Most of us assume that the electrical outlets deliver enough power. LiveO2 air separators draw about 8 Amps which are compatible with both 15 Amp and 20 Amp circuits.
If the electrical system that delivers power to your air separator has low power for any reason it will prevent the air separator from working correctly — even though there is nothing wrong with it. Air separators require 120 volts AC.
Common Problems
- Circuit Overloading — too many devices drawing too much power on a building, circuit or branch
- Defective wiring — A wire may have been damaged between your device and the circuit board
- Defective breaker
- Low voltage on the regional power grid
Low Voltage Symptoms:
- System starts normally — Reservoir may fill slowly
- After running for 5 – 45 minutes the system smells hot and feels hot in back or around the low-oxygen hose
- Yellow light may come on after running awhile.
- The air separator will probably shut-off automatically. This is a thermal self-protection device designed to prevent damage when the unit overheats internally
- There will usually be a hot smell
If this happens — please contact support.
Our support staff will ask you to:
- How we diagnose Low Power:
- Plug in your air-separator into a different power source in a different building. This will test the operation of your air separator with a completely different power supply. Plugging in your air separator to an outlet in the same building often fails to diagnose the issue because electrical system issues often may affect an entire building.
- If the problem resolves that means the power in the original building is compromised. Replacing your air separator will not fix the issue. You will need to contact an electrician to repair the electrical system.
- If the problem does not resolve, then we will have you return your air separator to us for diagnosis with our normal support process.
- If this is not possible, we may send you a low-power shut off. This unit plugs into the outlet. When the power drops too low, it turns off the power to the air separator. This protects your air separator from damage due to low power. It will not fix the low power problem. You will need to contact an electrician.
- If the problem does not resolve, then we will have you return your air separator to us for diagnosis with our normal support process.
Low Voltage/Brownout Protection Devices
These protect the devices from damage by shutting off power completely when the voltage falls too low. They do not repair the power. You will need to measure the power supply voltage to the device under load to diagnose and repair.
- Alternate Brownout Protector option 1
- Brownout Protector on Amazon option 2
- Brownout Protector Option 3
Suspect Regions
- Chicago seems to have low voltage more often than other locations.
- The Philippines use 220 volts at 60 Hz. Other countries that use a 220 volt power use 50 Hz. Using a 2:1 step down transformer reduces the voltage to 110 volts — which is borderline below the low limit of voltage.
Intelligent — voltage regulated transformers for the Philippines:
- Candidate 1 — Voltage Regulated Transformer — US Suppler
- Candidate 2 — Voltage Regulated Transformer — Philippine Supplier
These devices are NOT suitable for use with 50 Hz power grids, like in Europe or Asia.