Wilbur Curtis ALPHA-1D Service Manual
Wilbur Curtis Co., Inc.
Rev. 8/16/00
ALPHA DIGITAL
COFFEE BREWERS
S E R V I C E M A N U A L
Included in this service manual is information on the Alpha 1D, Alpha 2D, Alpha 3D, Alpha
3DL, Alpha 3DR, Alpha 5DL, Alpha 5DR and Alpha 6D. The information is common to all
Alpha digital brewers except where noted.
INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING UNITS:
––
– ALPHA 1D
––
––
– ALPHA 3DR
––
––
– ALPHA 5DL
––
C
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– ALPHA 2D
––
––
– ALPHA 3DL
––
––
– ALPHA 6D
––
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– ALPHA 3D
––
––
– ALPHA 5DR
––
CONTENTS
Alpha Digital . . . . . . . . .
Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setup Steps . . . . . . . . . .
Brewing . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coffee Requirements .
Programming . . . . . . . . .
Trouble Shooting . . . . . .
Replacing Membrane .
Care & Maintenance .
Illustrated Parts Lists
Wiring Diagrams
Alpha 1D . . . . . . . . .
Alpha 2D . . . . . . . . .
Alpha 3D . . . . . . . . .
Alpha 3DR . . . . . . . .
Alpha 3DL . . . . . . . .
Alpha 5D . . . . . . . . .
Alpha 3D-61/63 . . . .
Alpha 6D . . . . . . . . .
Alpha 3D - Export . .
Warranty . . .
9 - 15
Back Cover
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16
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Carton Contents
All products manufactured by the
Wilbur Curtis Company are thoroughly
inspected at the factory and are
warranted to be free of all defects and
faulty workmanship. The Alpha unit is
packaged for maximum protection for
shipping.
Make sure the shipping carton is not damaged or punctured. Unpack the carton carefully , inspecting the
contents for any damage that may have occurred in transit.
Report any damage immediately to the freight company .
9/6/00 12.2 f-2068 revA.p65.p1
Qty Item
1
1
25
1
Automatic Coffee Brewer . . . . . . . . .
Brewcone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paper Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elbow Fitting, 3/8 X 1/4 Flare . . . . . . . .
Part Nº
Alpha
WC-3621
CR-10
WC-2401
ALPHA DIGITAL
The Alpha Digital series of automatic coffee brewers require installation to be in compliance
with all local water and electrical power codes. The Alpha is designed to brew 12 cups at a
time. The Alpha 3D, 3DL and 3DR have three warmer plates that allow up to three decanters to
be kept at serving temperature. The hot water faucet lets you draw hot water for tea, instant
soups, chocolate drinks or cup meals - even during the brew cycle.
WARMER PLATES
z
ELECTRONIC CONTROL
BOARD
DUMP VALVE
HOT WATER
FAUCET
SPRAY HEAD
BREW CONE
HEATING TANK
12 CUP DECANTER (NOT INCLUDED)
WATER INLET
VALVE
WARMER PLATE
Figure 1. Alpha Brewing System, Basic Components.
THIS EQUIPMENT IS TO BE INSTALLED TO COMPLY WITH THE APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL PLUMBING CODES HAVING JURISDICTION.
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
CAUTION DO NOT connect this brewer to hot water. Inlet valve not rated for hot water.
SETUP
The Alpha unit should be located on a solid counter top. The counter top should be level. Connect
the water line from the water filter to the unit using ¼" copper tubing with a flare fitting at the end.
Some type of water strainer must be used to maintain a trouble-free operation. In areas with extremely hard water, we suggest that an Everpure QC7-MH water filter be installed. W ater filters may
be ordered from the Wilbur Curtis Company . For customer service call (800) 421-6150.
The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), requires the following water hookup:
1. A quick disconnect water connection or enough extra coiled tubing (at least 2x the depth of the
unit) so that the machine can be moved for cleaning underneath.
2. An approved flow back prevention device, such as a double check valve to be installed between
the machine and the water supply .
Alpha decanter brewers are shipped with the power cord connected inside the machine. The
power cord ends with an electric plug having two flat blades with a round grounding pin, 120V AC
current and 20 amp rating. Some units are rated for 220 volts. Check the serial plate on the side
of the machine to make sure of the electrical requirements for your unit.
1
Setup Steps
1. Connect a ¼" copper water line from your facility to the ¼" flare water inlet fitting on the valve, behind
the machine. Water pressure going to the machine must be stable. Use a water regulator to maintain
constant pressure. This brewer works perfectly when water pressures are from 20 to 90 psi.
2. Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet rated at 20A.
3. Turn on the toggle switch behind the unit. The heating t ank will st art to fill. When the water reaches the
probe, the heating element will turn on automatically .
4. The heating tank will require 20 to 30 minutes to reach operating temperature (200ºF). The READY TO
BREW indicator will light at this time.
5. When water reaches operating temperature, dispense about 12 ounces of hot water through the hot
water faucet to lower the water level in the heating tank. You can also dispense only enough water to
activate the liquid level control.
BREWING
STEPS FOR BREWING COFFEE:
1. Place a paper filter into the brew cone. Pour ground coffee into the filter.
2. Slide the brew cone into place. When pushed in against the stop, the brew cone fits into the slide rails
and centers it under the sprayhead (see Figure 1. illustrating basic components).
3. Place a clean coffee decanter on the warmer plate.
CAUTION - Always use an empty decanter before starting a brew cycle.
4. To start brewing, push in the momentary brew switch, located on the front panel. The brew cycle will
take approximately three minutes to complete. To stop a brew cycle press the ON/OFF button.
CAUTION - Wait for hot coffee to stop dripping from brew cone before lifting decanter.
5. To stop a brew cycle press the ON/OFF button.
COFFEE REQUIREMENTS
The Alpha coffee brewer will produce excellent results using most grades of
coffee available from your coffee distributor. Coffee suppliers can provide coffee
in convenient pre-measured envelopes.
The Alpha coffee brewer is designed for ground coffee; Freeze Dried or Liquid
coffee products will not work.
The Wilbur Curtis Company manufactures bulk coffee dispensers (Models
MCD-7 or MCD-7G) that consistently dispense ground coffee in selected
amounts.
2
Figure 2. MCD-7 Coffee
Dispenser
PROGRAMMING
(ONLY REQUIRED IF FACTORY SETTINGS MUST BE CHANGED)
IMPORTANT These digital brewers are thoroughly tested and programmed at
the time of manufacture.
A few brew cycles may be required for unit to normalize.
ENTERING THE PROGRAM MODE
For all programming functions you must first enter the programming mode as follows:
z Turn OFF the power from the Control Panel by pressing .
z Press and HOLD and press and RELEASE .
BREW
ON/OFF
ON/OFF
MODE #1
z Continue HOLDING until starts blinking; RELEASE.
BREW
READY TO BREW
MODE #2
z Continue HOLDING until stops blinking; RELEASE.
BREW
READY TO BREW
MODE #3
z Continue HOLDING until stops blinking and remains on; RELEASE.
BREW
READY TO BREW
CONFIRM/RESET BREW TEMPERATURE
ENTER THE PROGRAMMING MODE #1:
(PRE-PROGRAMMED FOR 200º F)
(Over)
z Press for two seconds, then RELEASE.
z will start blinking. Each blink equals 2º F, starting at 170º (max. temp. 204º F
BREW
READY TO BREW
or 18 blinks).
z To change Temperature, press and HOLD .
z will start QUICK flashing. Each QUICK flash equals 2º F. After reaching 204º,
READY TO BREW
BREW
temperature starts over at 170º.
z RELEASE when the desired temperature is reached. The newly set tempera-
ture will now be displayed. To set and exit, press .
BREW
ON/OFF
3
CHANGE BREW VOLUME
IMPORTANT - Before changing the brew volume, place a measuring
container on the brew deck and insert the brew cone.
ENTER THE PROGRAMMING MODE #1:
(PRE-PROGRAMMED FOR APPROXIMATELY 64 OUNCES)
z Press and HOLD until hot water starts running, then RELEASE.
z When desired volume is reached, press again to stop the flow.
z To set and exit, press .
BREW
BREW
ON/OFF
TO ACCESS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE BREW CYCLE COUNTER
ENTER THE PROGRAMMING MODE #2:
z will now start a pattern of LONG and SHORT blinks.
READY TO BREW
This pattern identifies the number of brew cycles. SHORT blinks indicate
the brew number from 1 to 9. LONG blinks separate 1's, 10's, 1,000's and
10,000's.
WARMER QUALITY TIMER - Factory Preset to OFF
TO DETERMINE WARMER SETTING AND CHANGE TIME
z Warmer must be ON. Press and HOLD until light goes OFF, RELEASE.
WARMER
z The light will start blinking. Count the blinks. Each blink=5 minutes
(maximum 50 minutes).
z At the end of the cycle, press and hold until the light begins quick
WARMER
flashing. The cycle will start over after 11 flashes (a setting of 11 flashes is the
OFF position).
z When the desired time is reached, RELEASE .
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
ON/OFF
TEMPERA-
TURE
188º F
190º F
192º F
194º F
196º F
198º F
200º F
202º F
204º F
Table 2. Exa mple of Brew Counting Code
SETS BLINKING LIGHT PATTERN
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
5TH
END
4
z To set and exit, press .
Table 1 . Temper ature S e ttings
NUMBER
OF BLINKS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
TEMPERA-
TURE
170º F
172º F
174º F
176º F
178º F
180º F
182º F
184º F
186º F
NUMBER
OF BLINKS
WARMER
TOTAL BREWS
NUMBER OF BREWS
4 x 1
2 x 10
0 x 100
1 x 1,000
0 x 10,000
01024
= 4
= 20
= 0
= 1,000
= 0
TROUBLE SHOOTING
ERROR CODES: All Alpha Digital brewers contain various safety features in the electronic circuitry that shut down the
functions of the unit in the event of a system failure. Error codes are signalled by the BREW READY light blinking. Deciphering the code:
WATER LEVEL PROBLEM 3 LONG AND 1 SHORT
TEMPERATURE SENSOR PROBLEM 3 LONG AND 2 SHORT
ANY SERVICE DONE ON THIS UNIT MUST BE PERFORMED BY A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
PROBLEM: WATER DOES NOT FLOW INTO HEATING TANK
POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION
1. Water line turned off
or water filter needs
changing
2. Water inlet valve coil
burned out
3. Grounded probe
4. Defective or burned
out control board
Make sure the unit is receiving enough water pressure. Open
the water line. Change the filter or filter element.
Turn the brewer off. Disconnect wires from water inlet coil
terminals and connect a power cord to the terminals. Plug cord
into a 120V outlet and verify if water flows when plugged in
and stops when power is disconnected. If valve fails this test,
replace valve.
When the water level gets below the probe tip, water should
automatically refill the tank. If not, pull wire off the probe
terminal. Water should now start flowing into the tank. If not,
check the control board of the microprocessor assembly (see
step 4), or inlet valve (step 5, below).
Pull wire out of probe terminal. With a voltmeter, check voltage
at the water inlet coil terminals. This should read 110-120
volts. If no voltage is present, check control board. Make sure
the control board is energized on terminals WHT & BLK. Lack of
power to these terminals will indicate a defect within the
circuit board. Replace the microprocessor assembly.
Check for loose connections at terminals.
CODE:
PROBLEM: WATER IN HEATING TANK OVERFLOWING
POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION
5. Defective water inlet
valve
6. Probe limed up
7. Non-grounded or loose
terminal connections at
control board
Unplug the unit and observe water level. If water continues to
flow into tank, clean or replace valve.
Pull wire off from probe terminal. Touch the metal body of the
heating tank with the end of this wire (to ground the wire). If
water stops flowing, try cleaning the probe. Probe may have to
be replaced.
The control board must be grounded. Check for loose connections at the terminals. Make sure the grounding wire is securely
fastened to the chassis.
CODE:
5
TROUBLE SHOOTING, CONTINUED
PROBLEM: WATER IN TANK DOES NOT GET HOT
OR WATER TEMPERATURE TOO LOW
CODE:
POSSIBLE CAUSE
8. Power is off
9. Defective or loose heat
sensor
10. Burned out heating
element
11. Defective control
board
PROBLEM: WATER NOT FLOWING FROM SPRAYHEAD
POSSIBLE CAUSE
Make sure unit is on; power cord plugged in. Toggle switch is
on. Breaker is on.
Remove the sensor and squeeze a dab of silicone compound
(part no. WC-5229) between the sensor and the tank body.
Make sure the fastening nut is secure. Check the wire for
damage.
Check element for continuity and or check with clamp ammeter. This should show a reading of approximately 15 amps
(depending on element wattage). If no power is going through
element, replace the heating element.
If checks #8, #9 and #10 are normal, the control board is not
operating correctly. Replace the microprocessor assembly (#8,
figure 6.).
SOLUTION
CODE:
SOLUTION
12. Sprayhead clogged
13. Water level is too low
in heating tank
14. Defective control board
15. Defective dump valve
or coil
Remove sprayhead and clean. Clean the sprayhead fitting.
Check water level in tank. If water is not flowing into the tank,
review steps 1 thru 4, previous page.
Check the continuity between terminals WHT & BREW VLV.
When the BREW button is pressed, there should be solid continuity between these two terminals. If not, replace the membrane control panel (see the instructions below).
Make sure the board is receiving 110 to 120 volts at terminals
BREW VLV and WHITE when BREW switch has been pressed.
There should be 110 to 120V going to the dump valve. If not,
then the control board is faulty.
If the control board is functioning properly (step 14), check the
dump valve. Measure voltage across the two terminals of the
valve coil. You should read 110 to 120 volts. Check also for
clogging or lime deposits. Clean if possible. Replace valve or
coil.
REPLACING THE MEMBRANE CONTROL PANEL
IMPORTANT - This procedure requires careful positioning of the membrane control panel. Improper
application of the new part will ruin the membrane when you try to lift it again. You will have to acquire an
additional panel to complete the task.
TEST
Before you actually remove the old membrane, test the old one by using your new membrane. Your old
one may be okay.
6
1. Unplug the machine from your power source.
2. Remove the cover accessing the control board.
3. Unplug the ribbon connector from the control board then take the new
membrane and plug the connector into the control board. Place it on a hard
surface outside the unit.
CAUTION Do not bend the new membrane.
When pressing the buttons always have a hard, flat, surface to push
against. The tiny dome switches within the membrane may become
inverted unless you have something solid behind it.
WARNING TO HELP AVOID PERSONAL INJURY
Do not place objects or reach your hands into the open unit.
4. Return power to the unit and press the ON/OFF button on the new membrane control panel.
5. If your unit still does not function normally, your problem may not be with the membrane panel, but in
another component. If your unit runs okay, then proceed with the replacement of the membrane
control panel.
REPLACE THE MEMBRANE CONTROL PANEL
1. Unplug the machine from your power source or switch off at the circuit breaker.
2. Remove the cover accessing the control board.
3. On this unit there is a hot water faucet over part of the membrane control panel that must be removed.
Open the faucet and let the hot water pour out until the flow stops.
WARNING TO HELP AVOID PERSONAL INJURY
Allow faucet to cool before proceeding. Components may be hot.
Figure 3. Testing
Membrane, Typical
4. Disconnect the ribbon cable plug from the control board.
5. Remove the old membrane control panel by lifting one of the corners and peeling it from the front of the
unit. Pull the flex cable through the hole.
6. With acetone, remove any adhesive left on the stainless surface. Clean and dry the surface.
7. Take your new panel and insert the flex cable through the opening in front of the unit and connect the
flex cable to the control board.
8. Peel off the paper backing on the new membrane panel and carefully position the panel. Line it up
correctly with the switches and LEDs. Press onto the surface of the unit. You must get this right the
first time. Any attempt to reposition the membrane control panel will damage the small switches within
the membrane.
9. Reinstall the faucet. Turn on the water. Return the top cover and front cover. Plug the power cord into
and outlet.
CLEANING AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
1. Slide out the brew cone and clean around the sprayhead and dome using a nontoxic cleaner.
2. Remove the sprayhead from the brewer and clean it. This should be done at least once a week, more
often in heavy lime areas.
3. Wipe any spills, dust or debris from the exterior surfaces.
CAUTION: Do not use cleansers, bleach liquids, powders or any other substance that contains chlorine.
These products promote corrosion and will pit the stainless steel.
THE USE OF THESE PRODUCTS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
4. Clean the brew cone slide rails with a brush or damp cloth.
5. The outside surfaces should be cleaned with a stainless steel polish only, to prevent scratches.
6. The inside of the heating tank may occasionally require deliming. The frequency is determined by
local water conditions.
7
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