This chapter covers the warranty and service for one HXB-V1 system. If you bought a bare stack or electrodes the terms differ, so please ask us.
Support comes in two tracks: a defect warranty for faults present at delivery, and a stack service programme that restores performance lost through operation. Degradation is not a defect, so the two have to be read apart.
- Applies toThe HXB-V1 system
- Term12 months from shipment
- MethodReturn to base
- Response24 to 48 hours
How to read this chapter
First timeThe scope section and the exclusions section together give you the picture. The rest is for when something actually goes wrong.
Done this beforeRead the disassembly rule and the stack service section. Those are the two that matter when you plan service work.
On this pageWhat is covered
What is covered
- Term
- 12 months from the date of shipment, or from acceptance where an acceptance procedure applies.
- Applies to
- The HXB-V1 system. The stack inside it is covered as part of the system.
- What is warranted
- That the product conforms to its specification and is fit for its normal purpose. What is covered is defects in materials and workmanship at delivery.
- Remedy
- A defect attributable to us is repaired at no charge, or replaced with an equivalent or better product or part where repair is impractical. A replacement may be new or refurbished and carries the remainder of the original term.
- How it is repaired
- Return to base, that is at our premises.
- Freight
- You pay to send it, we pay to return it.
- Test before shipment
- Every unit gets a factory acceptance test before shipment, and the results go out with the delivery documents. That record is the baseline for any later warranty decision.
Keeping the warranty valid
All four have to hold. Time left on the term does not help if one of these is broken.
- The system is installed, operated and maintained according to this handbook and our instructions.
- Water and electrolyte quality meet the specification.
- Protection and safety functions remain in place and working. Research conditions agreed in writing are the exception.
- You provide the records and data needed for diagnosis when we ask.
What is excluded
- Operation outside the recommended specification: electrical, thermal, pressure, electrolyte concentration, and flow and cooling conditions.
- Out-of-spec or contaminated water or electrolyte, corrosion, scaling, particle ingress, improper draining or storage, freezing, and exposure to chemicals we have not specified.
- Unauthorised modification, tampering, bypassing a protection function, and use of non-approved parts or consumables.
- External causes: power supply faults and surges, site utility failures, improper installation, accident, misuse, and transport damage after delivery.
- Normal wear and consumption of consumables such as the MEA, gaskets and O-rings. Where a defect in materials or workmanship at delivery is demonstrated, it is covered.
- Improper vent and relief routing, a blocked or closed vent line, and downstream backpressure contrary to this handbook.
- Damage from careless handling, and acts of nature.
The rule on disassembly
The stack is not bolted together but held by compression. That is where the line falls between a normal procedure and disassembly.
| What you do | Warranty |
|---|---|
| Remove the stack and return it | A normal procedure. Follow our instructions, and get the return confirmed first. |
| Loosen the compression bolts and open the stack | Performance and leakage after opening are not warranted. A defect identified before opening stays covered. |
| Open the enclosure and alter wiring, control or firmware | A modification. Not covered. |
Stack service
Stack performance and life are set together by the operating environment, water and electrolyte condition, operating patterns and normal ageing. Many stack problems are therefore not manufacturing defects at delivery, and this programme exists for those.
When to use it
- Cell voltage behaviour stays abnormal.
- Symptoms consistent with crossover appear.
- Internal leakage is suspected.
- Performance has dropped and the operating conditions do not explain it.
- Principle
- Paid. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, stack service is provided on a paid basis.
- What is charged
- The MEA replacement cost and consumables agreed in advance. Ask us and we will tell you the amount.
- Additional work
- Where non-consumable parts or special rework are needed we quote first and proceed only on your approval.
- How it is done
- Only the MEA is replaced; end plates, bipolar plates, cell frames and fasteners are reused. Functional checks follow.
- After replacement
- For six months after a paid replacement we warrant the workmanship and the replaced parts. Normal degradation is not included.
- Freight
- Handled as specified in the contract or quotation, as are duties, taxes and logistics costs.
How the decision is made
Whether a case goes to the defect warranty or to paid service is decided on evidence. Four things go into it.
- The factory acceptance data and delivery records, which form the baseline.
- Your operating records: current and voltage, temperature, maintenance history, and how water and electrolyte were handled.
- Photographs or video of the condition and the installation context.
- Inspection results from returned items, where there are any.
| What the evidence shows | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| A defect attributable to us at delivery | Repair or replacement at no charge under the defect warranty |
| Degradation, environment or use conditions | Stack service or another paid option |
| The evidence is insufficient to establish responsibility | Stack service or another paid option |
| You or a third party opened the stack | Stack-related issues fall outside the defect warranty; we support them on a paid basis where feasible |
When something goes wrong
- Contact us
- Send the symptom and the operating records. You get a detailed reply within 24 to 48 hours.
- Remote diagnosis
- Because the system runs from a PC we look at the same data with you and work out the cause. Many cases end here.
- Return instructions
- If it does not resolve, we send return and packing instructions. The stack is designed to be opened and reassembled, and this is routine work for us.
- Diagnosis and repair
- On arrival we report the diagnosis and the schedule before proceeding. Repair time depends on the fault, so we do not promise it in advance.
What comes with it
- Training on installation, start-up and service, either at your first installation or here in Korea.
- Remote support: we look at the desktop app together and go through the operating data.
- Long-run raw data, shared on request.
- Stacks are serviced by the engineers who designed and built them.
- We visit site where it is needed. Schedule and cost are agreed case by case.
What this chapter is based on
- HXB-V1 datasheetPDF · 2.1 MB
- HXB-V1 outline drawingPDF · 1.9 MB
- HXB-V1 user manualOn request
Ask the engineer who built it
If your case is not covered here, send us the operating condition and what you observed. The engineer who designed the system answers directly.