Repairing a Premier Health Products PHP 2026 / 2027 Massage Chair

[mfoster7]

Hi again. I'm not clear on how deeply you want to dig into the electronics, but you can get a great initial view of much of the internals in two steps:

• After unplugging the chair, stand behind it and gently flip it on its front so that the back of the chair is facing your ceiling. The chair is heavy, so you'll want to get the assistance of an additional person to prevent it from hitting your floor too hard.
• Once the chair is flipped and the back is facing the ceiling, there are 6 screws you can remove to lift off that cover to open up the back.

From there, you can make decisions concerning what you want to investigate, including (since you didn't say in your response above) checking the possibility that something is simply jammed around the rollers preventing them from freely moving up & down.

When you're all done your investigation and putting the cover back on, I've found I had to take extra time & effort to make sure I lined up the screw holes on the cover accurately so that the back cover can be snuggly replaced with all 6 screws going in as deeply as they're designed to do.

 

[PeeWee911]

Thanks mfoster7, I will do what you say first and see what develops. Hoping for a simple fix!!
I may have to wait a bit until I start as we've just had a family emergency which will take me out of town until Mid to late March. Thanks again.

 

[mfoster7]

Hi PeeWee. When you get back in town, you might find one of the attached documents helpful. You said you're an old Avionics Electronics Tech, so perhaps something in one of them will help you pinpoint your chair's problem if it's not something simple/basic.

I believe I found these documents either earlier in this forum or elsewhere online. Anyway, there are six attached. I think the longest is only 8 pages.

I hope your family emergency isn't severe.

 

[docjsb]

First, I'd like to thank everyone for the help. I installed a new toroidal transformer VPT48-5200 from Mouser Electronics in the PHP2026 today and it worked great!

I can add that since it is 24V AC on the output side, the blue and yellow wire ordering is not critical - just so you get 24V AC to each circuit. I suggest the following consolidated procedure:

1. Unplug the unit.

2. Disconnect the old transformer connector.

3. Cut the old transformer leads near the transformer and remove the old transformer.

4. Wire the connector to the inputs of the new transformer:
4.1 Transformer Blue and Violet to the Black Connector Lead
4.2 Transformer Gray and Brown to the White Connector Lead

5. Place new transformer in the chassis. Make sure you have some minimum clearance between the 12V transformer so they are not touching. You will need a couple washers to get it snug. Connect the input connector.

6. Connect the output side:
6.1 Transformer Red to either Yellow Lead
6.2 Transformer Black to the remaining Yellow Lead
6.3 Transformer Orange to either Blue Lead
6.4 Transformer Yellow to the remaining Blue Lead

7. Plug in the unit and test.

8. Chair assembly is the opposite of disassembly.

Thanks again for all the help from Kevin, Desertrider, and all. So glad to find a readily available toroidal transformer.

Cheers!

 

[mfoster7]

Hi folks. I'm hoping there are still a few people out here who own either a Premier PHP 2026 or 2027.

I'm one of apparently several people in this forum who experienced chair problems that were resolved by replacing the toroidal transformer. And again, many thanks to "desertrider" and Kevin for posting all the key information to resolve that!

Now about 5 years later, my 18-year-old PHP 2026 has another set of functions that no longer work. The most recent one is key because the actual massage parts behind the backrest no longer go up & down meaning only one small portion of a person's back can now be massaged.

I have included a picture of the chair's controller as a reference for the details below. All of those details, of course, are when the chair is plugged in.

When I press the controller's On/Off button, the small red light rotates from Overall -> Partial -> Shoulder -> Back -> Waist -> Fixed and then recycles all the same until I make a selection to try something more.

I don't recall if that starting red light cycle is how the controller always functioned. But if not, that's how it is now.

Having pressed the On/Off button, below is what no longer works ... though as I noted above, the most recent (and most important) problem is that the core massage parts behind the backrest no longer go up & down.

Buttons that DON'T Work
* Vigor - all 6 lights flash, then stop at Fixed, and then nothing more
* Fitness - all 6 lights flash, then stop at Fixed, and then nothing more
* Relax - the back rest goes back and foot rest goes up (as intended); however, the red light stops at Fixed, and then nothing more
* Timer button - no apparent functionality
* Up button
* Down button
* Auto button
* Manual button
* Rolling/Speed button - the internal metal "spine" that is designed to spin to move the core massage parts up and down does spin for about 4 seconds, then stops (but no movement of core massage parts up or down)
* Width button - no apparent functionality
* Back vibration button - no apparent functionality
* On/Off button - turns off the chair, but the core massage parts no longer slide up to the top of the chair as part of the shut off process

Buttons that DO Work
* Dual action/inverse button - works, but only stationary (no sliding up or down)
* Tapping button - works, but only stationary
* Kneading/inverse button - works, but only stationary
* Intensity button - does work to adjust intensity of dual action, tapping, and kneading functions
* Seat vibration button works
* Backrest button works
* Legrest button works
* Legs roller button works

So that's quite a list above that doesn't work. I've actually been ok without almost all of those no longer working, figuring after 18 years of use that the chair controller or other electronics are simply wearing out.

However, without the ability of the core massage parts to go & up down behind the backrest, the chair is almost useless.

Given the list above of what does & doesn't work, any suggestions of what may be the reason(s)?

And like several others in this forum, I'm definitely no electrician. But I'm up for trying suggestions in order to salvage the chair.

Thank you!