aquanta AQ-CA-E100-ESL User manual

Smart Water Heater Controller
Installation Instructions
For Electric Water Heaters
Model: AQ-CA-E100-ESL
Version 2.2e

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©2018 Aquanta Inc.
Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your
Aquanta Smart Water Heater Controller!
The Aquanta water heater controller works with
your new or existing electric water heater to bring
it out of the basement and put it into the palm of
your hand. It heats water only when you need it,
offering cost savings and intelligent controls.
This manualdescribes the physical installation of
the Aquanta Controller and associated sensors.
It can easily be installed by most homeowners or a certified electrician.
First, install the Aquanta Controller on the top of the water heater and connect the
sensors. Then, apply power to the Aquanta Controller, connect it to your home Wi-
Fi network, register with the Aquanta Portal and you have a smart water heater!
The Aquanta Controller contains a Wi-Fi transmitter module FCC ID: VPYLBYD. This device complies with
Part 15 of FCC Rules and Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of this device.
FCC CAUTION
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Aquanta Inc. could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment. This transmitter must not be co-located or operated in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.

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Tools Needed:
•Phillips and Flathead screwdrivers
•Needle nose pliers •Smart phone, tablet or laptop with wifi
•Voltage tester (optional)
Parts Included:
1. Aquanta Controller
2. Temperature Sensors (2 )
3. Leak Sensor (Optional)
4. Cable Ties for retaining the
Temperature Sensors (4 )
5. Cable Management Clips (4 )

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Aquanta Controller Installation
The Aquanta Controller is the brain of the
system, containing the electronics, sensor
connections and Wi-Fi communications
module.
CAUTION: Turn the electricity to the water heater off
by switching the circuit breaker to the “OFF”
position. For electric water heaters, this is typically a
double breaker.
TIP: It is recommended to test that the electricity is
off at the water heater using a voltage tester.
1. Using a screwdriver, remove the electrical
cover plate from the top of the water heater.
Remove the wire nuts from the wires and
separate the wires. Remove the ground
wire from the ground screw. Loosen and
remove the cable clamp from the electrical
cover plate by loosening the nut on the
underside of the cover plate. Remove the
cover plate from the cable clamp and the
AC Mains supply wires.
2. Open the Aquanta Controller by removing the 4 Philips-head screws to
remove the front cover.

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3. Mount the electrical cover plate from the water
heater onto the conduit fitting on the bottom of
the Aquanta Controller. Orient the Controller
to face the desired direction and then tighten
the nut on the conduit fitting. Lower the
Controller, with cover plate, over the 2 wires
coming from thewater heater and then secure
the cover plate onto the water heater using the
original screws. The Controller is now
mounted on the water heater and the ground
contact is established.
Alternative mounting: For some water heaters it may be
necessary to mount the electrical cover plate to the
water heater prior to fastening it to the Aquanta
Controller. In this case, remove the supplied conduit
fittings from the bottom of the Aquanta Controller. Place
a washer onto the conduit nipple and then slide the
conduit nipple up through the hole in the cover plate.
Secure the conduit nipple to the cover plate using one of
the conduit nuts. Slide the wires from the water heater
through the conduit nipple and attach the cover plate to
the to the water heater using the original screws. Slide
the Aquanta Controller over the conduit nipple, place the
grounding bracket (supplied with the Aquanta
Controller) over the conduit nipple and secure
everything in place using a conduit nut.

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4. Connect the wires from the water heater to the
lower terminal block (marked HTR) inside the
Aquanta Controller. Bend and trim the wires to
length as shown with ¼” of bare wire exposed
on the ends. There is no strict polarity, but we
recommend following the wire colors as shown.
Note: Before inserting a wire into a terminal block, ensure that
the terminal block screw is fully open by turning it
counterclockwise 8 full turns. Insert the wire into the opening on
the side of the terminal block and tighten the screw by turning it
clockwise until the screw is just snug against the wire. Then turn
an additional quarter (¼) turn. Do not overtighten the terminal
block screws.
5. Install the original cable clamp for the AC Mains
supply wire in the hole at the top of the Aquanta Controller.
6. Straighten the ACMains supply wires and pull them down through the cable clamp.
Ensure that there is sufficient ground wire to reach the ground screw at the bottom
of the Aquanta unit, and sufficient black and white wire to reach the upper terminal
block (marked Line), then secure the wire in the cable clamp. Bend and trim the
wires to length as shown with ¼” of bare wire exposed on the ends.
7. Connect the two AC Mains supply wires to the top terminal block (there is no
polarity). Then, attach the ground wire to the green grounding screw. Ensure that
the bare ground wire does not contact the terminal block or the printed circuit board
by keeping it straight and trimmed to length as show.
8. Attach the cover to the Aquanta Controller using the four Phillips-head screws.

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Sensor Connections
1. Attach one of the supplied Temperature Sensors to the
Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve (T&P Valve) on the
water heater using one of the supplied Cable Ties. Wrap the
Cable Tie around the T&P valve and then slide the narrow
end of the tie through the slot. Position the tip of the
Temperature Sensor as close to the water heater as possible
and pull the Cable Tie as tight as possible over the bead of
the Temperature Sensor. Ensure that the Temperature
Sensor is in contact with the metal body of the T&P Valve,
but does not interfere with the operation of the T&P Valve.
Clip off the excess length of the Cable Tie. If there is another
plumbingfitting between the T&P Valve and the water heater,
fasten the Temperature Sensor to that fitting as close to the
water heater as possible. Plug this sensor into the “Hot Water
Sensor” connector on the side of the Aquanta Controller (see
Step 4 on page 8).
2. Attach the second Temperature Sensor to the cold water inlet pipe using two of
the supplied Cable Ties. Attachment to four types of water inlet pipes are shown
below. Wrap one of the Cable Tiesaround the cold water pipe and slide the narrow
end through the slot. Position the Temperature Sensor on the cold water pipe as

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close as possible to the water heater and under the Cable Tie, then pull the
Cable Tie as tight as possible. Place a second Cable Tie around the Temperature
Sensor wire and water pipe as a strain relief. Clip off the excesslength of the Cable
Ties. Plug this Temperature Sensor into the “Cold Water Sensor” connector on the
side of the Aquanta Controller (see Step 4 below).
3. If you purchased the Optional Leak Sensor, peel the
paper backing off of the double-sided tape on the Leak
Sensor. Place the leak sensor on the side of the water
heater near bottom, preferably directly below the T&P
valve, such that the gold-plated contacts extend into the
drip pan beneath the water heater. Plug the Leak
Sensor into the “Leak Sensor”connector on the side of
the Aquanta Controller (see Step 4 below).
4. Connect the sensors to the Aquanta Controller as shown.

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5. Four Cable Management Clips are included with the Aquanta unit. Use these
clips to organize the routing of the wires on the water heater. Placing two of
the clips on the back of the Aquanta Controller is a convenient way of retaining
the excess sensor wire.
6. Turn the electricity “ON” at the circuit breaker. The LED should illuminate on the
Aquanta Controller; it will blink indicating that a network connection still needs to
be established.

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Wi-Fi Setup
The Aquanta Controller has built-inWi-Fi capability forcommunications with you home
Wi-Fi network. Follow the steps below to establish a connection between the Aquanta
Controller and your home network:
1. Verify that the Aquanta Controller is powered ON
and ready to connect, as shown by a blinking green
light.
2. On a smart phone or other connected device, find
your “Wi-Fi Networks”icon (as if you were at a coffee
shop logging onto a new network), and select the
network called “Aquanta xxxxxxxx”.
3. On many devices (including iOS devices), a web
page automatically appears with the available Wi-
Fi networks. If theweb page to the right does NOT
appear, open an internet browser, type
192.168.0.1 in the web address bar, and you will
see this web page. Select your home Wi-Fi
network by clicking “Connect.”

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4. When prompted, enter the password for your home Wi-Fi network. Aquanta
will save this password and use it to connect to your Wi-Fi network. Once
connected, the LED on the front of the Aquanta Controller should turn solid
green, indicating that it is connected and in monitoring mode. The Green LED
means that the water heater is activated/powered.
Note: your phone or laptop should return to your home Wi-Fi network once the
Aquanta Controller reboots. If for some reason it does not, disconnect from
the Aquanta Wi-Fi network or reboot your computer.
5. You have now completed the Aquanta installation!
6. Next go to the Aquanta portal to register a user account and connect to the
Aquanta unit at: https://portal.aquanta.io/signUp
7. To login to your account, go to: https://portal.aquanta.io/login
LED and Audible Indications
LED Color
Indication
Green
Normal operation with AC power applied to the hot water
cylinder.
Red
AC power is not being applied to the hot water cylinder.
Aqua, Blue,
Purple
Intelligent Mode Operation: Aqua –AC Power OFF
Blue or Purple - AC Power ON
LED Blinking
Wi-Fi or Internet connection to the server is not available.
Beeping
Leak Sensor has detected a water leak.

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Tips
1. If your home Wi-Fi network has changed, such as a new router, SSID or
Password, the Wi-Fi Setup procedure for the Aquanta Controller must be
redone. First, the Aquanta Controller must be put into the Wi-Fi reconfiguration
mode (aka AP-mode) by pressing and holding the button on the right side of
the controller for 10 seconds until the LED begins to blink.
2. You can force the Aquanta Controller to activate your hot water cylinder
permanently by first putting it in Wi-Fi reconfiguration mode, as described
above, and then cycling power to the Controller by switching the circuit breaker
OFF and back ON. The LED will be blinking green.
Thank you and enjoy your Aquanta unit!