Why does the CW-3000 water chiller raise an alarm?

The CW-3000 is a water chiller that cools the water by releasing the heat to the environment through a fan.

When the CW-3000 is in alarm, its cooling capacity may not be sufficient for the environmental temperature. The CW-3000 only emits heat to its surrounding area. When the environmental temperature is too high, the water chiller cannot release the heat to the area, so its water will remain warm and the temperature will increase.

The water chiller can release about 5 to 7 degrees of heat to the area around it. If, for example, the surrounding temperature is 25 degrees, the water temperature can become approximately 30 degrees. The temperature limit of the chiller is approximately 28 degrees, which means that the temperature in the room where the chiller is located should not exceed 23 degrees. When the temperature in the surrounding area exceeds 23 degrees, the chiller will go into alarm because the water heats up too much.

When this happens, you need to make sure that the temperature in the room is brought down. You could also pause working for a while. The water temperature will drop, allowing you to continue working for a while.

If the temperature on the chiller suddenly rises very quickly, it might be that it can no longer dissipate its heat into the surroundings. There is a fan at the back of the chiller, check if this is free of dust and whether it works. If you see that a lot of dust has built up you can turn off the water chiller for a while and remove the dust. The fan will be off so you can’t get caught.

In addition, there are slots located on the side of the chiller. Check whether these are dust-free. Clean them if you notice any dust. Be sure to turn off the chiller when doing this.

The water chiller must not be placed in a room where it can freeze. When it freezes, the water in the water chiller will freeze. This will damage the water chiller and break the laser source.

Apart from that, the CW-3000 water chiller measures if there is circulation. When there is no circulation, the CW-3000 water chiller will raise an alarm.

There are several reasons why there is no water circulation. Water cannot circulate if one of the hoses is kinked. Check that all hoses are kink-free.

Dirt

There may also be dirt in the cooling water. If, for example, it contains algae, this can clot and cause a blockage. The water will also retain the heat better and the temperature of the water will rise. Take the following action if this occurs.

Turn the laser machine off. Plug the water chiller into a socket that is not connected to the laser machine. Remove the water from the laser source and empty the water chiller. Fill the water chiller with about 2 L of demineralized water. Switch on the water chiller for a few hours so the laser source will rinse clean. Leave the laser machine switched off.

Remove the water from the laser source after a few hours and empty the water chiller. Then fill the water chiller with demineralized water. Read the following article to make sure everything is done correctly, and you will not damage the laser source: The water chiller in top condition / How to fill the chiller?

Water level

Please also check whether there is an adequate amount of water in the chiller. If a lot of water is suddenly lost, check whether there is any water in the outer glass tube of the laser source. The laser source consists of 3 glass tubes. The large outer tube should not contain any water. If it does, the laser source will need to be replaced.

Also, check if you see a puddle of water somewhere. If you notice that, check whether all the water hoses are still attached. If one of the water hoses has come loose, fix it. Over time, a water hose can also become somewhat porous. You can order a new hose if this is the case.

If there are no kinks in the hose, the water is clean and there is sufficient water, then the chiller’s pump may be defective.

If the mentioned tips do not solve the problem, please submit a ticket via the button on the bottom right of the page.