PF Softstarter Open Bypass Faults F13, F15 & F15

Training

Question:

What will cause an Open Bypass fault code F13, F14, or F15 on a PF soft starter? What testing and troubleshooting steps can be taken to determine the cause of these faults?

Answer:

See the steps below for troubleshooting open bypass faults of F13, F14, F15 on a PF Softstarter.

Check the control voltage power supply to ensure the correct voltage is being supplied to the soft starter on terminals 11 and 12.
Make sure that all the control terminal connections and wiring are secure.
Check control module connections from terminals TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, TB6, TB7 to the power poles to ensure connections are tight, secure and no wires are loose or broken.
Check settings for parameters 107 Aux 1, 108 Aux 2, 109 Aux 3, 110 Aux 4 and ensure the configuration is NOT set to External Bypass, unless the PF controller has been configured to be used with an External Bypass contactor.
For 625, 780, 970, 1250 Amp controllers a minimum control power source of 800VA is required.
For 625, 780, 970, 1250 Amp controllers verify that the orange jumper on each of the internal bypass contactors is set to the EI mode. Note: Step 7 can only be done on PF soft starter sizes 108 Amps and larger. There is no additional testing for the 85 Amp and smaller units to determine if the issue is with the control module or the internal bypass contactor.
To verify if the problem is with the control module or bypass contactor (for the 108A-1250A) follow the instructions in this document.
These faults are sometimes caused by high voltages surges on the control power portion of the system. This surge gets into the control module's power supply which powers the integral bypass relay coils, resulting in an open bypass and resulting fault code. By taking the control module off its power structure and looking at circuit board components marked Q2, Q10, Q13 and Q15 for discoloration; the damage can be confirmed.

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