Troubleshooting
Section
6
YSI Incorporated
Drinking Water Monitoring Systems Operations Manual
6-
1
SECTION 6
SECTION 6
SECTION 6
SECTION 6 TROUBLESHOOTING
TROUBLESHOOTING
TROUBLESHOOTING
TROUBLESHOOTING
This section contains troubleshooting tables that will be helpful to identify the causes of the most common
difficulties that may occur while operating the YSI 6-Series Sondes. The
Symptom
column describes the
type of difficulty that you might experience. The
Possible cause
column describes the conditions that
might cause the stated symptom. The
Action
column provides simple steps that can be followed to correct
for the "possible cause" and cure the "symptom" being experienced. The column entitled
Ref
is the number
of the reference section and subsection in the manual where you may find additional information.
Troubleshooting problems have been categorized into four general areas.
•
Calibration Error Messages
•
Sonde Communication
•
Sensor Performance
If you need assistance that this Troubleshooting section can not provide, please contact YSI or your
authorized dealer. See
Appendix C, Accessories and Calibration Standards
, for specific contact
information.
6.1
6.1
6.1
6.1 CALIBRATION ERRORS
CALIBRATION ERRORS
CALIBRATION ERRORS
CALIBRATION ERRORS
There are only three Calibration Error messages that are possible and are listed below, instead of in the
troubleshooting table. Only two of the error messages are related to sensor performance.
High Free Chlorine Charge
: This message indicates a malfunction in the free chlorine sensor that is
generally due to the roughness of the electrodes on the surface of the probe face. The charge associated
with the chlorine sensor must be in the range 0 to 75 or the error message will appear when calibration is
attempted. If this error message is encountered, remove the free chlorine probe from the sonde and
resurface it according to the instructions in
Section 2.3.1
of this manual. Then install a new membrane and
activate the sensor as described in the same section. After resurfacing, allow the sensor to pulse in the
Run mode for at least 1 hour, during which time the DO charge may be expected to drop in value if the
sensor is still functional. If resurfacing does not result in a lowering of the charge, contact YSI Customer
Service for additional help.
Out of Range
: This message indicates that the output of the sensor being calibrated does not conform to
the normal range for this parameter. This problem could be due to either a malfunctioning sensor or to a
calibration solution that is out of specification. If this error message is encountered, first insure that your
standards for pH, ORP, ammonium, nitrate, chloride, conductivity, and turbidity have not been
contaminated and that your free chlorine sensor is in flowing tap water in a YSI flow cell. If an Out of
Range error is experienced for free chlorine, also be certain that you have correctly determined the chlorine
content of your flow cell effluent with a DPD colorimetric analysis and that your colorimeter is working
properly. Perform replicate analyses of the effluent to assure correct chlorine content. Also be certain
that you have entered the correct value for the calibration solution. If the calibration error message
continues to occur, change the membrane, reactivate the sensor, and retry the calibration. If still
unsuccessful, contact YSI Customer Service to determine whether the sensor in question needs to be
factory-serviced or replaced.
Illegal Entry
: This message simply indicates that your keyboard input does not conform to the accepted
format for this parameter. For example, you may have entered the “letter O” instead of “zero” for a
calibration value. Return to the desired parameter in the Calibrate menu and repeat the calibration entry,
being certain to enter only numbers.
