The water in your Tuttnauer autoclave plays a very important role. Without water there would be no steam. And without steam, proper sterilization cannot be done. And without proper sterilization, well, you know what THAT means – you’re in big trouble! Here are some troubleshooting tips if you are having problems with your Tuttnauer water pump.
What to do when your Tuttnauer water pump won’t turn on
- It could be that the fuse is bad. Use an ohm meter to test it and if it needs to be replaced, install a 1.2 amp fuse.
- Check the power cables running from the water pump solid state relay to the pump itself. Look for loose or pinched cables.
If the problem is not the fuse or the wires, the next thing to do is determine if the problem is with the water pump, solid state relay, or control circuit.
- First turn off the power to your autoclave and then remove the wires that are connected to the water pump’s solid state relay at terminals 1 and 2. Now, using those same two wires, connect them and turn the power back on.
- If the water pump turns on, it is the relay or control circuit that is malfunctioning.
- If the pump does not turn on, then it is the pump itself that is the problem and you will need to replace it.
To check the relay:
- Use a volt / ommeter to test the control circuit between TP13 and TP1. If it reads between 10 and 12 volts DC, then the signal telling the relay to turn off is working. When it reads 0 or 1, it also tells the relay to turn on. If it is something else, then you have a problem with the control circuit.
- If the signals are correct, perform the same test on relay terminals 3 and 4. And a wrong signal on the relay means you have a problem with the Ajunc board and will have to be replaced.
As you can see, it is very easy to troubleshoot your Tuttnauer autoclave and find the problem. The next step, of course, is to fix the problem. And this is where most people panic.
An autoclave can seem like a mysterious piece of equipment. And since it plays such an important role, you might think that it takes a certified, pedigree professional to repair it. But it’s really just a simple machine. Finding the problem is usually much more difficult than fixing it. If you’ve made it this far and found out why your Tuttnauer water pump isn’t working, the hard part is over. Now it is simply a matter of removing the part that does not work and replacing it with one that does. And really, anyone can do it!