Got my johnson control a419 in the mail last week.
My issue is this. When plugged in, the green led light with not turn on, but the display will show the temp.
I can only get it to work for me when i have the temperature set at 32 degrees, where is when then turn on my freezer. It works for 5 minutes, then shuts off and won’t turn back.I changed the temp differential many times thinking that was the issue but nothing.
I would like to set it to 38, but it won’t work?
I already tried heat mode, thinking that after 32 degrees it needed to be switched, but even that isn’t working.
Do you have your freezer set on its warmest setting? Not sure if that is it, but it might help.
Otherwise, all other settings should be pretty standard…DiF set at 1 or 2, with your ASD at 11. The other settings are either 1 or 0 on mine, I believe.
I wanted to bump this thread because I am having the same problem. For some reason I think that these controllers are not compatible with all freezer/refrigerator models.
Please post an update if you were able to get it working…
[quote=“andymag”]I wanted to bump this thread because I am having the same problem. For some reason I think that these controllers are not compatible with all freezer/refrigerator models.
Please post an update if you were able to get it working…[/quote]
Not sure there is any issue of compatibility. It provides power when its too warm and doesn’t provide power when the temp is below that number. It’s the same thing as plugging a light into a switched outlet. flip the switch up, the light is on, flip it down, the light is off.
I’m wondering if there is an issue with your controller. I had a faulty 2-stage controller one time where even if the temp was below a certain point, the hot side outlet wouldn’t provide power. I returned it and got another one that ended up working.
Thank you for the response. That certainly is a possibility that it is faulty, but it worked on my freezer for about a year until I swapped it out with a different temp modulator.
Is it possible that it is tripping a relay on the fridge?
This kind of stuff is a gray area for me and I am just spit balling, but it worked two months ago on a GE Chest Freezer then gets all wacky on a Edgestar Kegerator.
This is a very common controller for walk-in freezers, coolers and food prep lines. One thing to keep in mind is your amp draw. Generally in the the applications I mentioned these controllers are controlling a contactor that is bringing power to the components. That contactor coil pulls very little power. If you are slightly over on amp draw or locked rotor amps, you will slowly kill the controller. The other thing is really pay attention to where your jumpers are set and that they are installed correctly. The jumps are something that seems to bite guys that are out in the field every once in a while.
Thank you for the response. That certainly is a possibility that it is faulty, but it worked on my freezer for about a year until I swapped it out with a different temp modulator.
Is it possible that it is tripping a relay on the fridge?
This kind of stuff is a gray area for me and I am just spit balling, but it worked two months ago on a GE Chest Freezer then gets all wacky on a Edgestar Kegerator.[/quote]
keep the temp probe in the kegerator and plug a lamp into the power outlet. If the lamp comes on when the kegerator gets above the temp threshold then the controller is working. If not then its either a faulty controller or maybe you have the settings wrong.
Problem on my end solved and hopefully it helps the OP. It is the kegerator itself, and the internal thermostat needs to be reset. I am waiting for Edgestar to get back to me with details on how to do this.
I tested the JC A419 with a light as Mattnaik suggested and it flipped on and off as I adjusted the temp. I used three different temp probes/thermometers, and all stated that my kegerator was hovering around 40 degrees. I unplugged the JC A419 and let the fridge run on its own and two separate thermometers stated it was at 40 degrees.
So at the end of the day, test your controller (as Mattnaik suggested), take several readings (if possible) to see if you fridge stat is getting to the same temp as what the JCA419 is stating it is at, and then contact the fridge’s manufacturer to see if there is a factory reset that will allow you to get your fridge to a lower temp.
Hope it helps and keep us posted. If it is indeed your JCA419, you should be able to return it for another one free of charge.
[quote=“andymag”]Problem on my end solved and hopefully it helps the OP. It is the kegerator itself, and the internal thermostat needs to be reset. I am waiting for Edgestar to get back to me with details on how to do this.
I tested the JC A419 with a light as Mattnaik suggested and it flipped on and off as I adjusted the temp. I used three different temp probes/thermometers, and all stated that my kegerator was hovering around 40 degrees. I unplugged the JC A419 and let the fridge run on its own and two separate thermometers stated it was at 40 degrees.
So at the end of the day, test your controller (as Mattnaik suggested), take several readings (if possible) to see if you fridge stat is getting to the same temp as what the JCA419 is stating it is at, and then contact the fridge’s manufacturer to see if there is a factory reset that will allow you to get your fridge to a lower temp.
Hope it helps and keep us posted. If it is indeed your JCA419, you should be able to return it for another one free of charge.[/quote]
Just curious…why do you need a temp controller on a kegerator that already has it’s own adjustable thermostat?
That is a very good question. For me, I purchased a new temp controller and did not want to throw this one in a box to never be seen again. Then I decided that I wanted to lager (at 38) while my chest freezer was fermenting.
I guess is not too important to have considering that I know the low temp on it and I am not going to be adjusting the temp for fermenting.
Ok for those interested, it was not the temp controller. I tested it and it worked just fine. I emailed the manufacturer of the refrigerator and they provided me with a youtube link on how to adjust the refrigerator’s thermostat to get it cooler.
It took about five minutes to fix the problem and now with my fridge set at 4 (out of 6) it is reading 35 degrees.
So if you think that your fridge is not getting cool enough, try emailing the manufacturer and more than likely your problem can be solved in five minutes. :cheers:
glad you worked it out, I am a chief hvacr eng, and maintain about 2 dozen A-419’s, and 3 more at home. the pin settings can be a lil intimidating for a newbie… And unless you change the diff, it will run down to 5 degrees below your set point before it is satisfied, , 35 degrees will have the unit run down to 30,
for kegger conversion,
p5 = jump installed
p4 = jump 1, out
jump 2, installed
set original stat at max
419 will go to your set point,
DONT FORGET TO HIT ENTER!
We use 40 for serving , 0 for ice blocks, reset diff to 3. so brew is chilling at 37, ice 3 below.
we also hard wire everything and have the probes in a weather tite relief. I’d post pics, but the res is too hi for the site.
