piping system.
Example showing proper placement. Always installed before any loads, and
before the G1 DHW valve (if DHW is used in the system) or before any G3
valve (if used). See proper placement in the following examples.
The V18 must be installed in
an upright orientation (vertical) and the water flow entry should be from the
bottom. The bottom, or water entry end, is considered to be the end closest to
the removable panel as shown in all pictures.
Installation
The in-line V18 Heater unit(s) must be installed indoors, in the main chiller loop between the Chiltrix outdoor unit(s), and any loads such as fan coils, air handler, or buffer tank. If DHW is used, the V18 would be before the G1 valve (and before any loads. See drawings below. The V18 should be mounted on a board with the heating element mounted vertically. Mounting it horizontally could trap air bubbles that could cause flow or overheating problems.
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Two (or three) V18 inline heaters may be mounted together (series piping),
note they are wired separately for power, each with a 30a GFCI circuit for the
main power. Control circuits are wired in parallel and the CX34 controller can
manage up to 3x V18 units. Shown below, are two V18Bs piped in
series.
Wiring
Power Wiring
Power to operate the Heating element in the In-line Heater(s) comes from a 2
pole 208 to 240 VAC GFCI circuit breaker, via an included 40a Solid State
Relay (SSR) used to provide real-time control over the power level and manage
the rate of addition of heat to the Chiltrix main loop.
The power from one circuit breaker pole (L1) passes through the relay box and
connects directly to the in-line heater’s thermal overload interrupt device.
Power from the other circuit breaker pole(L2) is connected to the SSR and its
conductor is connected to the SSR’s terminal #2. The SSR’s terminal #1 is
connected to the in-line heater’s heating element. See below.
MAKE SURE GROUNDING IS DONE PROPERLY!
TIP Mark the 240v conductor that does not pass through the SSR so
that you will be able to distinguish between them at the other end of the
conduit.
The Assembly of this system and all connections to the building’s electrical
power system should be performed by a qualified licensed electrician according
to local and national Electric codes.
CHILLED WATER
**IMPORTANT NOTE***
If the V18 will be installed in a system that performs the cooling operations
at times, make sure to thoroughly seal around the white ABS cover and inside
the Liquidtight conduit with silicone as a minimum precaution.
The requirement is to prevent air from entering the V18 inside the white ABS
cover and contacting the cold pipe or components which could cause
condensation to form and accumulate inside the unit.
For higher humidity locations you may also consider filling the entire cavity
(but not cover the reset button) with an electronics-grade RTV silicone
potting material rated for this type of application.
When using a potting material, use it only per code and according to the
instructions of the material, make sure to allow the material to fully cure
before attaching the cover.
Make sure power is disconnected before and during this operation.
SSR Wiring
When wiring the secondary side of the SSR (high voltage side) make sure of a
tight connection. If using stranded wire you must use a fork-type cable lug,
Eg. Mouser p/n 651-3240042
Control Wiring
Output Cable
Control wiring from the PWM2 terminal to the SSR(s) consists of a cable
connected to the (+) red wire and the (-) black wire on the solid-state relay
(SSR). If more than one in-line heater/SSR arrangement is used then a jumper
cable is used. It consists of a cable connecting the red to (+) and black to
(-) on both SSR’s putting them in a parallel configuration.
A junction box could also be used for this purpose (see illustrations on page
6).
ASSEMBLING COMPONENTS
HEATER ELEMENT REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION – During assembly/installation or after removing an element for
replacement, assure that all inner and outer sealing surfaces are clean and
free of debris prior to installing the new o-rings, and element or leaks may
occur. Make sure to do step 1 before step 2. The O-ring must end up INSIDE
the canister, not outside, or it will not seal.
Visually inspect the element after installation and verify that the element
is not in contact with the inside wall of the heater body. Failure to do so
may cause failure.
Visually inspect the element after installation and verify that the
element is not in contact with the inside wall of the heater body. Failure
to do so may cause failure.
WARNING: Hold the Bottom Hex (x) with a 1/4” open-end wrench when tightening the Terminal Nut to prevent rotation and damage to the epoxy end seal.
Note, if
you replace an element, make sure to change the V18 controller parameters P103
and P106 (if/as needed, to the correct volt/watts ratings. If you are using 2
or 3 eaters with the same V18 controller the elements may be of different
watts ratings as long as they are rated at the same voltage. Use the total
watts of all elements that are connected to the same controller. For parameter
P103. The standard element is 5500w. A max 6000w element can be used.
Plumbing
The in-line V18 Heater unit(s) are installed indoors, in the main system loop
between the CX34 outdoor unit and Load (building’s Hydronic system), as near
to the CX34 chiller as practical and before any valves of loads. See the
illustration below.
The V18 must be installed in an upright orientation (vertical) and the
water flow entry should be from the bottom. The bottom, or water entry end, is
considered to be the end closest to the removable panel as shown in all
pictures.
The inline heater units have 2” NTP female connections at either end.
Install 2” NTP pipe nipple(s) to connect two heater units together in series.
Install 2” NTP bushings or adapter fittings to match up to the plumbing.
Use Teflon tape on all threaded fittings to prevent leaks. Once the heater
units are installed, pressurize your loop and check for any leaks. Flush fill,
and pressurize the loop according to the Chiltrix Installation and Operations
Manual.
V18 Backup Heater
Programming the CX34 Parameters
Enter CX34 Manufacturers Settings on the CX34 standard controller.
V18B Settings:
P56 = Set to 0, which means E2 is controlling the V18b Backup Heater. (E2 is
connected to OUT14)
P57 is E2 activation air temperature. Air temp must be less than P57 for V18b
to be activated. Default is 0◦C (Range is -20~20◦C)
P103 AC Electric Heater Power Watts, the range allowed is 0-99999w
Setting for one standard V18b (new, with original element) is 5500W (Default
5000W)
If multiple V18s are used on one CX34, the P103 value will be the total W of
all V18 units connected to the CX34. All V18b units used on the same CX34 must
have the same element V rating but do not necessarily need to be the same W
rating.
P106 AC is the rated element voltage, allowed range 0-500V, this is generally
set at 240v, verify the rating of the heating element used. (Default 230V)
P107 AC heat transfer coefficient 100-600WF Default 500 (see water factor
chart page 15)
P108 AC Voltage compensation, set = 0 (unless otherwise instructed by Chiltrix
support dept.)
Backup Heater Operation:
E2 AC (V18b) heater start condition:
- Before the V18b can start, the ambient temperature (as measured by C02 in Status, details menu), must be below the P57 setting.
- When the compressor cannot meet the BTU load for a period of 15 minutes, based on the AC inlet water temperature < target temperature by 3C, E2 (V18b) will turn on.
If the above 2 conditions are satisfied, V18b will start.
Only when E2 is on, the SSR control will start. E2 on/off control is as
explained below.
-
E2 will start during defrosting and stop if AC inlet water temperature is > or = to Target inlet water temperature +2c.
-
When the compressor is on and E2 starts, the CX34 will re-target the AC inlet water temperature setpoint by +2C.
If E2 stops, the EWT target will revert back to the original target temperature. -
If a P5 error is flagged, (water flow error ), E2 will stop.
Percentage of Propylene Glycol
|
Water Factor
---|---
0| 500
5| 495
10| 490
15| 485
20| 480
25| 473
30| 467
35| 457
40| 447
45| 436
50| 425
Notes Re: Controllers
When the V18 is active, any changes to temperature parameters entered via the
standard controller or via the Psychrologix controller (including outdoor
reset) will be ignored.
The outdoor Reset function, if used with a Psychrologix controller, must be
set at least 1 degree higher ambient trigger than what is set as the V18
parameter 3 (outdoor air trigger). If using the standard CX34 onboard outdoor
reset control, this does not apply.
Multiple V18s
When using multiple V18s, parameter #103 rated watts should be entered as the
total of all elements. Both (all) elements must be the of same rated voltage.
Do not install more than 3x V18s in series on a single CX34.
V18b Testing
To verify operation, take the following steps:
-
Make sure that parameters P56, P103, P106, and P107 are correct according to page 13.
2. Temporarily set P57 to an outdoor temperature of 20C activation point.
If the outdoor temperature is >20C then use ice or some other means to cool the CX34 outdoor temperature sensor until it reads below 20C (68F) for the duration of this test. -
Temporarily set P27 to 55%
-
Turn the CX34 on in heating mode, and set the AC target to the highest allowed setpoint. Establish a heating load to ensure that the setpoint cannot be easily met.
-
Enable E2. Wait 15 minutes. The E2 indicator on the CX34 status screen will illuminate. When E2 engages you should be able to hear a slight hissing sound from the V18b. This is the same (percussive) sound that a pot of water or teakettle makes while heating up (but that stops as the water reaches its boiling point).
To test further, after the E2 icon has been illuminated you may use a clamp-on
amp meter to test the amps on L1 or L2. (Test the conductor that does not pass
through the SSR). See pic next page.
Amps should equal approximately the same as C62 (watts) divided by the voltage
(C55). For example, if C62 is 5000 and C55 is 230, the amp reading should be
approx. 21.7a.
17
Important: After testing, reset P27 to 100% and P57 to the proper
temperature target. Set AC target temp to the proper temperature. Disable E2
if/as needed.
Note, that the conductor (marked with white hash marks) is the one that
does not pass through the SSR. Use this one for testing.
When E2 is active and engaged and providing a value >0 at C62 you should be
able to see the current with the tester. The amp reading should approximately
equal the product of C62 (power applied) divided by the voltage C55).
Troubleshooting
The backup heater is off by default. Activation can only occur under certain strict conditions and only if backup heat is needed. There are several levels of safety.
- The GFCI breaker will trip if there is a ground fault. This protects the system and users in the event of a short circuit or loose wire in the power wiring.
- An internal thermal circuit breaker will trip if the heater exceeds 150°F. Reset for this control is manual. See below.
- There are a number of permissive factors that will inhibit the firing of the SSR. Primarily, there must be minimal fluid flow.
Visual indicators: AFTER DISCONNECTING AC V18b POWER, Remove the cover from
the gang box exposing the Solid State Relay. If the units are receiving a
firing signal, the LED on the SSR(s) will be lit and may be flashing. If the
LEDs are lit, then power will be sent to the units when the circuit breaker is
on. The firing signal can be tested with a 9v battery.
As noted, the second-level safety feature we have included is a safety switch,
a UL-Listed bi-metal thermal overload switch that opens and breaks the element
power connection in case of temperature rising above 150°F. It is attached to
the heater barrel interior wall. If the thermal overload switch is tripping
for no apparent reason, the heating element may be in contact with the inside
wall of the V18. See section on proper installation/replacement of heating
element.
Manual Reset
If the heater unit rises to an unsafe temperature the thermal overload switch
will stop power to the unit’s element. To access the reset switch,
FIRST, POWER MUST BE DISCONNECTED. Remove the white ABS cover to access
the reset button. Assuming the temperature is below 130 °F, depressing the
reset button will reset the V18. You may need to press the reset button with
up to 15-20 lbs. of pressure in order to reset it.
Note, that a tripped thermal safety switch most likely indicates a
problem that should be corrected before resetting.
A short-circuited Solid State Relay is a possible cause of a tripped safety
switch. If this is suspected, turn off the circuit breakers feeding power to
the backup heater. Disconnect the SSR from the output signal connection.
Have a licensed Electrician check the SSR before turning the circuit breakers
back on.
Another cause maybe if the V18b heating element is too close to (or touching)
the interior sidewall of the V18b heater vessel.
Insufficient flow, particularly with multiple V18bs in series, may cause this.
If the V18b backup unit stops working, first check the Chiltrix standard
controller for any error codes. Check for loose wires, see the troubleshooting
section. Make sure nothing is blocking flow through the heater.
Contact Citrix technical support with any questions at 757 410 8640 ext. 112.
DO NOT REMOVE THE WHITE COVER UNLESS THE POWER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED.
DO NOT RECONNECT POWER UNTIL THE COVER HAS BEEN REPLACED.
NOTICE
Bulletin Regarding V18 Installed
With CX34 Systems Used For Cooling
CHILLED WATER
*IMPORTANT NOTE
If the V18 will be installed in a system that performs the cooling
operations at times, make sure to thoroughly seal around the white ABS cover
and inside the Liquidtight conduit With silicone as a minimum precaution.
Make sure power is disconnected before and during this operation.
The requirement is to prevent air from entering the V18 inside the white ABS
cover and contacting the cold pipe or components which could cause
condensation to form and accumulate inside the unit.
For high humidity locations, you may also consider filling the entire cavity
(but not cover the reset button) with an electronics-grade silicone potting
material rated for this type of application. Example: GC 19-160 or similar.
(gcelectronics.com)
Make sure power is disconnected before and during this operation.
When using a silicone potting material, use it only per code and according to
the material manufacturer’s instructions, and make sure to allow the material
to fully cure before attaching the cover. Do not cover the reset button with
silicone.
Do not connect power until the material has fully cured and the white
cover has been replaced.**
Documents / Resources
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Chiltrix V18-B Air to Water Heat Pump Backup
Heater
[pdf] User Manual
V18-B, Air to Water Heat Pump Backup Heater, V18-B Air to Water Heat Pump
Backup Heater
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