Help Desk

Troubleshooting

How do I clean my beerlines?

Please refer to the instructions issued at the time of your installation or you may find them on the front panel of your Phoenix system.

How often should I clean my beerlines?

Beerlines should be cleaned at least once every seven days. To effectively manage a beer savings regime however, you may find that a shorter interval of four or five days is manageable. Leaving beerlines longer than seven days between cleans is poor practice and will result in a decreased standard of beerline hygiene, causing fobbing and bacterial growth. Both will result in poor taste and clarity of product which in turn means a decrease in repeat business, an increase in returned beer and ultimately a loss in profits.

How do I reduce the amount of beer waste (Ullage) using a Phoenix system?

Please read items 1 to 4 of the BeerSave and Starting Instruction on the Operating Instructions.

What type of detergent should I be using?

The Phoenix systems are electronically calibrated to use the detergent on site at the time of installation. If the detergent has been changed or you suspect the detergent strength is incorrect, you must contact PhoenixABC immediately and request a calibration check.

PhoenixABC systems will operate using any of the following detergents: Courage Beerline Cleaner/BassChaser/Pentasol Pipeline/Protonate/Salvol/Bioclean/Sterat

[Suppliers Note: If your detergent is not listed and you would like to submit a product for a compatibility check, then please contact PhoenixABC Ltd].

How many beerlines can I clean at one go?

The Phoenix systems are capable of cleaning up to 40 beerlines at any one time. To clean this amount, and more, you will need to use the additional component required, otherwise your system will clean anything from one single beerline up to approximately 12 beerlines depending on the configuration and layout of your active beer dispense system.

My machine is not using detergent...What's wrong?

It is possibly one of the following reasons...

The detergent has run out.
The detergent pick-up pipe (inside the detergent container) is set too high or has not been inserted correctly.
There is mechanical failure to the detergent pump - contact PhoenixABC
The "Clean" button has not been pressed - (the machine water rinses only).

My machine takes too long to complete a clean cycle

The water in your area is hard and has caused a lime scale build-up inside your machine. Usually it is an easy process for our engineers to rectify by the use of a simple de-scaling visit. Some customers in very hard water areas have either had their machine's water supply re-routed to a water softening device by a registered plumber or have had a water softener installed specifically for the Phoenix unit.
The water supply has been turned down quite severely.
The restrictor plate or sparkler/nozzle has been left in place during the clean process.
Gas has been left switched on during a clean cycle.
The float in one or more of your Cellarbuoys has dropped and locked - causing the flow of water to stop.
Incorrect coupler-to-bar tap set up has taken place and will need to be checked again.
There is a problem with one or more of your check valves. (See problems with check valves)

There is no pressure in the waste hoses in the bar.

The bar tap has not been opened.
If a restrictor/creamer plate is fitted, it may have been left in place and will need to be removed.
The product's coupler handle (in the cellar) has not engaged properly.
Incorrect coupler-to-bar tap setup has taken place and will need to be checked again.
The float in one or more of your Cellarbuoys has dropped and locked - causing the flow of water to stop.
The water in your area is hard and has caused a lime scale build-up inside your machine. Usually it is an easy process for our engineers to rectify by the use of a simple de-scaling visit. Some customers in very hard water areas have either had their machine's water supply re-routed to a water softening device by a registered plumber or have had a water softener installed specifically for the Phoenix unit.

There are water or beer leaks in the bar area.

The leaks may be coming from one or more of your bar waste sockets. Clean the sockets inside and out, removing any debris, this is usually sufficient to stop slight leaks.
There may be a missing non-return valve in one or more of your bar waste sockets. Contact Phoenix to have a replacement sent to you.
A section of bar waste pipe work may have been disturbed by a third party. If any other bar work has been done recently, this may be the problem and the bar waste pipe work will need inspecting. Contact Phoenix to arrange an inspection visit.
There may be a problem with one or more of your check valves (cask dispense).
If the leaks are dominantly beer, then the problem may well be on the beer dispense equipment. This will need inspecting. Contact your designated cellar service department to arrange an inspection.

There are water or beer leaks in the cellar area

The leaks may be coming from one or more of your cellar cleaning sockets. Clean the sockets inside and out, removing any debris, this is usually sufficient to stop slight leaks. If the leaks persist, contact your designated cellar service department.
There may be a missing non-return valve in one or more of your Phoenix system connections. Contact Phoenix to have a replacement sent to you.
A section of cellar pipe work may have been disturbed by a third party. If any other cellar work has been done recently, this may be the problem and the cellar pipe work will need inspecting. Contact Phoenix to arrange an inspection visit.
If the leaks are dominantly beer, then the problem may well be on the beer dispense equipment. This will need inspecting. Contact your designated cellar service department to arrange an inspection.

My check valve(s) is/are faulty

If "no flow" occurs when a check valve is activated then please check that the correct check valve in relation to the product being selected to clean is being operated.

If "no flow" occurs when a check valve is activated then please check that the Phoenix system is switched on and in any one of it's "movement" modes. (see glossary for an explanation of the term "movement").

If "no flow" occurs when attempting to dispense beer then please check that a) any pump assist units are switched on and b) the product can flow easily from it's source container.

If there is a leak from the check valve (especially when activated) then the check valve will have to be renewed. Contact Phoenix for advice on this.

Water/detergent appears to be traveling backwards up the waste hose?

The bar waste is ultimately connected to the building's waste system allowing "air breaks" in the hardware of the bar waste installation. Sometimes small pockets of air can enter into the waste system. Air being lighter than liquid will naturally rise over any sections of liquid. When this happens inside the small confines of bar waste pipes, it gives the illusion that liquid is traveling the wrong way. This is nothing to be concerned about.

There is no power to my Phoenix machine

Has the Phoenix unit been unplugged?
Is there power to the 240v wall socket? You can check this by plugging in a device that you know works such as a mobile phone charger.
There may have been a problem on the previous clean causing the Phoenix unit's failsafe mechanism to activate. Contact Phoenix for a service visit.

Can I replace waste socket washers myself?

Yes. Provided you adhere to the correct procedure, this task is very straight forward.Click here for an explanation of the correct procedure.

My FoB chambers (Cellarbuoys) are cloudy...What should I do?

Check that the external surface of the Cellarbuoys is not dirty. (It has been known!)
Check the "cloudiness" of the Cellarbuoy by filling the chamber with fresh cold water. This will identify if the product was cloudy rather than the chamber itself.
If the chamber is found to be cloudy then perform a Phoenix clean on that product only. If the "cloudiness" remains after the clean then refer to "My machine is not using detergent"

I've had a new product fitted... Does this effect the Phoenix machine?

There are a few reasons why having a new product fitted may effect your Phoenix installation.

You no longer have enough bar waste sockets available for use when cleaning or your new bar tap is positioned too far away from existing bar waste sockets.
You do not have the correct fitting on your Beer Purge Unit to perform ullage reduction.
Bar waste hardware installed by Phoenix has been altered or damaged by a third party. Contact Phoenix for further advice.

I've had a product removed...Does this effect the Phoenix machine?

Usually this has no detrimental effect on the Phoenix installation, however, if any of the Phoenix hardware has been altered or damaged whilst other equipment was being removed then this may require a visit to rectify. Contact Phoenix for further advice.