Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation 1 Jan 15, 2013 8:35 pm So yet again my Brivis Contour has died. Looks like the solenoid is not allowing water to flow but I can't tell if it's a broken solenoid or a broken water sensor. Does anyone know what are the more common problems with the Brivis evaps? Is the solenoid more likely to die than the water level sensors? Re: Common Brivis evap problems? 2Jan 20, 2013 1:59 pm Update... I identified the problem as a busted solenoid. Replaced it for free from a kind appliance repairer who had some spare parts. For anyone with a Brivis evap cooler wanting to know why it keeps dying let me share my experience with these units... Brivis evaps seem to be notoriously unreliable. The main reason I say this is that Brivis seem to use COTS (commercial off the shelf) products instead of products designed for the task. For example, the solenoid which seems to be the most common item to die (ours has been replaced 3 times!) is your common washing machine variety. It's designed to work indoors under typical indoor temperature conditions. The top of the roof can get over 60deg with the sun being absorbed in tiles and no air movement. The solenoids that Brivis use are not designed for this! Do you hear that Brivis? As a result these parts keep dying and you need to call out an 'authorised' repair person to fix it (the reason I put authorised in quotes is that we have had some seriously amateur repair work done by Brivis repairers - a fan blade was not screwed in and I found out when the unit made a horrible noise). The very fact that a homeowner like myself can identify a systemic problem (i.e. solenoid issue) and Brivis haven't, tells me the company is not particularly interested in building a better product but more interested in profit and making money off repair work. Which leads me to repair costs... A call out for a Brivis authorised repairer is $240 - $270. The solenoid will then set you back over $100 so the total repair bill will be close to $400! Just to replace something that was not fit-for-purpose to start with. And keep in mind that evaps are meant to be cheaper than refrigerated. A $400 repair bill every 1-2 years means you're looking at a unit that costs twice as much in the long run as a refrigerant. So, how much did it cost me? $0. Once I identified it as a solenoid problem I sourced a replacement part (for free) and replaced it (oh and make sure you use a qualified electrician kiddies!) Here's an easy way to identify if the problem is a solenoid problem... When you switch the unit on does it give the message 'wetting pads please wait' and doesn't progress? if yes then take off the front water pad on the evap by undoing the 4 screws on top of the unit. Then using a hose or bucket manually fill up the water reservoir (bottom front) until the water reaches the middle water level sensor (3 metal prongs stacked at different heights in the centre of the reservoir). Once it's filled, switch the unit on and see if it pumps water and the fan comes on. If so then you've eliminated the sensor, pump and fan. Chances are it's the solenoid. At this stage you'll need a licensed electrician as the solenoid is 240v. It's a bugger to remove as Brivis in their infinte wisdom have stuck it in a place that is very difficult to get access to. Follow the hose going in and you'll find it. The electrician will first switch off the isolator switch under the left front, turn off the tap and then remove the solenoid (just slides out) A replacement solenoid can be found on eBay for around $15. Yes, no kidding $15. They'll have a standard 26mm thread and a 14mm (I think) outlet. The unit is an inline unit (not an angle unit) and is 240v. Once you've got the solenoid the above should be done in reverse. Okay so I've also replaced mine with a standard washing machine variety solenoid which may die again in a year but at least I know I can have it replaced for around $20 in the future. That's the end of the story. If I sound like I'm not a big fan of Brivis Evaps - too right. Aussie evaps are a rip off, badly designed and costly to maintain. In my mind they are the biggest air-con (see what I did there) over the last 20 years. Fortunately more homeowners are realising this and buying quality, efficient, refrigerants. It won't be long before evaps die out with the dinosaur. I am not a brick expert, but rendering would be 1 option, it would be costly to do the entire house though.... 2 7123 Hi all, has anyone been ask to do the weeds in their property while in the middle of build? We are under the impression that they are in control of the site while they… 0 4001 Have had a few issues with out recently done bathroom floor. Probably around 18 months old First there has been been a crack running through a grout line which I put… 0 3078 |