Sleep number bed issue, "Er" appears on the remotes!

[FIRE UP]

Gang,
Well, our coach is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 330HP and, based on the sales date, it's over 16 years old and, at present, has over 95,000 miles on it. To the best of our knowledge, (we're the 4th owners) and have owned and operated it for over 9 years) it has the Sleep number bed that it was issued with, 16 years ago. The bed, and all it's controls, have been working flawlessly for all those miles and years.

As many of you that own those style beds, the inside pressure of those beds rise and fall, with the altitude you ascend or descend. Of instance, we live in Lake Havasu AZ and, that altitude (at least for us) is around 450'. But, if we run up to Williams for a few days, that town/campground is around 5,000 + feet of altitude.

That means, if the bed was set for nice comfortable sleeping at home, at say, around 50 on the remotes, when we park in the campground in Williams, you could bounce a quarter off if it and hit the ceiling! Yep, there would be considerably higher pressure due to altitude accumulation. So, when that happens, we simply use the remotes to command the control unit, to lower pressure 'till we're happy with the feeling of the bed.

And, vice versa in that, if we go from a high altitude, to a lower one, the bed's gonna look like a flat tire.

Well, we found that situation in our last trip. The bed was waaaaaay low in pressure, based on our altitude and last settings. Well, out came the remotes. What's this? An *Er* appeared on the screens of both remotes. Hmmm, never seen that before. It was 11:15 at night when we noticed this situation, CRAP!!!!!!!!!

The wife broke out her phone, got onto the net and looked up the trouble shooting of Sleep number beds. And, sure enough, there's a remedy for the *Er* code. All you have to do is, un plug the control unit and, then re plug it back in. What you're SUPPOSED to hear, from the control unit/compressor, is a series of *clicks* when the unit is plugged back in. Now, if you DO HEAR the clicks from inside the compressor, you can now use the remotes to reprogram them to the point you're now back to normal.

Nope, no clicks. I un plugged it and re plugged it back in, several times, and each time, waiting a different amount. Still no clicks. Hmmmmm. The bed is almost flat, it's now about quarter to midnight and, we've got a bed issue, CRAP!!!!!!!!!! What to do????

So, me being a form of a MacGyver, out came my portable COMPRESSOR that's used for tire filling and misc things. I plugged in the compressor in the bedroom, unzipped the cover to the mattress's and, found the hose inlets. I connected my little 10' air hose to my compressor, inserted a rubber tipped blow gun into the end of the hose and, disconnected the hose from the bed and, inserted the rubber tip of the blow gun into the end of the mattress for her side.

ZAP, that mattress filled right up to the level she was comfortable with, DONE! I did the same for my side. Crisis averted, it's midnight!

But, upon returning home, I cut the hoses at the control unit and plugged the ends that led to the mattress's. I then put the compressor/control unit on my work bench. I took the cover off to reveal a printed circuit board and the little encased compressor. Well, I could not see any damage or burnt little electro gizmos on that p/c board. And, there appears to be zero fuses. I did figure out how to hot wire the compressor.

But, that does me no good. I've got no way of controlling the direction of the air being pumped. Nor can I control the depletion of air if needed, to lower the mattress pressure. I've called Sleep number and, not much they can do but, sell me a new pump, at a cost of $477.

Well, that ain't gonna happen. Especially because, there's *REM* replacement pumps, with remotes, BRAND NEW for $229 on Amazon that are supposedly, compatible with both Sleep number and Select Comfort which, is my brand of dead controller/compressor.

So, the point of this thread is, if you find yourself in similar circumstances of a flat or low pressure Sleep number bed, and, it's in circumstances where you can't resolve the issue by un-plugging the compressor and re-plugging it in, and you can't run down to the local Sleep number store, AND, YOU HAVE A SOURCE of air in or on your coach, AND, you have an air hose that can reach your bed mattress's, AND, you have a blow gun with a rubber tip, you CAN FILL THEM as needed, 'till you can remedy the situation permanently. Of courses this type of situation lends itself to some COMMON SENSE. That is, based on either your coaches built in compressor, (i.e. a diesel with air brakes) or, a portable compressor like mine, you can't just insert the tip of an air hose (rubber tipped blow gun) and walk away for a half hour!

Yes, most of the compressors we carry are anywhere from 1 to 3 gallon portables. Well, even if you insert the blow gun into the mattress with a full, three gallon tank on the compressor at 120 psi, you're not gonna fill a 15 gallon mattress to 120 psi. . But, never the less, pay attention to what you're doing if caught in this situation. Just some info.
Scott

[twinboat]

Did you try the pump on another, tested good, outlet ?

[Tha_Rooster]

Go on amazon and replace mattress you will sleep a lot better and will be done with it.

[Bigd9]

If you bed is like the one in my coach, Restonic Air Mattress, mine had a similar type of problems. First time the compressor died. I fixed that by re-soldering all of the points on that circuit board.

Second problem was when I could hear the pump run but no air was being pumped to either side of the bed. When I took it apart again, I found the main air tube from the compressor to the manifold was broken at the port (blue arrow). However, being the MacGyver type I also noticed the manifold had a spare air tube port (red arrow) that was capped off. I drilled that port out, attached a new and longer tube, and sealed off the broken port. That was 4 years ago, and to date all is good.

[Kurtsara]

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster

Go on amazon and replace mattress you will sleep a lot better and will be done with it.

So you don’t like sleep number bed so nobody should like the sleep number bed, correct?

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Did you try the pump on another, tested good, outlet ?

Hey TB,
Well, that was the very first thing I did, that first night while camping. At 11:15 at night, broke out my trusty VOM and checked the outlet voltage, and the power wire to the unit for continuity in both legs. All that was good. I then plugged in the power wire to the outlet and back pinned the connection at the pump, got juice there. Sooooo, all is good with juice to the pump and into the pump.

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster

Go on amazon and replace mattress you will sleep a lot better and will be done with it.

Well Sir,
I thought about that but, when the bed is working correctly, which is about 99.9999% of the time, we do get a good nights sleep. The air part of the system is good. It's just the compressor or, the controls for the compressor that's gone south. A new pump is to arrive tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.

Originally Posted by Bigd9

If you bed is like the one in my coach, Restonic Air Mattress, mine had a similar type of problems. First time the compressor died. I fixed that by re-soldering all of the points on that circuit board.

Second problem was when I could hear the pump run but no air was being pumped to either side of the bed. When I took it apart again, I found the main air tube from the compressor to the manifold was broken at the port (blue arrow). However, being the MacGyver type I also noticed the manifold had a spare air tube port (red arrow) that was capped off. I drilled that port out, attached a new and longer tube, and sealed off the broken port. That was 4 years ago, and to date all is good.

Hey Bigd,
I appreciate the effort to help here. YOU re-soldered ALL those points on that circuit board? Wow, what a guy. I think there's at least three hundred solder joints on mine. And some are so small, it would take a serious sized magnifying glass to assist me in even trying to get at some of those ultra tiny solder joints. Not to mention, it would take a micro sized soldering iron to play with those ultra tiny solderings. So, I just ordered up a new pump and it's gonna be here tomorrow. And by the way, no Sir, mine's not like yours at all.

It's a Select Comfort control/compressor. I tried to analyze that circuit board but, with about 10 zillion micro solder joints. Ain't gonna happen, new pump!
Scott

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by Kurtsara

So you don’t like sleep number bed so nobody should like the sleep number bed, correct?

Correct, just the one that comes in at least my Revolution it nothing more than a self inflating air bag mattress and no better than the one in a fold out couch. Just giving my 2 cents not to waste money repairing. This is full the most part a opinion forum anyway.

[MRUSA14]

Just an aside, when you are going from 400 feet altitude to 5000 feer you need to reduce the air pressure before you make the drive. Otherwise you can pop the mattress like an over-inflated ballon. Many people have had this happen. We always reduce the pressure before any drive with over 1000 feet of vertical climb.

[pointrow]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

Just an aside, when you are going from 400 feet altitude to 5000 feer you need to reduce the air pressure before you make the drive. Otherwise you can pop the mattress like an over-inflated ballon. Many people have had this happen. We always reduce the pressure before any drive with over 1000 feet of vertical climb.

Yep BTDT.

Does anyone know what the actual psi is at full inflation? I would like to come up with a pop off valve but don’t know what psi to get.

Thanks
Pointrow

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Hey Bigd,
I appreciate the effort to help here. YOU re-soldered ALL those points on that circuit board? Wow, what a guy. I think there's at least three hundred solder joints on mine. And some are so small, it would take a serious sized magnifying glass to assist me in even trying to get at some of those ultra tiny solder joints. Not to mention, it would take a micro sized soldering iron to play with those ultra tiny solderings. So, I just ordered up a new pump and it's gonna be here tomorrow. And by the way, no Sir, mine's not like yours at all.

It's a Select Comfort control/compressor. I tried to analyze that circuit board but, with about 10 zillion micro solder joints. Ain't gonna happen, new pump!
Scott

Yes, I used a workbench mounted lighted magnifier and a small tip iron. Did I get all of the connections? Probably not but I'll bet i did get 99.99% of them

During my college days back in the late 1960's I worked for a company what was developing circuit boards for various things. My job was to re-solder or correct solder problems in the boards that bench tested bad. Then just after I got married, I built our first TV from a Heath Kit. Now that was fun! Every diode, resister, and transistor had to be soldered in place on the blank circuit boards. I have found fixing boards is not all that hard to do.

But as I age and my fingers keep telling me they don't want to do the fine precise work any longer, so like you I would probably just buy a new one also!!!!

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by pointrow

Yep BTDT.

Does anyone know what the actual psi is at full inflation? I would like to come up with a pop off valve but don’t know what psi to get.

Thanks
Pointrow

Pointrow,
Well, I don't know a whole lot about pop-off valves and, the only ones I can relate to are safety pop-offs in air compressor systems and, those are normally rated around 150 or so psi. Now, I don't know what those and or, any air mattress could be filled to, to actually burst. But, it's probably considerably lower than 150 psi, of that I have no doubt. Now, are there "Pop-off" valves that are capable of a lot lower pressure, not a clue.

I'd simply lower the pressure BEFORE ascending any altitude.
Scott

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Yes, I used a workbench mounted lighted magnifier and a small tip iron. Did I get all of the connections? Probably not but I'll bet i did get 99.99% of them

During my college days back in the late 1960's I worked for a company what was developing circuit boards for various things. My job was to re-solder or correct solder problems in the boards that bench tested bad. Then just after I got married, I built our first TV from a Heath Kit. Now that was fun! Every diode, resister, and transistor had to be soldered in place on the blank circuit boards. I have found fixing boards is not all that hard to do.

But as I age and my fingers keep telling me they don't want to do the fine precise work any longer, so like you I would probably just buy a new one also!!!!

Yeah Big D,
Heath kit huh? Now that's dating yourself a bit partner! And, I surely appreciate your effort in repairing and or building P/C boards. That's some tedeous work. Believe me, I TRY and fix anything I can, to not only save a buck but, to learn how things work so I can better analyze a situation or issue, that may concern what I've fixed in the first place. But, there comes a time when, like this lousy air pump for the bed, the effort to analyze and repair it, even if I could find the problem with it, just ain't worth it.

I figure (and have done so many, many times in my life) that I've saved oh, maybe a couple hundred grand, doing any and all repairs, alterations, modifications, maintenance, and a whole lot more for well over 50 years, on everything I've ever owned, that, in this part of life, a lousy $229 for a new bed pump ain't gonna break me.

It's now in, it's working, the bed is performing flawless, and I'm moving on to my next project, a microwave that has a malfunctioning turn table, hmmmm.
Scott

[BreNan]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Gang,
Well, our coach is an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 330HP and, based on the sales date, it's over 16 years old and, at present, has over 95,000 miles on it. To the best of our knowledge, (we're the 4th owners) and have owned and operated it for over 9 years) it has the Sleep number bed that it was issued with, 16 years ago. The bed, and all it's controls, have been working flawlessly for all those miles and years.

As many of you that own those style beds, the inside pressure of those beds rise and fall, with the altitude you ascend or descend. Of instance, we live in Lake Havasu AZ and, that altitude (at least for us) is around 450'. But, if we run up to Williams for a few days, that town/campground is around 5,000 + feet of altitude.

That means, if the bed was set for nice comfortable sleeping at home, at say, around 50 on the remotes, when we park in the campground in Williams, you could bounce a quarter off if it and hit the ceiling! Yep, there would be considerably higher pressure due to altitude accumulation. So, when that happens, we simply use the remotes to command the control unit, to lower pressure 'till we're happy with the feeling of the bed.

And, vice versa in that, if we go from a high altitude, to a lower one, the bed's gonna look like a flat tire.

Well, we found that situation in our last trip. The bed was waaaaaay low in pressure, based on our altitude and last settings. Well, out came the remotes. What's this? An *Er* appeared on the screens of both remotes. Hmmm, never seen that before. It was 11:15 at night when we noticed this situation, CRAP!!!!!!!!!

The wife broke out her phone, got onto the net and looked up the trouble shooting of Sleep number beds. And, sure enough, there's a remedy for the *Er* code. All you have to do is, un plug the control unit and, then re plug it back in. What you're SUPPOSED to hear, from the control unit/compressor, is a series of *clicks* when the unit is plugged back in. Now, if you DO HEAR the clicks from inside the compressor, you can now use the remotes to reprogram them to the point you're now back to normal.

Nope, no clicks. I un plugged it and re plugged it back in, several times, and each time, waiting a different amount. Still no clicks. Hmmmmm. The bed is almost flat, it's now about quarter to midnight and, we've got a bed issue, CRAP!!!!!!!!!! What to do????

So, me being a form of a MacGyver, out came my portable COMPRESSOR that's used for tire filling and misc things. I plugged in the compressor in the bedroom, unzipped the cover to the mattress's and, found the hose inlets. I connected my little 10' air hose to my compressor, inserted a rubber tipped blow gun into the end of the hose and, disconnected the hose from the bed and, inserted the rubber tip of the blow gun into the end of the mattress for her side.

ZAP, that mattress filled right up to the level she was comfortable with, DONE! I did the same for my side. Crisis averted, it's midnight!

But, upon returning home, I cut the hoses at the control unit and plugged the ends that led to the mattress's. I then put the compressor/control unit on my work bench. I took the cover off to reveal a printed circuit board and the little encased compressor. Well, I could not see any damage or burnt little electro gizmos on that p/c board. And, there appears to be zero fuses. I did figure out how to hot wire the compressor.

But, that does me no good. I've got no way of controlling the direction of the air being pumped. Nor can I control the depletion of air if needed, to lower the mattress pressure. I've called Sleep number and, not much they can do but, sell me a new pump, at a cost of $477.

Well, that ain't gonna happen. Especially because, there's *REM* replacement pumps, with remotes, BRAND NEW for $229 on Amazon that are supposedly, compatible with both Sleep number and Select Comfort which, is my brand of dead controller/compressor.

So, the point of this thread is, if you find yourself in similar circumstances of a flat or low pressure Sleep number bed, and, it's in circumstances where you can't resolve the issue by un-plugging the compressor and re-plugging it in, and you can't run down to the local Sleep number store, AND, YOU HAVE A SOURCE of air in or on your coach, AND, you have an air hose that can reach your bed mattress's, AND, you have a blow gun with a rubber tip, you CAN FILL THEM as needed, 'till you can remedy the situation permanently. Of courses this type of situation lends itself to some COMMON SENSE. That is, based on either your coaches built in compressor, (i.e. a diesel with air brakes) or, a portable compressor like mine, you can't just insert the tip of an air hose (rubber tipped blow gun) and walk away for a half hour!

Yes, most of the compressors we carry are anywhere from 1 to 3 gallon portables. Well, even if you insert the blow gun into the mattress with a full, three gallon tank on the compressor at 120 psi, you're not gonna fill a 15 gallon mattress to 120 psi. . But, never the less, pay attention to what you're doing if caught in this situation. Just some info.
Scott

Love your ingenuity!! We can't find the pump! We found the plug under the bed, but see no pump anywhere. We can see the tubes exiting the mattress into a hole which can't be accessed. We are getting that "ER" message. We unplugged it and re-plugged it, new batteries added to remote twice -- nada. What to do??? 2011 Fleetwood Southwind.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by BreNan

Love your ingenuity!! We can't find the pump! We found the plug under the bed, but see no pump anywhere. We can see the tubes exiting the mattress into a hole which can't be accessed. We are getting that "ER" message. We unplugged it and re-plugged it, new batteries added to remote twice -- nada. What to do??? 2011 Fleetwood Southwind.

"What to do"?
Well, after multiple attempts at trying to remedy that same "ER" code with ours, we determined the pump controls were shot. When something like that happens, unless one is some sort of electrical PC board wizard, and likes diagnosing bad diodes, resistors, capacitors and all that, there's only one thing to do. And that is sh.. can the pump and order a new one from Amazon. We did that and had it in two days.

We simply removed the hoses from the old pump and, inserted them onto the fittings of the new pump. We plugged in the new pump and, followed the instructions for airing up each side of the mattress, DONE!

Yes, it was a tad on the expensive side but, what else ya gonna do, throw the bed away and get a regular mattress, nope, ain't happening. I think we spent around a $150 or so for a new pump. I wasn't thrilled with that but, again, not much else that can be done. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Scott

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

"What to do"?

Well, after multiple attempts at trying to remedy that same "ER" code with ours, we determined the pump controls were shot. When something like that happens, unless one is some sort of electrical PC board wizard, and likes diagnosing bad diodes, resistors, capacitors and all that, there's only one thing to do. And that is sh.. can the pump and order a new one from Amazon. We did that and had it in two days.



We simply removed the hoses from the old pump and, inserted them onto the fittings of the new pump. We plugged in the new pump and, followed the instructions for airing up each side of the mattress, DONE!



Yes, it was a tad on the expensive side but, what else ya gonna do, throw the bed away and get a regular mattress, nope, ain't happening. I think we spent around a $150 or so for a new pump. I wasn't thrilled with that but, again, not much else that can be done. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Scott

I’m throwing mine away and good riddance it has never slept good even with a memory topper. I’m going with a 12 inch memory foam.