Troubleshooting

Quick Diagnostics

Basic Checks

Before detailed troubleshooting:

• Batteries installed correctly (polarity matched)
• LED flashed on battery installation
• Gateway operational (green blinking LED)
• Sensor within 20m of gateway or another sensor
• 48+ hours elapsed for TVOC baseline calibration
• At least one heartbeat interval (1 hour) has passed

LED Indicators

Thingsee AIR has minimal LED feedback:

• Single flash on power-on: Normal operation startup
• No continuous LED: Normal (preserves battery life)

Note: Unlike gateways, sensors do not have constant LED indication. This is by design to maximize battery life.

Installation Issues

LED Not Flashing on Battery Installation

Symptoms:

• No LED flash when batteries inserted
• No indication of power

Possible Causes:

• Batteries inserted incorrectly
• Batteries depleted or defective
• Battery contacts not making connection
• Sensor malfunction

Solutions:

1. Verify battery polarity

   • Check +/- orientation matches compartment markings
   • Both batteries must be inserted correctly
   • Ensure batteries fully seated in contacts

2. Try fresh batteries

   • Use recommended: Varta Industrial Pro 1.5V AA LR06
   • Test with multimeter: should read >1.4V per battery
   • Avoid mixing old and new batteries

3. Check battery contacts

   • Inspect for corrosion or damage
   • Gently clean contacts with isopropyl alcohol if needed
   • Ensure spring contacts not compressed/damaged

4. Remove and reinsert batteries

   • Take both batteries out
   • Wait 10 seconds
   • Reinsert with correct polarity
   • Should see brief LED flash

5. Verify A-cover and B-cover connection

   • Ensure covers properly aligned
   • Press firmly together until click
   • Internal connection may be loose if covers not fully seated

If still no response:

• Sensor may be defective
• Contact support@haltian.com with sensor ID

Sensor Not Appearing in Cloud

Symptoms:

• Sensor not listed in Haltian IoT Studio
• No data received after installation
• “Last Seen” shows never or very old timestamp

Possible Causes:

• Gateway not operational or not connected
• Sensor not joined to Wirepas network
• Network coverage issue (sensor too far from gateway)
• Sensor not provisioned correctly
• First heartbeat interval not yet elapsed

Solutions:

1. Verify gateway operational

   • Check gateway LED status (should be blinking green)
   • Confirm gateway has internet connectivity
   • Verify gateway appears “Online” in IoT Studio
   • Test gateway with another known-working sensor

2. Confirm network coverage

   • Sensor must be within 20m of gateway or another sensor
   • Check for physical obstructions:
     • Thick concrete walls
     • Metal structures or equipment
     • Fire doors
   • Add intermediate sensors as routers if needed
   • Use Thingsee Toolbox app to check signal strength

3. Wait for first message

   • Default heartbeat: 1 hour
   • First message may take up to 60-90 minutes
   • Sensor joins network, then waits for first report interval
   • Be patient during initial deployment

4. Trigger a report manually

   • Change environment significantly:
     • Breathe directly on sensor (increases CO₂ and humidity)
     • Warm sensor with hands (temperature change)
   • Should trigger event report within 5-10 minutes
   • Verifies sensor is operational and transmitting

5. Verify sensor provisioning

   • Check sensor was added to correct project in IoT Studio
   • Verify sensor ID matches QR code label
   • Confirm network ID and keys match gateway
   • Contact Haltian support if provisioning uncertain

6. Check IoT Studio device list

   • Filter by location or installation date
   • Search for sensor ID or name
   • Verify not accidentally in different project/location
   • Check “Inactive Devices” view

7. Power cycle the sensor

   • Remove both batteries
   • Wait 30 seconds
   • Reinsert batteries (correct polarity)
   • LED should flash
   • Wait 5-10 minutes for network rejoin

If still not appearing after 2 hours:

• Contact support with:
  • Sensor ID (from QR code)
  • Installation location
  • Gateway ID
  • Approximate installation time

Poor Signal Strength (RSSI)

Symptoms:

• RSSI values < -85 dBm in IoT Studio
• Intermittent data reception
• Long gaps between messages
• “Last Seen” timestamp frequently old

Possible Causes:

• Sensor too far from gateway or mesh network
• Physical obstructions blocking signal
• RF interference from other devices
• Suboptimal mesh network density

Solutions:

1. Check distance to gateway

   • Should be < 20m from gateway or another sensor
   • Measure straight-line distance (not walking path)
   • Account for floor height in multi-story buildings

2. Identify obstructions

   • Metal structures, filing cabinets, equipment
   • Concrete walls, especially with rebar
   • Fire doors (metal core)
   • Large HVAC ducts
   • Solution: Relocate sensor or add mesh routers

3. Add intermediate sensors

   • Deploy additional sensors between isolated sensor and gateway
   • Each sensor acts as mesh router
   • Creates redundant paths for data
   • Improves overall network reliability

4. Optimize mesh density

   • Recommended: 1 sensor per 20m radius
   • Higher density = better signal, lower battery drain
   • Mesh self-optimizes routing

5. Check for RF interference

   • Common sources:
     • WiFi routers on 2.4 GHz (channels 1-11 overlap BLE)
     • Microwave ovens
     • Bluetooth devices (speakers, headphones)
     • Wireless presentation systems
   • Solution: Relocate sensor away from interference sources
   • Contact Haltian for frequency analysis if severe

6. Verify gateway placement

   • Gateway should be centrally located
   • Elevated position (on wall, not floor)
   • Away from metal cabinets or equipment racks
   • Good gateway placement improves entire network

RSSI Guidelines:

• > -60 dBm: Excellent (no action needed)
• -60 to -70 dBm: Good (acceptable)
• -70 to -85 dBm: Fair (monitor, consider optimization)
• < -85 dBm: Poor (action required)

Data Quality Issues

CO₂ Readings Seem Incorrect

Symptoms:

• CO₂ never drops below 600-800 ppm (should reach ~410 ppm)
• Consistently high readings even when space unoccupied
• Baseline seems incorrect

Possible Causes:

• Insufficient baseline calibration period (< 8 days)
• No “free of people” periods with fresh air exchange
• Poor ventilation in space (actual high CO₂)
• Sensor placed in continuously occupied area

Solutions:

1. Verify calibration period

   • Has sensor been operating for 8+ days?
   • CO₂ baseline calibration requires 8-day cycle
   • Data improves after first full calibration period

2. Confirm “free of people” periods

   • Space must have regular unoccupied times
   • Indoor air must fully exchange with outdoor air
   • Typical in:
     • Offices (nights, weekends)
     • Schools (evenings, holidays)
     • Retail (closed hours)
   • Not suitable for:
     • 24/7 occupied spaces
     • Poorly ventilated rooms
     • Areas never fully air-exchanged

3. Check ventilation

   • High readings may be ACCURATE indication of poor ventilation
   • Verify HVAC system operational
   • Test: Open windows for 30 minutes
     • CO₂ should drop toward 410 ppm if ventilation was issue
     • If not dropping, sensor may need support evaluation

4. Verify sensor placement

   • Should be in representative location, not:
     • Directly in exhaust airflow
     • In sealed cabinet or enclosed space
     • Behind furniture blocking airflow

5. Wait for automatic baseline correction

   • ABC (Automatic Baseline Correction) adjusts over time
   • Targets 410 ppm as fresh air baseline
   • May take 2-3 calibration cycles (16-24 days) to fully stabilize

6. Contact support for manual baseline reset

   • If after 3-4 weeks baseline still incorrect
   • Provide example readings and installation details
   • Support can remotely trigger baseline reset

Expected behavior:

• Occupied hours: 600-1500 ppm (depending on occupancy and ventilation)
• Unoccupied (night): Drops toward 410 ppm
• Early morning: Low point ~410-500 ppm before occupancy

TVOC Readings Unstable or High

Symptoms:

• TVOC fluctuates wildly
• Consistently high readings > 2200 ppb
• Readings don’t stabilize after 48 hours

Possible Causes:

• Baseline calibration period incomplete (< 48 hours)
• Recent cleaning with strong products
• New furniture, carpets, or building materials off-gassing
• Actual VOC sources in environment
• Sensor too close to VOC source (cleaning closet, printers, etc.)

Solutions:

1. Verify 48-hour calibration complete

   • TVOC requires 48 hours continuous operation for valid baseline
   • Early readings (first 48h) may be inaccurate
   • Wait for baseline to establish

2. Identify VOC sources

   • Recent cleaning? Use less aggressive products
   • New furniture? Off-gassing can last days to weeks
   • Printers/copiers nearby? Relocate sensor
   • Air fresheners or scented products? Remove or relocate
   • Cooking odors? Increase ventilation

3. Improve ventilation

   • Increase fresh air intake if TVOC consistently high
   • Open windows to flush VOCs
   • Monitor over days to see if levels decline
   • Persistent high levels indicate actual air quality issue

4. Relocate sensor if too close to source

   • Should represent general room air, not localized emissions
   • Minimum 2-3m from known VOC sources
   • Avoid placement near:
     • Cleaning supply closets
     • Office equipment (printers, copiers)
     • Break rooms with microwaves/coffee makers

5. Document recent changes

   • New paint, flooring, furniture?
   • Construction or renovation?
   • Change in cleaning schedule or products?
   • TVOC spikes often correlate with building changes

6. Wait for natural decline

   • New building materials off-gas for weeks to months
   • TVOC will gradually decline as sources dissipate
   • Monitor trend over time (should decrease)

Normal TVOC patterns:

• Gradual decline over days/weeks after installation (sensor or building new)
• Morning spike after cleaning (dissipates in hours)
• Stable low levels (< 220 ppb) in well-ventilated, aged buildings
• Higher in new buildings or after renovations (temporary)

Temperature or Humidity Readings Seem Wrong

Symptoms:

• Temperature significantly different from thermostat or other sensors
• Humidity readings don’t match other devices

Possible Causes:

• Sensor in microclimate (direct sun, near heat source, in airflow)
• Comparison device inaccurate or poorly placed
• Sensor not yet acclimated to environment
• Normal variation due to different sensor locations

Solutions:

1. Verify sensor placement

   • Not in direct sunlight?
   • Not near heating/cooling vents?
   • Not above radiators or heat sources?
   • Not in cold draft from window?
   • Relocate if in microclimate

2. Allow acclimation time

   • After installation or battery change, wait 15-30 minutes
   • Sensor needs to equilibrate to room temperature
   • Humidity sensor especially needs stabilization time

3. Compare to calibrated reference

   • Thermostat may be in different location (different temperature)
   • Consumer humidity meters often inaccurate (±5-10% typical)
   • Use NIST-traceable reference if available
   • Thingsee AIR: ±0.2°C temp, ±2% RH accuracy

4. Understand temperature variation in spaces

   • 2-3°C variation normal in same room (near window vs. interior wall)
   • Vertical stratification: warmer near ceiling
   • Thingsee AIR at 1.5m height may differ from floor-level thermostat

5. Check for thermal sources

   • Sun exposure through windows (even indirect)
   • Nearby computers, monitors, or equipment
   • Heat from lighting fixtures
   • Solution: Relocate sensor to representative location

If readings still seem incorrect:

• Document: exact values, comparison device specs, installation location
• Contact support for sensor verification
• Support can review historical data for anomalies

Battery Issues

Battery Life Shorter Than Expected

Symptoms:

• Battery level dropping faster than 4-year expected life
• Frequent low battery warnings
• Battery depleted in < 2 years

Possible Causes:

• High reporting frequency (custom configuration)
• Poor signal strength (many retransmissions)
• Sensor acting as mesh router for many other devices
• Low-quality or old batteries
• Operating in cold environment

Solutions:

1. Review configuration

   • Check reporting thresholds in IoT Studio
   • Very low thresholds = frequent reports = more battery use
   • Default thresholds optimal for battery life
   • Contact support to optimize configuration

2. Improve signal strength

   • Poor RSSI (< -85 dBm) causes retransmissions
   • Add intermediate sensors to improve mesh
   • Better signal = less power for each transmission
   • See “Poor Signal Strength” section above

3. Check mesh network density

   • If sensor is routing for many others, power consumption higher
   • Verify balanced mesh network
   • Contact support for network topology review

4. Verify battery quality

   • Use recommended: Varta Industrial Pro 1.5V AA LR06
   • Avoid bargain or off-brand batteries
   • Check expiration date on batteries
   • Old batteries (> 1-2 years in storage) have reduced capacity

5. Operating temperature

   • Cold environments reduce battery capacity
   • Alkaline batteries lose capacity below +10°C
   • If sensor in cold area, battery life will be shorter
   • Consider more frequent replacement schedule

6. Calculate actual battery life

   • Check installation date vs. current battery level
   • 4-year estimate assumes default configuration
   • Higher frequency configurations reduce battery life proportionally
   • 25% remaining after 3 years = 4-year life on track

Battery life estimates by configuration:

• Standard (default 5-min minimum interval): 4 years
• High frequency (1-min minimum interval): 2-3 years
• Optimized (15-min minimum interval): 5-6 years

Low Battery Warning but Batteries Recently Replaced

Symptoms:

• Low battery alert shortly after installing new batteries
• Battery level drops rapidly from 100%

Possible Causes:

• Batteries not fresh (old stock)
• Poor quality batteries
• Battery contacts not making good connection
• Sensor reporting inaccurate battery level
• Very cold environment

Solutions:

1. Verify battery freshness

   • Check expiration date on battery packaging
   • Batteries have ~2-3 year shelf life
   • Old stock may have reduced capacity

2. Test battery voltage

   • Use multimeter to test new batteries before installation
   • Should read 1.5-1.6V per battery when fresh
   • < 1.4V indicates depleted or defective battery

3. Try different battery brand

   • Use recommended: Varta Industrial Pro AA
   • Alkaline batteries required (not lithium, not rechargeable NiMH)
   • Consistent quality from reputable brand

4. Clean battery contacts

   • Remove batteries
   • Gently clean contacts with isopropyl alcohol
   • Ensure spring contacts not damaged
   • Reinsert fresh batteries

5. Check environmental temperature

   • Battery level calculation affected by extreme cold
   • Below +10°C, apparent capacity reduces
   • If sensor in cold zone, level indication may be pessimistic

6. Wait 24 hours

   • Battery level calculation may need time to stabilize
   • If drops to < 20% within 24 hours, batteries defective
   • If stabilizes at reasonable level, normal operation

If issue persists:

• Try completely different battery batch
• Document battery brand, expiration, measured voltage
• Contact support with sensor ID and battery details

Network and Connectivity Issues

Sensor Reporting Intermittently

Symptoms:

• Gaps in data (missing hours or days)
• “Last Seen” timestamp irregular
• Messages arrive in bursts, then silence

Possible Causes:

• Borderline signal strength (RSSI near -85 dBm)
• Gateway intermittent connectivity or reboots
• Temporary RF interference
• Mesh network instability
• Sensor in transitional coverage area

Solutions:

1. Check signal strength trends

   • Review RSSI history in IoT Studio
   • If hovering around -85 dBm, borderline coverage
   • Add intermediate sensor to improve link

2. Verify gateway stability

   • Check gateway uptime and connectivity
   • Gateway reboots cause temporary sensor silence
   • Review gateway logs for issues

3. Monitor for patterns

   • Do gaps occur at specific times? (interference)
   • Random gaps or consistent time of day?
   • Pattern may indicate external cause (e.g., microwave use during lunch)

4. Add mesh redundancy

   • Deploy additional sensors in area
   • Creates multiple routing paths
   • Improves network resilience

5. Check for physical obstructions (transient)

   • Doors opening/closing
   • People or equipment moved temporarily
   • Changes in space layout

6. Review mesh network health

   • Contact Haltian support for network analysis
   • Support can review network topology
   • Identify routing bottlenecks or weak links

Expected behavior:

• Continuous reports (every 5-60 minutes depending on activity)
• Maximum gap should be heartbeat interval (default 1 hour)
• Occasional 2-hour gap acceptable (one missed heartbeat)
• Gaps > 3 hours indicate problem

No Data After Battery Replacement

Symptoms:

• Sensor was working, stopped after battery change
• LED flashed on new battery installation
• But no data received in cloud

Possible Causes:

• Sensor not rejoined to network after reboot
• Network credentials lost (unlikely but possible)
• Configuration reset (rare)
• Batteries inserted incorrectly despite LED flash

Solutions:

1. Wait for network rejoin

   • After battery replacement, sensor reboots
   • Network rejoin can take 1-10 minutes
   • First data may arrive after first heartbeat (up to 1 hour)
   • Be patient, wait 1-2 hours

2. Verify batteries correctly installed

   • Double-check polarity markings
   • Both batteries must be correctly oriented
   • LED flash doesn’t guarantee proper operation if one battery reversed

3. Power cycle again

   • Remove both batteries
   • Wait 30 seconds
   • Reinsert carefully (correct polarity)
   • Wait 1 hour for first report

4. Check IoT Studio device list

   • Sensor should still be listed (not removed)
   • If missing, may need reprovisioning
   • Contact support if device disappeared

5. Trigger event manually

   • Breathe on sensor (CO₂ + humidity spike)
   • Should trigger event report within 5-10 minutes
   • Confirms sensor operational

If still no data after 2 hours:

• Sensor may need reprovisioning (rare)
• Contact support with sensor ID and issue description

Support and Diagnostics

Collecting Diagnostic Information

When contacting support, provide:

Sensor Information:

• Sensor ID (from QR code label)
• Installation date
• Physical location description
• Battery installation/replacement dates

Symptom Details:

• What is not working as expected?
• When did issue start?
• Any recent changes (new batteries, moved sensor, configuration changes)?
• How frequently does issue occur?

IoT Studio Data:

• Last seen timestamp
• Recent RSSI values
• Battery level
• Screenshot of sensor dashboard if possible

Environmental Context:

• Room size and type (office, classroom, etc.)
• HVAC system (always on, scheduled, none)
• Occupancy patterns (hours occupied vs. empty)
• Recent building changes (new furniture, renovation, etc.)

Contacting Support

• Email: support@haltian.com
• Subject line: Include “Thingsee AIR - [brief issue description]”
• Provide: Sensor ID, symptom, troubleshooting attempted
• Response time: Typically within 1 business day

Escalation Process

1. Initial troubleshooting: Follow this guide
2. Contact support: If issue persists after troubleshooting
3. Remote diagnostics: Support reviews sensor data and configuration
4. Advanced diagnostics: Support may enable additional logging
5. RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization): If hardware fault confirmed

Warranty and Replacement

• Standard warranty: 2 years from purchase date
• Exclusions: Battery depletion, physical damage, environmental damage
• RMA process: Contact support for return authorization
• Replacement timeline: Typically 1-2 weeks

Preventive Maintenance

Regular Checks (Monthly)

• Verify sensor reporting in IoT Studio
• Check battery level (should be declining slowly)
• Review RSSI signal strength
• Spot-check measurement values for reasonableness

Periodic Maintenance (Annually)

• Visual inspection of sensor (physical damage?)
• Verify mounting still secure (tape or screw)
• Clean sensor exterior with dry cloth (dust accumulation)
• Review historical data trends
• Verify sensor placement still optimal (room layout changes?)

Battery Replacement Planning

• Schedule replacement at 20% battery level
• Keep spare batteries in inventory
• Use recommended batteries: Varta Industrial Pro 1.5V AA LR06
• Document replacement dates for lifecycle tracking

Related Documentation

• Installation Guide - Proper installation procedures
• Operation Guide - Normal operation and data interpretation
• Configuration Guide - Parameter customization
• Specifications - Technical details and tolerances

Still having issues? Contact support@haltian.com with your sensor ID and a description of the problem.