eta ETAbox User manual

2012-10-22
EN_Englisch
User manual
ETAbox

2www.eta.co.at
Contents
Dismantling
Dismantling is done in the reverse order of assembly.
Refer to the separate installation instructions.
Disposal
Disposal must be done in an environmentally
friendly manner in accordance with waste disposal
laws. Recyclable materials must be cleaned and
separated before recycling.
Meanings of symbols
Important NOTICES for operation.
CAUTION: Failure to observe these notices can result
in property damage.
STOP: Failure to observe these notices can result in
personal injury.
Warranty, guarantee and liability conditions........4
For safe operation..........................................5
Design, dimensions and capacities .....................6
Operation.....................................................7
Functionality, fill level .....................................7
Before filling .................................................8
Filling the ETAbox...........................................9
After filling .................................................10
Troubleshooting........................................... 11
Diagnosis ................................................... 11
Clearing obstructions ..................................... 12
Removing foreign objects ............................... 13
Maintenance and service records..................... 16
Safety instructions ....................................... 20
Contents

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Preface
ETAbox Operation
Preface
Dear Customer,
The satisfactory function of your new ETAbox
depends to a large extent on its installation. So
before starting the installation, please invest
around 15 minutes to get an overview with this
manual.
Note boiler manufacturer's specifications
The conditions specified in the boiler
manufacturer's technical documentation must
be adhered to (e.g. maximum distance between
ETAbox and boiler, maximum height difference,
pellet store specifications, electrical connections,
settings...)
Contact a component's manufacturer to ascertain
its usability.
Warranty and guarantee
You should also read the "Warranty, guarantee and
liability conditions" on page 4 of this manual
carefully. All of the requirements we impose are
intended to prevent damage that neither you nor
we wish to occur.
Training the customer
To avoid errors in operation, please explain to your
customer (preferably using this manual) exactly
how the ETAbox works and how it should be
operated and maintained.
Rules for safe operation
Discuss the rules for safe operation of the system
with your customer, preferably before beginning to
use it as afterwards it could already be too late.
Extended warranty for commissioning performed
by an authorised partner company
If we supplied the boiler and ETAbox and the
newly installed heating system was commissi-
oned by an authorised partner company or by our
customer service, we offer an extended warranty
on all system components supplied by us. Refer
to our warranty conditions in effect at the time of
purchase.
Service agreement
You can ensure the best care for the ETAbox by
taking out a service agreement with one of our
certified heating system contractors or our own
customer service.

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Warranty, guarantee and liability conditions
Warranty, guarantee and liability conditions
Subject to technical alterations
To give you the benefit of our ongoing develop-
ment efforts, we reserve the right to make tech-
nical changes without prior notice. Printing and
typesetting errors or changes of any kind made in
the interim are not cause for claims.
Scope of delivery
Individual configurations depicted or described
here are only optionally available. In the event
of contradictions between individual documents
regarding delivery scope, the information in our
current price list applies.
Warranty, guarantee and liability
We can only guarantee and accept liability for the
function of the ETAbox if it is properly installed and
operated.
Precondition for warranty, guarantee and liabi-
lity is that the following general conditions be
observed during installation and operation:
The ETAbox is intended for filling with wood pellets
(ÖNORM M7135, DIN 51731, DINplus, EN 14961-2
and ENplus A1) with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm
and a length of 15 to 40 mm. If the ETAbox or
parts thereof are used for any other purpose, no
guarantee or functionality claims may be asserted.
The fabric sack must be protected from sharp
objects, UV light and water.
Repairs are only permitted with spare parts
provided by us. The only exceptions are common
standardised parts such as fastening materials, as
long as they possess the required features and do
not restrict the functionality of the system.
The installing contractor is liable for proper
installation according to the boiler's installation
instructions and the relevant rules and safety
regulations. If you as customer have installed the
heating system partly or entirely without relevant
training and in particular without up-to-date
practical experience, without having the installa-
tion checked by a trained and responsible expert,
we exclude defects in our delivery and consequen-
tial damages resulting from this cause from our
warranty, guarantee and liability.
The ETAbox guarantee only applies as far
as the pellet hose connections to the boiler. No
comprehensive guarantee claims may be asserted.

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For safe operation
ETAbox Operation
For safe operation
Ventilation
The store must be ventilated through windows,
doors or air inlets and outlets as carbon monoxide
can form where pellets are stored.
Container wall across from couplings must be 200
mm from wall
to cushion the impact of the pellet stream during
injection and avoid damage to the pellets while
filling.
ETAbox may not be in contact with damp walls
Rooms with the dampness of a normal cellar do
not pose a problem, but the ETAbox may not come
into contact with damp walls.
No sharp or pointed objects
No sharp or pointed objects that could damage the
fabric are permitted in the vicinity of the ETAbox.
No UV light
Do not allow the ETAbox to be exposed to UV light
under any circumstances. No fluorescent lamps
in the room. Cover cellar windows with dark
foil or use UV protective film if they must remain
transparent.
Outdoor set-up possible with rain shelter
In the event of outdoor set-up, the ETAbox must be
protected against weathering (rain, wind, exposure
to sunlight and UV light). A watertight roof and
side walls are an absolute requirement. The pellet
hoses must also be protected against UV light and
sunlight.
Official permits and fire safety
Official permits (building authorities, trade autho-
rities) may be needed for operation.
Local building and fire safety regulations must be
observed. Consult your local authorities.
Switch off heating system during maintenance
Switch off the main switch on the boiler before
any work on the ETAbox and the pellet conveyor
system. If the ETAbox has a power supply separate
from that of the boiler, switch that power supply
off as well. If there is no switch, isolate the ETAbox
from the mains using the trip switch (RCD).
Switch off 3 hours before filling?
If no ETA boiler is being used, switch off the
heating system at least 3 hours before filling the
ETAbox to avoid back-burning.
If the ETAbox is being used with an ETA pellet
boiler, the heating system may remain switched
on. An ETA boiler is equipped with a draught fan
and ventilated rotary valve to protect against
back-burning.
Use back air hose while filling
The ETAbox must be filled at underpressure. While
pellets are being blown in, air must be simultane-
ously removed through a second hose, ensuring
nearly dust-free fill-up.
Open door or window while filling
To minimize the amount of dust escaping from
the container during filling, more air should be
extracted than is blown in. To ensure the necessary
air supply for the room, open windows and/or
doors while filling.
Do not operate conveyor screw without vacuum
motor
Without removal of pellets, the conveyor screw
will jam. If the boiler's vacuum motor fails, the
conveyor screw will draw more current and the
fuel conveying system will be switched off before
the screw can jam.
Setting for current monitoring
To protect against jamming, current monitoring
must be correctly set on the boiler, for the ETAbox
2.1 A nominal current and 3.0 A maximum
current.
Prevent unauthorized access
Lock the room where the ETAbox is installed in
order to keep out children and pets.

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Design, dimensions and capacities
Design, dimensions and capacities
ETAbox design
The pellets are stored in the fabric container. There
are two couplings for filling.
The pellets are removed from the bottom of the silo
by a conveyor screw. The connection to the boiler
is established with a suction hose and a back air
hose, both DN 50.
There are inspection ports in the sides of the
container for exact determination of the fill level.
Dimensions and capacities
The height of the ETAbox can be adjusted to the
room height in increments of 100 mm.
ETAbox 17
Length x width: 1,700 x 1,700 mm
Height adjustable in increments
of 100 mm: 1,800 to 2,500 mm
Volume: 3.1 to 5.0 m³
Weight with pellets: 2.0 to 3.2 tons
ETAbox 21
Length x width: 2,100 x 2,100 mm
Height adjustable in increments
of 100 mm: 1,800 to 2,500 mm
Volume: 4.3 to 7.3 m³
Weight with pellets: 2.8 to 4.7 tons
ETAbox 25
Length x width: 2,500 x 2,500 mm
Height adjustable in increments
of 100 mm: 1,800 to 2,500 mm
Volume: 6.1 to 10.3 m³
Weight with pellets: 3.9 to 6.7 tons
Discharge conveyor with screw and drive motor
Couplings Inspection port
Length
Width
Height
adjustable
in
increments
of 100 mm

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Operation Functionality, fill level
ETAbox Operation
Operation
Functionality, fill level
Pellet transport
The boiler has complete control over the ETAbox. As
soon as the boiler needs pellets, its control system
starts the vacuum motor to transport the pellets.
With a time delay (factory setting of 3 seconds for
an ETA boiler), the boiler control system begins
to operate the ETAbox's conveyor screw, which
transports the pellets out of the silo to the suction
nozzle, where they are sucked out by the vacuum
motor and transported to the boiler.
To prevent underpressure in the ETAbox, the
conveying air is returned to the ETAbox through the
back air hose.
When the boiler has enough pellets, its control
system switches off the conveyor screw. The
vacuum pump continues to run (factory setting of
10 seconds for an ETA boiler) to empty the pellet
hoses.
Check fill level
The fill level of the ETAbox can be determined
by feeling the outer wall or visually through the
inspection ports.
Visual check through inspection ports
Two inspection ports are located at the top of two
opposing walls. They can be used for a visual check
of the fill level.
Manual check by feel
Feel along the outside of the bag from top to
bottom until you feel the pellets.
Since the pellets take the shape of a funnel as they
are extracted, the amount of pellets remaining is
considerably lower than the felt height (see illust-
ration at right).
Back air hose Suction hose to boiler
Boiler
Suction hose to boiler and back air hose to ETAbox
Inspection port
Remaining
amount
Resistance
Sheet metal
base
Fill level
Loose
fabric
Pellet "funnel"
Felt height

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Before filling Operation
Before filling
Switch off heating system 3 hours beforehand
At least 3 hours before filling, switch off the
heating system to avoid back-burning.
If an ETA boiler is being used with the ETAbox,
the heating system may remain switched on.
An ETA boiler is equipped with a draught fan
and ventilated rotary valve to protect against
back-burning.
Open windows or doors
To minimize the amount of dust escaping from
the container during filling, more air should be
extracted than is blown in. Open a window to
ensure the necessary air flow into the room. If the
room has no window of its own, you can open a
door to establish a connection to a room with an
open window.
Use suction
During filling, air must be sucked out of the pellet
silo so that no dust is blown from the container
into the room. More air must always be sucked out
than is blown in.
Attach suction hose and filling hose to couplings
Remove the covers from the couplings. Both coup-
lings can be used for both filling and suction, so
they can be chosen arbitrarily.
Switch on suction
Set the suction blower to full power and switch it
on.
Fill with pellets only
Maximum 0.2 bar Inspection port
Couplings
Filling hose
Suction hose
Suction blower

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Operation Filling the ETAbox
ETAbox Operation
Filling the ETAbox
Start feed from tank truck Set low feed pressure
If the feed pressure is too high, the pellets will be
moving too fast when they are injected into the
container and will break on impact against the
rear wall. Therefore the feed pressure should be
set low. Reduce the feed pressure at the tank truck
until the pellets hit the rear wall around 600 mm
below the container's upper edge. Then increase
the feed pressure until the pellets hit the rear wall
300 to 400 mm below the container's upper edge.
Check fill level regularly
Check the fill level regularly to prevent overfilling.
Do not overfill the ETAbox. The current fill level can
be determined by looking through the inspection
ports or by feel (see page 7). See page 6 for the
maximum amounts.
Only use inspection ports when feed is switched
off
Both inspection ports must be closed during filling
to prevent dust from escaping.
Exchange hoses on ETAbox when filling is
completed
Stop filling and switch off the suction blower.
To get the maximum amount of pellets into the
ETAbox, exchange the filling hose and the suction
hose on the couplings and attach them again.
In this way, up to 300 kg of additional pellets can
be blown into the ETAbox.
Inspection port closed
Couplings
Filling hose
Suction hose

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After filling Operation
After filling
As soon as the ETAbox is full
When the desired or maximum fill level has been
reached, stop filling. Switch off the suction blower
and remove both hoses (filling hose, suction hose)
from the couplings.
Cover both couplings
Switch heating system back on, enter pellet level
in control system
Heating can resume immediately after filling.
Enter the ETAbox's new pellet volume into the
boiler's control system if your boiler records
pellet consumption or volume. Information
about this can be found in your boiler's operating
instructions.
Cover the couplings

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Troubleshooting Diagnosis
ETAbox Operation
Troubleshooting
Diagnosis
Problem/malfunction Possible causes Solution
Discharge conveyor's drive
motor doesn't start or runs
intermittently
• The boiler is not controlling the
motor correctly or the cables
have been attached to the motor
incorrectly
• Obstruction of attachment
nozzles on fuel conveying system
• Incorrect motor protection
setting
• Foreign object got into tank
before or during filling and is
blocking the conveyor screw
• Check motor wiring; see installation
instructions for ETAbox and boiler
• Obstruction; see "Clearing
obstructions" or "Removing foreign
objects"
• Set motor protection correctly in
boiler's control system
2.1 A nominal current and
3.0 A maximum current.
(note motor data)
• See "Removing foreign objects"
Obstruction of attachment
nozzles on fuel conveying system
• Pellet hoses leak
• Conveyor screw transports too
many pellets
• Leak in pellet bin on boiler
• Non-return flap in pellet bin on
boiler is dirty. (ETA boilers have
no non-return flap in the pellet
bin)
• Check hoses and clamps (loose hose
clamps...)
• Reduce feed rate (drive motor
speed).
"Feed rate" parameter in boiler
control system's "Store" function
block (see boiler's operating
instructions)
• Check tightness of all connecting
flanges on pellet bin
• Clean dust and pellet residues from
non-return flap
Then see "Clearing obstructions"
Conveyor screw stops moving • Drive motor ran too long without
vacuum motor; pellets clog the
suction nozzle
• Foreign object in the screw
• See "Clearing obstructions"
• See "Removing foreign objects"
ETAbox has worked without
malfunctions for a long time, but
now no pellets are reaching the
boiler
• ETAbox is empty
• ETAbox is almost empty
• Fill with pellets
• Knock on hopper or stir the pellets
with a long rod through an
inspection port; refill

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Clearing obstructions Troubleshooting
Clearing obstructions
Jammed conveyor screw
If the conveyor screw on the ETAbox is operated
without the boiler's vacuum motor, the screw
will jam at the suction nozzle because the pellets
are not being sucked away. The conveyor screw
transports pellets to the suction nozzle until it jams
on the pellets that have not been transported and
is switched off by the motor protection.
Switch off heating system
Stop heating and use the mains switch to switch
off the heating system.
Remove suction hose and clean nozzle
Loosen the hose clamp from the suction hose and
pull it away from the discharge conveyor.
Use a long, pointed object such as a screwdriver to
loosen the pellets and remove them.
Possibly also remove the back air hose to make
poking easier.
Verify whether conveyor screw turns
Switch the heating system back on with the mains
switch. With an ETA boiler, pellet transport begins
shortly after the boiler is switched on. If the
conveyor screw does not turn 5 seconds after the
vacuum motor has started, switch off the mains
switch again. Try cleaning the suction nozzle once
more. If this is unsuccessful, then see "Removing
foreign objects" on page 13.
For other boilers, consult the operating instructions
to see how pellet transport can be switched to
manual operation.
Fasten suction hose with clamp
Restart the heating system
Jammed conveyor screw
Remove suction hose
Clean suction nozzle

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Troubleshooting Removing foreign objects
ETAbox Operation
Removing foreign objects
Pellets with foreign objects must be replaced
with clean material
If a pellet delivery really contains many foreign
objects such as pieces of plaster from a damaged
silo, then the pellets must be vacuumed out and
replaced with new ones.
To remove foreign objects from the screw,
disconnect power supply
Stop heating and use the mains switch to switch
off the boiler.
If the ETAbox has a separate power supply, discon-
nect it from the mains as well.
Detach cover on discharge conveyor
Remove two hex-head M8 x 25 screws from the
discharge conveyor and remove the cover.
Insert both barrier plates into slits
Insert both barrier plates into the slits to close off
the silo.
Discharge conveyor with screw and drive motor
Foreign objects in ETAbox
Remove screws
Remove cover
Insert barrier plates into slits
Slits

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Clearing obstructions Troubleshooting
Remove maintenance cover
and remove pellets
Remove both hex-head M8 x 25 screws, remove
the maintenance cover and remove pellets until
the screw is exposed.
Pull screw out of discharge conveyor
On the discharge conveyor flange, remove 4 M10 x
25 hex-head screws. Pull the screw slowly out of
the discharge conveyor.
Removing foreign objects
Remove foreign objects from the discharge
conveyor or the screw.
Insert screw into discharge conveyor
Slowly insert the screw into the discharge
conveyor. The end of the conveyor screw must be
inserted into the bearing at the rear end of the
discharge conveyor.
Reattach the flange with 4 M10 x 25 hex-head
screws.
Remove screws
Remove maintenance cover
Remove screws
Pull out drive unit with
conveyor screw
Replace screws
Store

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Troubleshooting Clearing obstructions
ETAbox Operation
Check whether the discharge area is really free of
foreign objects and tools.
Install maintenance cover
Attach the maintenance cover to the discharge
conveyor with the 2 M8 x 25 hex-head screws.
Remove barrier plates from discharge conveyor
Remove both barrier plates from the discharge
conveyor and store them in the immediate vicinity
of the ETAbox.
Attach cover
Attach the cover to the discharge conveyor with 2
M8 x 25 hex-head screws.
Reconnect power supply
Switch on the boiler with the mains switch.
If the ETAbox has a separate power supply, recon-
nect it with the mains.
Begin heating
Verify error-free function of discharge conveyor.
M8 x 25
Install maintenance cover
Remove barrier plates
Slits
M8 x 25
Attach cover

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Maintenance and service records
Keep records for service, maintenance or repairs
We recommend that you keep records about all service and maintenance work, as well as malfunctions. These records
can be entered in the following pages.
Then you and our customer service will always have an overview of the work performed on the system.
Date
Performed by
Service / maintenance / cleaning
Work performed / parts replaced
Maintenance and service records

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Maintenance and service records
ETAbox Operation
Date
Performed by
Service / maintenance / cleaning
Work performed / parts replaced

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Maintenance and service records
Date
Performed by
Service / maintenance / cleaning
Work performed / parts replaced

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Maintenance and service records
ETAbox Operation
Date
Performed by
Service / maintenance / cleaning
Work performed / parts replaced

20 www.eta.co.at
Maintenance and service records
Safety instructions
Safety instructions
For all work, switch off heating system
For all work on the ETAbox and on the pellet
conveyor system, the ETAbox and the heating
system must be switched off (switch off boiler or
disconnect it from mains...)
Switch off heating system at least 3 hours before
filling
Switch off the heating system at least 3 hours
before filling the ETAbox if no ETA pellet boiler is
being used.
If an ETA boiler is being used with the ETAbox,
the heating system may remain switched on.
An ETA boiler is equipped with a draught fan
and ventilated rotary valve to protect against
back-burning.
Only fill ETAbox at underpressure
While injecting pellets, extract more air from
the ETAbox than is blown in during injection.
Ensure that air can flow into the room by opening
windows and/or doors so that nearly dust-free
filling is ensured (see filling instructions).
Ventilate room
The store must be ventilated by windows, doors or
air inlets and outlets.
Prevent unauthorized access
Prevent unauthorized access, especially by children
and pets.
Never let conveyor screw operate without
vacuum motor
Never let the conveyor screw operate without the
vacuum motor on the boiler as the conveyor screw
will jam if the pellets are not transported away.