Troubleshooting Tips - Kasco J Series Owner's Manual

Troubleshooting Tips

Below are some helpful troubleshooting tips. If a
problem occurs, please double check the assembly and
installation instructions as well as the instructions for
the proper control panel. More troubleshooting tips
can be found at www.kascomarine.com
"My Fountain trips the ground fault interrupter in the
C-25, C-85, or C-95."
This is the most common symptom of several
possible problems. To correctly diagnose the problem,
you will need to collect more information. A Ground
Fault Interrupter (GFI) breaker that trips can in-
dicate an electrical service problem, water contamina-
tion in the unit and/or cord, bad breaker, control
box problems, motor problems, etc. Try to find out the
answers to these questions before you contact
Kasco to narrow down the problem.
• How long does it take to trip the breaker?
• Does it always take the same amount of time to
trip?
• How many times has it tripped?
• Has there been any electrical problems in the area
recently?
"My Fountain seems to run slowly."
This can also be a symptom of several possible
problems. There could be an electrical problem where
the unit is not getting the proper voltage. This could
also indicate a problem with the motor of the unit,
which needs to be looked at by an Authorized Repair
Center. Check that the unit is receiving the proper
voltage, and, if so, contact Kasco for further steps.
"My Fountain hums, but will not start. When I spin
the prop with a stick, it starts up."
This indicated a problem with the Starting
Capacitor. Each Kasco Fountain is equipped with a
Starting Capacitor to get the unit going when it is first
plugged in. If it is operating, but not spinning and can
be started by spinning the prop with a stick, the Start-
ing capacitor needs to be replaced by an Authorized
Repair Center.
"My Fountain turns itself off and back on without the
timer and without tripping the GFI breaker."
Each Kasco Fountain has a Thermal Overload
built in that will turn the unit off when it overheats.
Once the unit has cooled down, it will start back up. If
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you are noticing these symptoms, the unit should be
unplugged immediately because the Thermal Overload
will continue to turn on and off until it burns out and
damages the motor. The unit should be unplugged and
taken out of the water to find the cause of the problem.
The problem could be one of many, such as, low water
levels, build-up on the unit to prevent heat dissipation,
something inhibiting the free rotation of the shaft, etc.
If something is caught in the unit or there is a build-up
of algae, calcium or organic matter on the unit, remove
the debris and, if caught early enough, the unit should
be fine. Contact a Kasco representative before restart-
ing the unit.
"My Fountain flow seems to fluctuate and/or be less
than usual."
This can occur because of a few different rea-
sons. Most of the time, this symptom is caused from
unit being clogged with debris. A mat of weeds, many
leaves, plastic bags, etc. can clog up the unit and cause
it to be starved of water. If the unit does not have the
proper amount of water, the flow or pattern will fluc-
tuate up and down and look sporadic. If you are see-
ing these symptoms, unplug the unit and clean away
the debris that is clogging up the screen. Another
possibility if these symptoms are noticed, is a chipped
or damaged prop that is causing the unit to wobble and
not pump properly. When the unit is unplugged, check
the prop for damages and replace if damage is found.
"The GFI breaker trips randomly and sporadically.
Sometimes it is a few hours of operation, other times it
can be days or weeks."
This is referred to as a Nuisance Trip. This
usually occurs where the unit is installed a great
distance from the initial electric service on the prop-
erty where the ground stake is placed. It is caused by
either induced current in the ground wire or a base
voltage difference due to soil pH levels. To resolve
the problem, contact an electrician and install a local
grounding stake. This may eliminate the induced cur-
rent and any base voltage differences. This problem
can also be caused by a bad breaker or receptacle or
having unbalanced incoming voltage lines.