Cooptender coop door problems help needed

[HenOnAJuneBug]

@HenOnAJuneBug is that a double pole switch that turns off both the AC side and the DC side? IIRC you have this same door?

JT

I think it it is a DP switch; the contacts are visible on both sides. I don't have this door. I've just been reading from the manual.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Does the door have switches of some kind for up and down?

Yeah it's got 2 limit switches: open and closed.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Zmama, there are two red wires that go from the back side of the switch/plug assembly to somewhere. Where do they go? I'm referring to the two red wires that are directly behind the AC socket. I'm assuming they go to the DC power supply. If that's correct, do you measure 120 VAC on the printed circuit board contacts where the wires connect to it when you flip on the switch?

 

[jthornton]

Yeah it's got 2 limit switches: open and closed.

At least that makes a conversion a bit easier if we can't figure out what's wrong.

JT

 

[Zwillingsmama]

Zmama, there are two red wires that go from the back side of the switch/plug assembly to somewhere. Where do they go? I'm referring to the two red wires that are directly behind the AC socket. I'm assuming they go to the DC power supply. If that's correct, do you measure 120 VAC on the printed circuit board contacts where the wires connect to it when you flip on the switch?

yes they are going to the power supply via another connection - when we tried to measure nothing happens - dead, thats, why I am thinking the switch is broken

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

yes they are going to the power supply via another connection - when we tried to measure nothing happens - dead, thats, why I am thinking the switch is broken

Switch could be bad. Before you replace:

• Make sure fuses are good. Use ohmmeter setting to check. If resistance isn't very low (a short), fuse is bad.
  
• Make sure cord is good. Exchange with another, or measure voltage at end that plugs into door (when it's not plugged into door). If 120VAC not measured, cord is bad.
• Make sure 120VAC path to DC power supply through the other connection is actually getting to power supply. If it's going through one of those white connector plugs when all plugs are not plugged into the circuit board, it's most likely not.
• Remove fuse plug, plug in AC cord and measure voltage on one one side of each fuse connector. Should read 120 VAC.
  
• Make sure the fuses are making contact with the metal things they snap into. You can try to squeeze them together a bit to make sure.

Here's something to think about if you have to replace switch. Do the wires on back of the switch plug into the switch or are they soldered?

Also, if you would do me a favor, please take a close-up picture of your voltmeter so I can see the setting dial and where the probes connect to the meter. Are you very comfortable with how voltmeters/ohmmeters work?

 

[Zwillingsmama]

Merry Christmas-
the only thing we have not tested is removing the fuse plug and than meassure and yes everything is soldered to the switch.
I will be gone for 4 days so will not be able to test
Still is there a makeshift switch I can do to try if the door works otherwise? I tried to look online and can only find an ac switch with 1 fuse but not the ac/dc combo. Ultimately I still want to run the door on dc/solar since I don’t have electricity run to the coop

 

[jthornton]

Just to be sure what the switch is doing can you ohm out as I've indicated in the switch photo? I'm just wondering if the fuses are both for the AC side... if you read 0 ohms when testing then that is the case. Does the manual describe the function of the switch?


JT

 

[Zwillingsmama]

Finally got back from my short trip and tested the switch

Tested on one side and there was no resistance and on the other side infinite resistance, flipping the switch made no difference

 

[jthornton]

Sounds like the AC hot is fused by one side and maybe the DC is fused by the other side? What is the function of the switch?

JT