Brinsea Chick Safe eco Operating instructions

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ChickSafe Eco –Troubleshooting
Important installation notes:
•The door must be attached to the opener BEFORE installing the batteries.
•The door must be lifted and held in the open position before attaching the cord. The
ChickSafe is supplied with the cord wound in ready to be attached to the open door. It will
return to this position each time it opens.
•When attaching the cord to the open door, make sure the cord is taut.
•The door must have some free travel left above it (25mm/1 inch) when it is installed in its
open position. The ChickSafe has its own internal end-stop detection for when it is fully
open. It is supplied in the fully open position from the factory.
•The door must stop against a solid surface at its closed position. The ChickSafe detects when
the weight of the door is no longer being supported on the cord and that lets the control
know the door is closed.
•The distance the door moves between its closed position and open position must be no
greater than 400mm (15 inches). If the door moves down through a greater distance the
cord will wind back in again and the door will be open even when the ChickSafe shows it is
closed (double flashes of the LED light).
•If the ChickSafe has been operated without the door fitted, or the cord has come free from
the door at any time it must be reset to the factory open position again before the open
door is attached to the cord.
•Do not remove the knot in the cord that was tied there at the factory. This knot operates the
sensing device to stop the ChickSafe in the open position.
•The door must be free to slide up and down with no obstructions. It must slide all the way
down under its own weight. The ChickSafe uses gravity to close the door.

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To reset the ChickSafe in the open position ready for installation:
a. The ChickSafe must be upright, in its installed position.
b. Disconnect the battery holder connector.
c. Wait 1 minute.
d. Gently pull the end of the cord down and keep gently pulling during the next few steps. It is
important to maintain some tension on the cord.
e. While pulling, refit the battery holder connector and still keep pulling gently.
f. Maintain tension on the cord. After 10 seconds the cord will be wound out for a second and
then start to wind in. Keep maintaining tension on the cord all the time until the motor stops.
g. Release the cord.
h. Disconnect the battery holder.
i. Reattach the cord to the door in its open position.
j. Reconnect the battery holder.
Tips for troubleshooting:
1. Light is flashing every 10 seconds (low battery warning):
Are the batteries old ones? Replace if there is any doubt.
Check each battery is fitted the correct way around. Take each one out and refit it to make
sure it is properly seated.
Unclip and refit the battery box connector to make sure it is properly connected.
2. Door has only part-opened:
Is the light flashing once every 30 seconds (to show it is open) but the door is not lifted as far
as it should be? If yes it might have been set up incorrectly or the knot may have slipped.
Disconnect the batteries. Release the cord from the door. Lift the door to the desired open
position and support it there. Tie the cord on again making sure it is taut once tied. Release
the door. Fit the batteries again.
Is the light flashing once a second? If yes, the door is likely sticking in the channels. The door
must be very free moving both up and down (gravity only!). The door channels can be
adjusted by loosening the screws a quarter turn or by adding small packing pieces in one or
more places behind the channels to ensure they are flat and the door runs smoothly.
3. No light flashing at all / no motor movement:
Are the batteries old ones? Replace if there is any doubt.
Check each battery is fitted the correct way around. Take each one out and refit it to make
sure it is properly seated.
Unclip and refit the battery box connector to make sure it is properly connected.

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4. Light is flashing every second (error warning):
Is the door fully closed and it can be moved upwards by hand with no obstruction? The flat
battery function may be keeping the door closed as the batteries need replacing. Are the
batteries old ones? Replace if there is any doubt. Check each battery is fitted the correct way
around. Take each one out and refit it to make sure it is properly seated. Unclip and refit the
battery box connector to make sure it is properly connected.
Is the cord still attached to the door and firmly fixed in the right place? If not, reset the
ChickSafe and tie the cord back on (with the door in its open position).
Is the door hitting a fixed stop at the top of its travel? If the door hits its fixed stop before
the ChickSafe unit reaches its own end stop it will lock the motor and may cause damage.
Untie the cord, reset the ChickSafe and then tie the door again in the open position ensuring
the door has some free travel left above it (25mm/1 inch).
Is the door stopped at a random place? It may be stuck in its runners. The door(s) must be
very free moving both up and down (gravity only!).
Make sure the door does not move down more than 400mm (40cm / 15 inches) before
reaching its closed position. Also check the door does actually have a fixed end stop at the
bottom of its travel (doesn’t continue down past the closed position if allowed to drop
further) as that is what makes the ChickSafe stop running downwards when it closes.
Check the factory knot is still on the cord. It is precisely located 9 inches from the end of the
cord to lift the bead and the arm at the upper limit position (fully open). Removal of that
knot will cause the unit to keep winding inwards until the door hits it.
Were the batteries connected before the door was installed? Perform a reset per the
operating instructions and then follow the installation instructions again to correctly position
the door.
5. The door hasn’t opened in the morning but the light is flashing once every 30 seconds
(Door Open Indicator):
It might have been set up incorrectly or the knot may have slipped on the door. Disconnect
the batteries. Release the cord from the door. Lift the door to the desired open position and
support it there. Tie the cord on again making sure it is taut once tied. Release the door. Fit
the batteries again.
6. The door hasn’t opened in the morning and the light is flashing twice every 30 seconds.
(Door Closed indicator):
The daylight may not be bright enough yet to make the ChickSafe open. The system waits to
be sure it is daylight and may open shortly. If it doesn’t, we would suggest removing any
branches or leaves that could be causing a shadow over the unit. For safety, if the ChickSafe
isn’t sure it is daytime it will remain closed.
7. The door hasn’t closed in the evening but the light is flashing twice every 30 seconds (Door
Closed indicator):
Is there something obstructing the door or making the door stick in its channels?

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8. The door hasn’t closed in the evening and the light is flashing once every 30 seconds (Door
Open Indicator):
It may not be dark enough yet for the ChickSafe to close. See below for more information on
adjusting the closing light level.
9. ChickSafe closes too late / early:
The falling ambient light level that triggers closing of the door may be adjusted.
Turning the adjusting screw anti-clockwise makes the door close while it is still lighter. This
means it will tend to close a little earlier in the evening.
Turning the adjusting screw clockwise makes the door close when it has got darker. This
means it will tend to close a little later in the evening.
The system has a 5 to 6 minute delay so that it doesn’t close the door just because someone
has leant over it, for instance. This makes it very difficult to adjust while it is getting dark. It
is better to make an adjustment of one or two turns during day light and see how it
performs at dusk, then repeat on following days as necessary.
The light level in the evening falls very rapidly from bright daylight to darkness so adjusting
the light level may not make a very big difference to the time it closes. The most important
thing is for all the chickens to have gone in before the door closes.
To return the light adjustment to factory settings give 20 turns clockwise and then 5 turns
anticlockwise.