Hoffmann&Hoffmann Dripmaster EDD-4SH User manual

Copyright ©2015 Hoffmann & Hoffmann Ltd. Rev. 08, December 2015
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Dripmaster EDD-4SH
U.S. Patent No. 5,996,739 & other countries
User Guide
Document filename: Dripmaster_EDD-4SH_User Guide_22Dec15.doc
Important notice: Hoffmann & Hoffmann reserves the right to change this document without further notice due
to design improvements, functional modifications or quality/reliability amendments.

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CAUTION!
ENSURE THE FREE FLOW OF OIL
From oil tank
To drain
Entire drain tube must face downward to prevent oil backup.

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Contents
Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 5
Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Section 2: Installation ................................................................................................................................. 6
General............................................................................................................................................. 6
Well Site Requirements.................................................................................................................... 6
Installation Kit................................................................................................................................... 8
Mounting the Dripmaster.................................................................................................................. 8
Wiring the Power and Control Cables.............................................................................................. 9
Setting the Drip Rate...................................................................................................................... 12
Section 3: Operation ................................................................................................................................ 13
Controls and Indicators .................................................................................................................. 13
Resetting the Dripmaster ............................................................................................................... 16
Automatic Control........................................................................................................................... 16
Setting Normal (pump on) Mode Drip Rates ....................................................................... 16
Pre-lube (pump off) Mode.................................................................................................... 19
Manual Control............................................................................................................................... 19
Section 4: Theory of Operation ................................................................................................................ 20
General........................................................................................................................................... 20
Search Feature .............................................................................................................................. 22
Push-Down and Push-up Features................................................................................................ 23
Section 5: Maintenance and Troubleshooting.......................................................................................... 24
Section 6: Specifications .......................................................................................................................... 26
Overall Dimensions ........................................................................................................................ 27
Section 7: Dripmaster Service Policy....................................................................................................... 28
Installation ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Repair procedure ........................................................................................................................... 28
PC Board Replacement in the Field...............................................................................................29
Product within the Warranty Period ............................................................................................... 30
Product Out-of-Warranty Period .................................................................................................... 30
Return Instructions ......................................................................................................................... 30
Terms & Conditions on reverse ..................................................................................................... 31

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Dripmaster EDD-4SH ............................................................................................................ 5
Figure 2: Installation requirements ....................................................................................................... 7
Figure 3: Dripmaster—rear view showing mounting centers................................................................ 8
Figure 4: Connection box – cable routing............................................................................................. 9
Figure 5: Connection box – electrical terminals: 115 VAC unit shown................................................. 9
Figure 6: Connection box PCB – wiring diagram................................................................................ 10
Figure 7: Dripmaster control panel ..................................................................................................... 13
Figure 8: Dripmaster EDD-4SH Needle Valve Assembly................................................................... 19
Figure 9: Common Needle Valve compared to Dripmaster................................................................ 20
Figure 10: Dripmaster functional diagram .......................................................................................... 21
Figure 11: Dripmaster EDD-4SH Needle Valve Assembly................................................................. 22
Figure 12: Dripmaster dimensions...................................................................................................... 27
Figure 13: Dripmaster PC board replacement.................................................................................... 29
List of Tables
Table 1: Connection box—power and control lines............................................................................ 11
Table 2: Pump On/Off conditions ....................................................................................................... 12
Table 3: Control panel—controls and indicators................................................................................. 13
Table 4: Routine Maintenance............................................................................................................ 24
Table 5: Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................... 24
Table 6: Dripmaster EDD-4SH specifications..................................................................................... 26
Table 7: Oil volume fed to line shaft ................................................................................................... 26

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Section 1: Introduction
Overview
The Dripmaster is an active vertical line-shaft lubrication control and monitoring device. It
automatically stabilizes the oil drip rate so as to comply with pump manufacturer's requirements.
Figure 1: Dripmaster EDD-4SH
Constant drip rate is maintained regardless of ambient temperature or hydrostatic pressure in the
feeding oil tank. This is achieved by monitoring and controlling the drip rate 55 times per hour.
There are two modes of operation:
•Normal (pump on) mode—when the well pump is operational
•Pre-lube (pump off) mode—ensures that the line-shaft is lubricated prior to turning on the well
pump.
Automatic switching between the Normal (pump on) and Pre-lube (pump off) modes is achieved by
remotely sending a control signal to the Dripmaster.
The SCADA interface provides:
•Accurate oil consumption data (drip rate count)
•Total lack of oil warning
•Automatic pump shutdown
A built-in manual mechanism ensures oil flow even in the remote possibility of unit malfunction.

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Section 2: Installation
General
The Dripmaster installation procedure is simple and does not require any special tools, but requires
site preparation.
Well Site Requirements
•Line power (115 VAC or 220 VAC), or 24 V DC/AC must be available at the well pump.
•An eight-wire control cable (containing wires not smaller than 22 AWG) needs to be laid
between the well pump and the local PLC enclosure.
•A sturdy, vertical pole with a welded metal plate should be in close proximity to the well pump.
Note: For large oil tanks (35 to 50 gallons), mount the Dripmaster to the oil tank stand.

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Important: The relative spacing between the oil tank, the Dripmaster, and the line-shaft inlet should be
according to Figure 2. In order to maintain minimal oil pressure on the needle valve (especially
when the oil tank is almost empty), the oil inlet should be in the range of 10 to 14 inches below
the oil tank.
10 to 14 inches
(25.4 to 35.6 cm)
1/4-inch
(0.635 cm)
copper pipe
Oil filter
Oil tank
1/4-inch flexible
copper tubing
Lineshaft
ENTIRE TUBE
MUST FACE
DOWNWARD
Figure 2: Installation requirements

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Installation Kit
The Dripmaster is supplied with the following parts:
1 – oil filter (fuel filter for ¼-inch hose)
4 – mounting bolts
8 – nuts
8 – lock washers
2 – cable bushings (glands)
Make sure that all of the kit items are present. You need to obtain ¼-inch fuel hose to complete the
installation.
Mounting the Dripmaster
1. In order to mount the Dripmaster, drill four 1/4-inch holes in the metal plate that mounts the
Dripmaster according to the drilling template shown in Figure 3.
Note: The mounting centers for the Dripmaster are shown on the back of the unit for convenience.
Mounting the unit does not require more than four bolts.
2. Remove the Dripmaster front covers.
3. Place a bolt into a mounting hole, and keep it in place by using a nut.
4. Repeat step 3 for the other bolts.
5. Secure the device to the metal plate using the remaining nuts and lock washers.
9.45 inches (240 mm)
4.33 inches
(110 mm)
For ¼”
mounting bolts
Figure 3: Dripmaster—rear view showing mounting centers

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Wiring the Power and Control Cables
Power and control cables are routed through the bottom of the connection box through two strain
relief bushings.
Power cable entry Control cable entry
Green ground wire
connects here
Figure 4: Connection box – cable routing
Wire the connection box according to Figure 5. Connections are described in detail in Table 1 on
page 11.
Control
cable
Power cable
115 VAC (220 VAC)
or
24 VDC
(24 VAC optional)
24VAC/DC S.B. - Pre-lube (pump off) mode
LL - Total lack of oil
PULSE - Drip indication
O.K. .- Sufficient lubrication
I
I
J
J
J
J
J
J
Voltage selector switch SW1:
115 VAC (220 VAC) /
24 VDC (24 VAC optional)
Note: You can shut down the pump
automatically using the O.K. relay
contacts.
Figure 5: Connection box – electrical terminals: 115 VAC unit shown

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24V DC/AC
24VAC/DC
S.B.
LL
PULSE
O.K.
L
N
{
{
{
{
24V DC/AC
Control
cable
Optional
power
cable
115/220 VAC
115/220 VAC
O.K.
J2
Figure 6: Connection box PCB – wiring diagram
Note: Line voltage is either 115 VAC, 60 Hz or 220 VAC, 50 Hz. The unit can be powered by line
voltage or optionally by 24 V (DC or AC).
Note: Each of the signals associated with the control signal terminal block are not polarity dependent
(24VAC/DC S.B., LL, PULSE, and O.K.).
Note: Avoid daisy-chain connections of the control signal returns – if the ground potentials of each
return differ.
1. Set the power switch SW1 located just below the transformer, for line power (115 VAC or
220 VAC) or 24 V DC/AC according to your requirements. See Figure 5.
2. Route the power cable through a cable strain relief on the left side of the connection box
(Figure 4).
3. Connect the green ground wire to a chassis screw or bolt, preferably using a ring terminal. See
Figure 4.
4. Route the control cable through the right cable strain relief (Figure 4).
5. Connect control cable according to Table 1.

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The connection box power and control line descriptions are shown below.
Table 1: Connection box—power and control lines
Cable or Terminal (Figure 5) LED
indicator
(Figure 7)
Function
Power Cable (contains 3, 18 AWG
wires)
This cable provides power to the Dripmaster. Using the
selector switch and appropriate terminal block, for line power
(115 VAC or 220 VAC) or 24 V DC/AC can be supplied.
Control Cable (contains 8, 22 AWG
wires):
Input and output control or status signals are routed through
this cable.
24VAC/DC S.B. – Pre-lube
mode
SB When applying 24 V DC/AC to these terminals, the
Dripmaster switches to the Pre-lube (pump off) mode. The
Dripmaster rate is 2 dpm in this mode. The SB LED (item 3
in Figure 7 also lights. See page 13).
LL – Total lack of oil
OIL A dry contact that closes when a total lack of oil condition
occurs. The OIL LED (item 1 in Figure 7) also lights. See
page 13.
PULSE – Drip indication
DRIP A dry contact that transmits the drip rate. The contact closes
for every drop fed to the line-shaft. The DRIP LED lights
momentarily whenever an oil drop passes through the
Dripmaster.
O.K. – Sufficient lubrication
1
OK A dry contact that closes when at least 8 dpm of oil is
present. This contact closes and the OK LED (item 2) in
Figure 7 lights. See page 13.
1
In the Pre-lube (pump off) mode, the OK contacts are always closed.
When the pump is on and the Dripmaster is in Normal mode, the OK signal indicates that oil is provided to the well
pump in excess of 8 dpm (which is the factory preset threshold). Also, when the pump is on and the drip rate falls
below 8 dpm, the OK relay contacts open and signal to the pump drive circuit to shut down the pump.
There are two possible scenarios when the Dripmaster is switched to the Normal mode:
1. The Dripmaster was in the Pre-lube (pump off) mode and dripping 2 dpm. When the pump is turned on, the
Dripmaster is no longer in the Pre-lube mode but switches to the Normal mode (the 24 V applied to the SB
terminals shown in Figure 6 have been removed).
2. The Dripmaster was de-powered when the pump was turned off, thus dripping 0 dpm (solenoid de-energized).
For the scenario in step 1, the Dripmaster initially drips 2dpm and gradually opens the needle valve in order to deliver
the preset drip rate (10 to 28 dpm). This process takes approximately four minutes. Initially, the OK relay contacts are
open and the OK LED is off, since the 8 dpm threshold has not yet been reached. This OK state is actually the pump
shut down signal.
Note: In order to avoid this transition period OK signal, we recommend switching the Dripmaster to Normal mode (removing the
24V from the S.B. terminals) four to five minutes prior to starting up the pump driver.
For the scenario in step 2, after the Dripmaster has been powered up, it will immediately drip oil at the rate which is
close to the preset drip rate (10 to 28 dpm), the OK contacts close and the OK LED is on.

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Table 2: Pump On/Off conditions
Status OK LED on OK LED off
Pump on •Drip rate greater than 8 dpm
•O.K. relay contacts are closed
•Drip rate less than 8 dpm
•Total lack of oil (OIL LED on)
•O.K. relay contacts are open
Pump off •Drip rate is equal to or greater than 2 dpm
•O.K. relay contacts are closed
•Total lack of oil (OIL LED on)
•O.K. relay contacts are open
6. Connect the oil filter (supplied) to the oil tank (Figure 2).
Important: The oil filter is essential as it prevents blockage in the needle valve.
7. Connect the Dripmaster oil outlet (Figure 8 on page 19, and Figure 2) to the well shaft inlet by
means of flexible ¼-inch copper tubing.
Setting the Drip Rate
1. Set the dip switch settings for the Normal (pump on) mode using the drip rate setting toggle
switches. (see Setting Normal (pump on) Mode on page 16).
Note: There are 50 drops per 1 cc, and there are 3785.4 cc per gallon.
2. Replace both covers and tighten the eight cover screws so that the unit is watertight.

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Section 3: Operation
Controls and Indicators
Button and indicator locations on the Dripmaster control panel are shown below.
Valve opening
Pre-lube (pump off) mode
Control mode
Close valve
Timing toggle switches
Presence of oil
55
88
22 33
Lack of oil
11 Drip rate
44
Open valve
Valve fully open
77
66
Manual operation
99
1010
Valve closing
1111
Tolerance toggle switch
1212
1313
Drip rate toggle switches 1414
Range toggle switch 1515
Drip rate display 1616
12-second timer 1717
Freeze 1818
Display switch 1919
Dripmaster window area
Figure 7: Dripmaster control panel
Table 3: Control panel—controls and indicators
Item
number
(Figure 7)
Name Control or
Indicator
Function
1 Oil Red LED Lights if the valve is completely closed,
indicating a complete absence of oil.
A corresponding relay contact closes when
this LED is on. The terminal for this contact is
called LL (Lower Limit) and appears in Figure
5 on page 9. This LED requires the user to
reset the system after resolving the oil
shortage issue (see
Resetting the
Dripmaster
on page 16).

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Item
number
(Figure 7)
Name Control or
Indicator
Function
2 OK Green LED Indicates that sufficient oil is delivered
whether the well pump is on or off.
In the Normal (pump on) mode, this
corresponds to oil drip rates in excess of 8
dpm.
In the Pre-lube (pump off) mode, the LED
lights when the rate is between 1 and 8 dpm.
The LED is off when a total lack of oil
condition occurs, and the OIL LED lights.
A corresponding relay contact closes when
the OK LED is on. The terminal for this
contact is called O.K. and appears in Figure 5
on page 9. This terminal can be used to
directly turn off the well pump in the Normal
(pump on) mode, when drip rates are less
than 8 dpm.
3 SB Yellow LED Lights in the Pre-lube (pump off) mode when
24 V DC/AC is applied to the S.B. terminals in
the connection box. The drip rate in this mode
is always 2 dpm.
4 DRIP Yellow LED This LED flashes whenever a drop passes
the photoelectric sensors in the Dripmaster
needle valve assembly (see Figure 11 on
page 22). In the Pre-lube (pump off) mode,
the DRIP LED flashes approximately every 30
seconds, indicating that oil is flowing to the
line shaft at a 2 dpm rate.
5 OPEN Green LED Lights when the motor is opening the valve.
6 Open Valve SW13 Push button Press to manually open the valve—for
troubleshooting, and can be used to shorten
the time to reach the preset drip rate.
7 UL Yellow LED Lights when the valve is completely open.
8 Control mode SW14 Toggle switch Select between manual and automatic
operation:
•Manual (MAN): for emergency use only. In
this state, you can only open or close the
needle valve manually by pressing the
close valve or open valve push buttons.
•Automatic (AUTO): the Dripmaster should
always be in this mode for full Dripmaster
functionality.
9 MAN Yellow LED Lights in the manual mode—when the mode
switch (item 8) is in the up position
10 Close Valve SW15 Push button Press to manually close the valve—for
troubleshooting, and can be used to shorten
the time to reach the preset drip rate.

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Item
number
(Figure 7)
Name Control or
Indicator
Function
11 CLOSE Red LED Lights when the motor is closing the valve.
12 TOL Toggle switch Recommended tolerance is 1 (switch raised).
Setting 2 (lower position) is for factory tests.
13 Timing Toggle switches These switches are set according to the
section "Setting Normal (pump on) Mode Drip
Rates", starting on page 16.
14 Drip Rate Toggle switches Sets the drip rate for the pump-on mode.
Choose only one toggle switch, and push it
up to the desired dpm value.
15 SW 2 – Range Toggle switch Low Range is selected with the switch left.
Low Range allows 10,12,14,16, or 18 dpm.
High Range is selected with the switch right.
High Range allows 20, 22, 24, 26, or 28 dpm.
16 Drip rate 7-segment
Display
A two-digit display shows the drip rate count
17 12 ' ' Yellow LED Flashes every 12 seconds for timing
purposes when in Normal mode. You can
count the number of drips seen during this
12-second interval and multiply them by five
to arrive at the dpm rate.
This LED is useful when you want to quickly
stabilize the drip rate by pressing the Open
Valve (SW13) or Close Valve (SW15) push
button.
18 FR Green LED Lights to indicate the six-second freeze
interval when in Normal mode. During this
interval, which occurs once per minute, the
needle valve may be opened or closed in
order to adjust the drip rate.
19 Display switch SW1 Toggle switch Controls the two-digit numerical display:
•In the down position (recommended):
When pump is on, displays the last minute
drip count for a period of six seconds. The
display goes off until the next minute drip
count is displayed. When the pump is off
(Pre-lube mode), the display remains off.
The 2 dpm oil flow can be verified by
looking at the DRIP LED. This LED should
flash every 30 seconds.
•In the up position (used for factory tests
only).

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Resetting the Dripmaster
There are two ways to reset the Dripmaster:
1. By removing the Dripmaster cover, and raising the Control Mode toggle switch to the MAN
position, and then back to the AUTO position.
2. By disconnecting the power source to the Dripmaster for 10 seconds, and then reconnecting it.
In both cases, the circuit voltage is interrupted and then restored.
Note: In case (2) above, a random drip rate is displayed initially which can be ignored.
Automatic Control
Make sure the Control Mode toggle switch SW14 is in the lower AUTO position (item 8 in Figure 7),
so that the Dripmaster automatically stabilizes the preset drip rate. At the end of each 60 second
interval, a short correction command is given only if there is a deviation from the desired preset drip
rate.
The valve closes if the actual drip rate is 1 drip/minute or more than the preset value.
The valve opens if the actual drip rate is 1 drip/minute less than the preset value.
Setting Normal (pump on) Mode Drip Rates
During normal operation (when the well pump is operating), the drip rate is selectable for drip rates
of 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, or 28 drips/minute (Figure 7).
The toggle switch positions for each drip rate are shown below.
10 dpm toggle switch setting
12 dpm toggle switch setting

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14 dpm toggle switch setting
16 dpm toggle switch setting
18 dpm toggle switch setting
20 dpm toggle switch setting

18
22 dpm toggle switch setting
24 dpm toggle switch setting
26 dpm toggle switch setting
28 dpm toggle switch setting

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The OPEN and CLOSE LEDs indicate whether the needle valve is opening or closing. See items 5
and 11 in Figure 7 on page 13.
Pre-lube (pump off) Mode
To select the Pre-lube mode, 24 V DC/AC must be applied to the S.B. terminals in the connection
box (Figure 5). In this mode, the drip rate is automatically set to 2 dpm.
Manual Control
This mode permits emergency operation in the rare case when there is a suspected failure of the
main circuitry.
Select the manual mode by switching the Mode toggle switch to the upper MAN position (Figure 7).
This mode bypasses the electronic control circuitry, and allows the operator to modify the drip rate
by using the Open Valve (manual) and Close Valve (manual) push buttons.
Use the Drip verification peephole (see Figure 8 below) to check the drip rate.
In this mode, power is removed from the circuitry, except for the push buttons, motor, and Manual
mode LED.
Manual oil flow switch in automatic
position (solenoid-controlled)
Drip verification peephole
Oil inlet
Oil outlet
Internal solenoid
Note: For the switch position
shown below, the valve is
always open (independent of
the solenoid).
Figure 8: Dripmaster EDD-4SH Needle Valve Assembly
The internal solenoid is powered by the Dripmaster power source. When powered up, the solenoid
allows oil flow. When powered down, the solenoid blocks oil flow.
To allow oil flow when the Dripmaster is not powered on, turn the manual oil flow switch to the right
90 degrees.

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Section 4: Theory of Operation
General
The Dripmaster is a gravity-based oil lubrication system.
The common needle valve fed from an oil tank does not provide any regulation of the drip rate—the
rate varies in response to variations in temperature (day versus night and time of year) and changes
in the tank oil level (hydrostatic pressure). Another cause of rate fluctuation is temporary valve
blockage.
The Dripmaster performs as an automatic needle valve that regulates oil flow (Figure 9).
200180160140120100806040200200180160140120100806040200
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Drops per minute Drops per minute
Elapsed time (hours)
Elapsed time (hours)
Needle Valve Dripper Dripmaster
Figure 9: Common Needle Valve compared to Dripmaster
The components that make this possible are described below.
The servo motor regulates the needle valve aperture according to the preset drip rate value. A
photoelectric sensor detects the drips and reports the drip count to the control circuitry. The control
circuitry sets the mode of operation and generates the alarms and drip count information to the
SCADA interface.
The Dripmaster EDD-4SH incorporates a specially-designed needle valve connected to a servo
motor which automatically compensates for rate fluctuations. The compensation magnitude is
defined by the control circuitry. For example, if the drip rate set point is 20 drips/minute, and the drip
rate drops below that level for any reason, the servo motor that attaches to the needle valve opens
it to increase the drip rate to maintain 20 drips/minute. Conversely, if the drip rate exceeds the set
point, the servo motor closes the needle valve to maintain the set point value (Figure 10).