Below is a list of the most frequent technical support calls received by the Danfoss service department, followed by common solutions for each. Before placing a technical support call, please review this document to see if a solution is listed for the problem you are experiencing. If the problem still exists after the steps listed have been taken, please call Danfoss technical support for further assistance. Frequency drives operate on dangerous voltage levels and only qualified personnel should attempt to service them.
It is strongly advised to have a Danfoss VLT® FC Series instruction manual, programming guide and service manual available for reference during troubleshooting. Parameter numbers in this document are referenced by a P followed by the main menu parameter number, e.g., P 1-22 refers to parameter 122 “motor voltage”.
A Danfoss drive mounted in a bypass panel is controlled slightly different than a stand-alone drive. The wiring for the digital start, stop and safety commands is landed on the bypass control board. The analog speed reference signal must be applied directly to the VFDs’ control card. The motor can be started and stopped in either “Drive” or “Bypass” mode with the same set of contacts. The information below outlines the conditions that must be satisfied in order to get the motor to operate.
Verify that the mechanical switch on the bypass panel is in either the “Drive” or “Bypass” position, depending on what mode you want to run in.
This alarm appears if there is a digital input terminal programmed for the function “External Interlock” and there is not 24 Volts connected to it. A digital input terminal programmed as “External Interlock” is intended to be used as a safety terminal. When the voltage is lost or removed from the terminal, the VFD will immediately drop the output voltage to zero and the motor will coast to a stop. Follow the steps below to troubleshoot this alarm on a standalone VFD. If the following steps do not solve the problem, please call tech support for further assistance. If the drive has an integrated bypass panel, skip to the last two steps below.
Integrated bypass panel: The same procedures apply to a drive that reads “Auto Remote Coast” in the bottom line of the display. The only difference is that the digital input terminal is programmed to “Coast Inverse” rather than “External Interlock”
The drive requires a start command and a speed reference in order to run. If the drive has been given a start command but the motor will not run or change speed, then most likely there is an issue with the speed reference. Follow the steps below to assist you in properly configuring the speed reference to the VFD.
Follow the steps below to determine if an alarm 14 is being triggered by the motor or cabling, or by a defective current sensor in the VFD.
If the drive trips on an “Alarm 14” with the motor disconnected, then the problem is inside the drive. A bad current sensor is most likely the cause of this type of fault.
If the drive runs without the motor connected, but the current shown in the display is greater than .3 amps then it has a faulty current sensor.
If the drive runs with no motor connected and the current shown in the display is less than .3 amps, reconnect the motor. Attempt to run the drive with the motor connected again. If it trips immediately on “Alarm 14”, there is likely a problem in the motor or cabling. Use a 1000 volt megger to test the motor and the motor cabling.
In the event that there is current shown in the display with no motor connected, performing a “manual initialization” of the drive might help in zeroing out the current sensors. With power off, press and hold the “Status”, “Main Menu” and “OK” keys. Power the drive back on while holding the keys for 5 seconds. The drive will power up in an alarm 80 “Drive Initialization” if you were successful. WARNING: A manual initialization will cause the drive to revert back to factory default settings wiping out all parameter changes, any fault log data and personal menu settings that have been made.
There are several things that can cause a drive to have no display when powered on. Follow the steps below in order to help solve this problem.
Current limit warnings appear when the drive reaches the current limit set in parameter 4-18. The value of parameter 4-18 is set as a percentage of entered motor nameplate current (P 1-24). Sometimes current limit warnings occur due to application issues, and other times due to incorrect parameter settings.
There are several things that can cause this warning to appear, review the information below
When a power card is replaced, some initial programming must be done before the drive can be used. The spare part programming instructions are below.
Purpose
Instructions to enter typecode data into parameter 14-23 after a new power card has been installed in the drive.
General
Install the replacement power card in accordance with the procedure in the unit service manual. Be sure to comply with proper ESD procedures when handling the power card.
Once the new power card is installed, it is necessary to reconfigure the drive by entering the 39 unit typecode which is printed on the drive label. The 39 units are divided into 19 index groups (see Table 1).
Here is a sample typecode configuration for a 132 kW, 380-500 volts, FC-202 with options. FC-202N132T4E21H2XGCXXXSXXXXAXBKCXXXXDX
NOTE: Changing out the power card causes the drive to lose all programming. If possible, upload parameter settings to the LCP prior to replacing the card. If not, reprogramming the unit after power card installation is necessary.
Procedure
1. Install the new power card. See the Service Manual for the unit for instructions.
2. Record the typecode of the unit being serviced (Fig. 1). The typecode (t/c) is listed on the label of the unit (see Fig. 2).
3. Apply power to the unit.
4. Upon power-up completion, Alarm 250 New Spare part will appear on the unit display. To clear this alarm, the typecode information must be entered in parameter 14-23, Typecode Setting.
5. To access parameter 14-23, Typecode Setting, press the main menu key on the unit control panel.
6. Use the arrow and OK keys to scroll to parameter group 14 and parameter 23.
7. Parameter 14-23 is an array parameter (see Fig 3). Scroll through the sub-menu to match the 39 characters in the typecode in the 19 index groups. Press the OK key to enter the value.
8. At index number 20, enter Save to EEPROM and press the OK key. (The display returns to No Function at the completion of writing the EEPROM data.)
9. Alarm 250 New Spare part on the unit display will change to Alarm 251 New Type Code. To reset alarm 251, remove power to the unit, then reapply power. Press the RESET key to clear the alarm.
NOTE: It is recommended that the motor leads be disconnected and the unit operated to check functionality prior to running the motor.
Contact Danfoss technical support in the event that an alarm 38 appears. This problem occurs when there is a communication error between the control card and the power card.
9. The VFD will trip and an “Alarm 29” is displayed when the measured temperature of the inverters heat sink exceeds the upper limit. This can be caused by a number of things. Use the information below to assist you in identifying the problem.
The first step is determining if the fan is running or not. The cooling fans on a Danfoss VFD run for about 5 seconds after it is powered on by the mains. Remove AC power from the drive and wait until the display goes dark. Power the drive back on while observing the fan. If it runs momentarily, then it’s not likely to be the problem. Review the information below for other things that may be causing the over temperature. If the fan did not run momentarily when the drive was powered on skip to the next paragraph. On the FC series drives, parameter 14-52 can also be used to turn the fans on
If the fan did not run for approximately five seconds after power up, either the fan or the fan power supply is defective. In drives 150 HP and below, a simple test can be done to determine where the problem lies. Set a multimeter to the DC volts position and apply it to the connector that the fan plugs in to. While observing the meter, power on the drive and look for voltage. If no voltage appears when the drive is powered on, the fan power supply is defective. If voltage is present, but the fan does not turn the fan is the suspect problem.
10. The VFD trips on alarm 4 when there is excessive AC ripple on the DC bus. Refer to the procedures below to determine if the problem exists in the drive or with the input mains voltage powering the drive.
The VFD can be run at about 50 percent of its current rating before it will trip on an alarm 4. The tests performed when troubleshooting the drive must be done while the VFD is under load. Cycle power to the drive and press the “Reset” key to clear the alarm. Press the “Hand On” key to start the drive locally. Slowly increase the speed by using the up and down arrows on the keypad. Continue to increase the speed until the drive trips on alarm 4, and note what speed the trip occurred at. You will need to reset the alarm and run the drive again, but this time bring the speed to a point slightly lower than where it tripped last time.