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Steam generator power light - green (C) Daniel FriedmanSteam Generator Lost Electrical Power
Diagnose power loss at a residential steam generator

Step by step diagnostics if your Mr. Steam or other steam generator won't turn on.

This article series describes in detail how to install, maintain, or troubleshoot residential steam bath generators.

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How to Restore Lost Electrical Power to Mr. Steam Generator

Control board in Mr. Steam generator installed in San Miguel de Allende (C) Daniel FriedmanThanks to several readers who asked about and discussed how to troubleshoot loss of electrical power at a residential steambath generator. Here we describe the basic troubleshooting procedure if your Mr. Steam or similar steambath generator simply won't turn-on.

Question: how do I get Mr. steam back on?

2021/04/30 Lisa said:

How do I get Mr steam back on if unplugged?

Moderator reply: Steps to get power back on at a Mr. Steam steam generator

@Lisa,

Thank you for a helpful Mr. Steam generator troubleshooting question about power.

How to get power back on at a Mr. Steam steam generator:

I’ve turned power on and off and un-plugged and re-plugged a steam generator enough times that I figure the unit ought to go on when it is connected and electrical power is “on”. So here are some basic troubleshooting steps:

  1. Check power at the electrical panel: First, you should check that the main circuit breaker for your Mr. Steam generator is ON in your electrical panel.

    To be sure the breaker has not tripped, switch the breaker fully to OFF, wait a bit, then switch it fully back to ON.

  2. Check for power at your steam generator.

    If power is being delivered from the electrical panel to the Mr. Steam unit you will see the first or left-most green LED lit bright green.

    If that light is not green [see my photo just above] the either there is

    - a problem with the circuit or circuit breaker bringing power to the steam generator

    - a problem with the connection of the power circuit to the steam generator’s power-input terminals

    - a failure of the steam generator control board

    To troubleshoot this one has to remove the cover of the steam unit and using a DMM or VOM test for voltage at the supply wires and their connectors

    Watch out: if you are not trained in safe electrical work, don’t try this as you could be shocked or killed! Instead of being killed it’s better to get help from a licensed electrician or a steam generator installer who knows how to do these tests

    and DMMs VOMs SAFE USE OF may also be helpful to readers who already have electrical test equipment and intend to use it.

  3. Possible Mr. Steam Control Board Failure: NO green light

    If we confirm that power is delivered to the steam generator terminals but the green LED POWER ON light does not ignite, then the control board is probably damaged and needs replacement.
  4. Possible control cable failure: green light ON, Wall Control OFF

    If the green LED is ON then we have power to the unit.

    In that case the wall-mounted steam generator control panel should also be live and show data.

    If the wall control remains dark or off or “dead” then the problem could be on the control board but more-often it’s a bad connector at the control board, damaged control wiring, or a bad connector at the wall control.

Watch out: if your investigation shows that the problem was a tripped circuit breaker, and if the breaker trips off again, leave the unit OFF and get help from an electrician, as the system is telling you that something is damaged and the unit is not safe to operate.

Try these troubleshooting steps, also post a photo of your steam generator and its control lights and I may be able to comment further.

Let me know how this works for you and we’ll take it from there.

More steam generator diagnostics, including the Mr. Steam electrical checks shown just below, are given in your Mr. Steam generator manual or in the company’s separate troubleshooting guide.

If you don’t have those documents you will find links to them as free PDF downloads along with company contact information in this article series.

Mr. Steam Basic Electrical Troubleshooting Steps & Power Tests

[Click to enlarge any image]

Mr. Steam electrical checks cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

If you don't have the

Also see

 


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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2021-01-18 by (mod) - If the iSteam (touch screen control) START button is not turning the steam unit on

Mr steam bath generator power on test at Inspectapedia.comMr. Steam offers a large collection of troubleshooting guides at https://www.mrsteam.com/virtual-tech/ where we find this advice that confirms my suggestion to check further for a problem with the controller cable:

When NO lights come on advice in this Mr. Steam troubleshooting illustration is offered

[Click to enlarge any image]

Product: Residential Generators

Problem: iSteam® START Button Not Turning ON

If the iSteam (touch screen control) START button is not turning the steam unit on, an incorrect control cable may be the problem.

1. Go to settings and click “DISPLAY”

2. Bring your brightness down to 10 percent and press SAVE.

3. Go back to the home screen and press the START button. If the steam unit has turned on this could indicate an issue with the control cable. A simple fix to this solution is to install the retrofit cables. (PN 104128).

4. Turn the power OFF to the steam unit at the main breaker.

5. Unplug the control cable at the steam generator side and attach one of the adaptor pieces to the cable.

6. Plug the cable with the adaptor back into the unit.

7. Remove the control from the wall.

8. Unplug the cable from the control and attach the other adaptor piece to the end of the cable.

9. Plug cable with adaptor into the control.

10. Turn power back on at main breaker.

11. Test your control to ensure it turns on at the START button.

12. Reinstall your control on the wall. Make sure to use silicone when installing controller.

If you don't already have it, here is the iSteam3 CONTROLLER INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF] https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/iSteam3-Controller-Installation-Manual.pdf
but you may note that there are no troubleshooting or diagnostic guides in that document.

Check the control cable between the Mr. Steam generator and the steam control panel

@Arnie001

the next step for you is to check the control cable between the Mr. Steam unit and the control panel mounted in the steam room.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Below the iSteam3 controller


Or contact the company at

hello@mrsteam.com 43-20 34th Street, Long island City NY 11101 800 767 8326 fax: 718 472 3256

www.mrsteam.com 9410 S. La Cienega Blvd., Inglewood CA 90301 800 727 8326 fax: 310 216 2944

On 2021-01-18 by Arnie001

Thank you for the quick response. I have checked both ends a few times.

When you unplug the iSteam3 the board seems to restart. Lights go off and come back on about 30 sec later.

On 2021-01-18 - by (mod) -

@Arnie001

It's possible that the connector at the control panel or the other end of the cable at the circuit board is not properly connected so that's probably the first thing to check.

On 2021-01-18 by Arnie001

Hello I have a Mr Steam iSteam3 that does not display anything (completely blank). I test the unit with the test button and everything seems to work fine. What could I try?

On 2019-11-19 - by (mod) - green water-indicator light won't come on until ...

Robert

The green light won't come on until the steam generator thinks that it's full of water and the water is either hot or ready to be heated;

The lights normally come on in this order (they will not come on all at the same moment)

this may vary by model)

Green LED = power is on

Yellow LED = water level is ok

Red LED = contactor relay is on (heating)

There is not an internal circuit breaker but there are internal relays and switches.

If the unit has power, check that it's got water. Try opening the flush valve.

On 2019-11-19 by robertwgrossjr

My unit has power but the green indicator light do not light up or will the unit turn on

Does the unit it have it’s own internal circuit beaker ?
Thanks

Mr Steam 104232RD-PC control replacement cited & discussed at InspectApedia.comOn 2019-11-01 by (mod) - Inspect & test the steam generator control switch before replacing it

Hi Terry

In my experience the probability of a control failure would be in this order

1. an electrical wire connection at the switch or at the steam unit control circuit board

2. a failure in the control itself, perhaps from leaks or corrosion

3. damaged control wire between switch and steam generator

It's almost certain that Mr. Steam can sell you a new control switch; you might need to run new wiring too or change connectors on the old wiring. But before going to that expense you could try

1. Check the control wire connections at the control board in the steam generator

2. Carefully, with POWER OFF to the system, remove the switch and disassembling it to see if there is obvious damage to the switch or its connectors.

A replacement control switch such as the Mr Steam 104232RD-PC shown here retails for about $90. U.S. but before ordering a switch check with the manufacturer to be sure it is compatible with your steam generator model.

On 2019-11-01 by terry

i have a Mr. Steam unit it is approximately 14 years old. it has a bubble pressure switch in side the shower that turns on and off the steam unit ,

recently it would the steam on turn but when pressed to turn off it would not work and i had to go the beaker box and kill the breaker to turn off the steam unit , after a few weeks when the bubble switch is pressed it wont turn on and the breaker is ok
what could be malfunctioning ? the switch ?


...

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