hopper code 23

[wendy's wash]

Have a Hamilton RNS and it is 5 years old. In the last 6 days there has been 4 days that the controller has a code 23 flashing. This says hopper jammed. Removed coins the first couple of times and there were no coins jammed. The next time I reset controller and inserted money. Worked just fine. The next time I removed hopper and installed my spare one. Have had no problems so far. It must be with the hopper . Any suggestions on the cause. I was leaning to the motor but wanted to get feedback first before changing motor. Could there be another cause. Thanks

 

[Randy]

There are a couple of things to look at before you replace the motor. Look at the motor mounting plate that the pin wheel turns on. At about the 10 - 12 position on the wheel look for any dirt or crud build up, any build up will cause the coins to fall off the pin wheel as they ride up to the payout switch. I see this on Hoppers from Laundromats that use a lot of Fabric softener. If the motor mounting plate and pin wheel are clean take a look at the payout switch. If the controller doesn’t see or count the coins as they are dispensed the controller will shut down the Hopper with a Hopper Jammed error code. I’d check the area that the switch is mounted to for dirt/debris, if it’s clean then I’d replace the payout switch. Be forewarned the switch arm is NOT bent correctly from the factory so you’ll have to bend the switch arm slightly down to get it adjusted correctly. While you’re inside the Hopper look at the Hopper bowl assembly, if it’s got a deep groove worn into the bottom of the Hopper it would be a good time to replace it. This will cause jamming issues. When the motor is stopped by a jam up of coins it is very hard on the motor and will cause damage to the motor, the motor is designed to be stopped at the back of the motor with the brake assembly.