Jobo ATL-1000 won't heat

angusgr · Aug 24, 2009

I'm new here, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips for fixing my processor.

I have a 110v ATL-1000 which does not seem to heat the water bath. If I warm the water bath to temp externally, the process runs. If I don't, it just sits there forever rotating the drum and neither heating anything nor starting the first step in the process.

I tested the terminals on the heater element and they seem OK, 17 ohms from memory.

Does anyone have a Jobo schematic, or any handy troubleshooting info for what might be causing this?

Thanks!

- Angus

willem · Aug 25, 2009

I have a manual for the ATL 1500 which applies for a large part the ATL 1000. Do you have this manual yourself already. I can sent it to you , if you want. There is a small section dedicated to appliance troubles.

Heating up water with my ATL 1000 for the first step in the process can take up to 35 minutes by the way.

eclarke · Aug 25, 2009

You have to supply heated/tempered water to the machine.

angusgr · Aug 25, 2009

Thanks willem. I emailed Jobo, and they kindly sent me a copy of the ATL-1500 service manual - it has the disassembly procedures, test procedures for the 1500 and schematics for both. Is that the one you mean?

I've waited a long time, but it's definitely not heating. I have a power usage meter that shows it never uses more than 50W of power, so the heater element is definitely not coming on.

It seems to sense the temperature fine, because if I give it 38 degree water then it will start (and then the water bath slowly gets cooler as the process runs. Eek!)

eclarke, I know I need to provide tempered rinse water, but AFAIK the unit it still supposed to be able to heat the water bath and maintain its temperature. Mine doesn't do that. .

angusgr · Aug 25, 2009

I have a theory. There's a part inside the case that looks a bit like a fridge thermostat, with two heavy duty electrical connections. It was showing open circuit when I tested it.

The service manual talks about a "temperature limiter", and the schematic seems to show it needs to be closed in order for the heater to power up. So I think it might be that.

EdSawyer · Aug 25, 2009

Look for any sort of thermal fuse or circuit breaker. it sounds like you may have found the part.

angusgr · Aug 26, 2009

Oh wow, I can't believe how simple this turned out to be.

The "fridge thermostat thing" was indeed a thermal circuit breaker. I pulled it out and was looking at it when I noticed it had a big button on top of it. Press the button, breaker resets and goes close circuit. Reinstalled, and I have a heater! A test process is running now.

Jobo's manual only mentions this in vague passing, so I've attached a photo of where you can find it. It's directly under the control head, so you'll need to pull that off to access it. However, you don't need to remove anything else - you can just press the button on top. Make sure you unplug from the mains before doing anything (obviously.)

Please excuse camera phone quality. .

PS This link is now the first hit for "JOBO ATL-1000 manual" on google, instead of Jobo's actual user manual. How amusing!

MikeSeb · Aug 27, 2009

Now I remember. This thing can be tripped by running the unit dry, or other iniquities. I remember having to reset it on my ATL-1000; I haven't had to do it yet on my 1500.

ic-racer · Aug 27, 2009

Good to see it working again.

sv@diycamerakit.com · May 19, 2010

Thank you for posting this. I just got an ATL1000 of ebay and it had this issue. You saved me quite a bit of headache.

angusgr said:
Oh wow, I can't believe how simple this turned out to be.

The "fridge thermostat thing" was indeed a thermal circuit breaker. I pulled it out and was looking at it when I noticed it had a big button on top of it. Press the button, breaker resets and goes close circuit. Reinstalled, and I have a heater! A test process is running now.

fschifano · May 21, 2010

MikeSeb said:
Now I remember. This thing can be tripped by running the unit dry, or other iniquities. I remember having to reset it on my ATL-1000; I haven't had to do it yet on my 1500.

Well it's good that it will shut itself off before frying itself.

Adrijan · Jun 16, 2010

I am using a Jobo ATL 1500. Running the machine dry by accident will invoke the thermal circuit breaker in order to avoid overheating or burning.
For a reset you have to remove the top cover around the on/off switch. You can look inside the machine then. Straight down you can see an electronics board. When the machine is running, a red LED will indicate that the heating is on. For a reset you must trigger the reset button with a thin pencil. The reset button is placed on the electronics board.
Another reason for nil heating can be a malfunction of a little trigger which gets lifted by the waterplane inside the tank. You can find the trigger by grabbing inside the tank. Next to the six bottles containing the chemicals there is a rectangular hole inside the front wall next to the bottom of the tank. Grab inside this hole. The floating trigger is on the right side (the side where the on/off button sits). Move the floating trigger and check the red LED.
For a repair you can ask the competent and friendly Mr. Seynsche:
Fotolaborservice K.-D. Seynsche
Feldstrasse 41
51702 Bergneustadt
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)2261 41114
Fax: +49 (0)2261 920158
Mobil: 0170/4652734
Email: kds@fotolaborservice.de
Web: www.fotolaborservice.de

Anastigmatic · Sep 27, 2010

Adrijan said:
I am using a Jobo ATL 1500. Running the machine dry by accident will invoke the thermal circuit breaker in order to avoid overheating or burning.
For a reset you have to remove the top cover around the on/off switch. You can look inside the machine then. Straight down you can see an electronics board. When the machine is running, a red LED will indicate that the heating is on. For a reset you must trigger the reset button with a thin pencil. The reset button is placed on the electronics board.
Another reason for nil heating can be a malfunction of a little trigger which gets lifted by the waterplane inside the tank. You can find the trigger by grabbing inside the tank. Next to the six bottles containing the chemicals there is a rectangular hole inside the front wall next to the bottom of the tank. Grab inside this hole. The floating trigger is on the right side (the side where the on/off button sits). Move the floating trigger and check the red LED.
For a repair you can ask the competent and friendly Mr. Seynsche:
Fotolaborservice K.-D. Seynsche
Feldstrasse 41
51702 Bergneustadt
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)2261 41114
Fax: +49 (0)2261 920158
Mobil: 0170/4652734
Email: kds@fotolaborservice.de
Web: www.fotolaborservice.de

Hmm, Adrijan (anybody?) where exactly on that circuit board is the reset button? I cant see it at all! I have the ATL-1500, I can see the red LED but no reset button!

Sirius Glass · Sep 27, 2010

I sold a Jobo processor that turned out to be a spare. The previous owner said that the motor and heater were working. When my buyer received it, the motor worked but the heater did not. I had him contact Dave Smith in Los Angeles who walked the buyer through the repair on the telephone. The reset switch had shifted during shipping. By moving it back in place and pushing the connectors on better, it was fully functional again.

These type of problems are either not written up in the instructions or just glossed over.

Steve

Anastigmatic · Sep 27, 2010

Once I decided to give up, go watch some TV with a glass of wine and stop looking for the reset button on circuit board it suddenly appeared to me!

Its not on the green circuit board at all! it was in the place like the picture angusgr described, which I too first saw but discounted it early on because the button doesnt push (at all) and I couldnt associate the picture with what I was looking at, I wasnt sure what location the picture was showing (the underneath of unit or from top?) ! I tried to push the button as suggested but its just a solid bit of plastic that no amount of pushing moves it! so I moved on to looking on circut board :confused:

So, as these things happen, once I sat down and decided not to bother with it the solution came to me and I noticed how the pic resembled the veiw from looking down into the machine, from under the control panel (head?) on the top, disgusted with my solid lump of plastic where everyone else got a button to push (how fair is that!) I pulled my lump of plastic UP and that was the reset switch problem solved and the wine tasted even better

David Nardi · Oct 17, 2010

Love Apug, love the internet

My heater in my Jobo ATL 1000 crapped out today between process runs. I had just started to develop my 86 rolls of 35 and 120 from my European 2010 summer trip. Before freaking out and picking up the processor in a fit of rage I decided to see if my good analog friends online had any solutions.

So it is that I found this thread here and pushed in my little black button as per "angusgr's" post. The button made a warm mechanical click that leads me to believe that my world of analog is safe again once more.

I will promptly run a test right now and see. I'll keep you posted.

This scary little moment also made me realize how worthwhile it is to maintain a subscription with Apug to ensure that this generous film community stays around to help us all learn, educate, troubleshoot and share each others experiences with this wonderful medium.

I'm gonna sign up right now! (even if my processor fails to work).

angusgr said:
Oh wow, I can't believe how simple this turned out to be.

The "fridge thermostat thing" was indeed a thermal circuit breaker. I pulled it out and was looking at it when I noticed it had a big button on top of it. Press the button, breaker resets and goes close circuit. Reinstalled, and I have a heater! A test process is running now.

David Nardi · Oct 17, 2010

It works! I simply removed the 3 screws that keeps the control panel in place, moved it aside and located the reset button in the unit.

buzzski · Jun 4, 2014

Many thanks to all the above!

My ATL 1000 stopped heating and I found this thread - the reset did the trick so many thanks to all who contributed to this thread! FWIW I had put just a bit too little water in to the machine and that tripped the switch - idiot!

buzzski · Jun 4, 2014

Aaarrgghh!

Then half way through the bleach cycle the machine switched itself off - never done that before. Came back on a bit later though - am running a test run just now. Very strange...

colohoc · Oct 4, 2017

i have ALT-1500 and same troubles but i can't find out the reset button. please help!

Urs Gantner · Apr 16, 2021

I have acquired an ATL 1000....same problem..... and this does the trick! This forum is definitely incredible for problem solutions! Thnx to all active members

Jobo ATL-1000 won't heat

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