Real World Problems and Solutions by Field Technicians
Hoshizaki Ice Thickness AdjustmentHoshizaki ice machines come equipment with a ice thickness control. This part actually know as the float switch. The question regularly asked is “how do I adjust the ice thickness?” Fortunately the answer is easy. Continue reading “Hoshizaki Ice Thickness Adjustment”
Many Hoshizaki ice machines have built in safety measures that stop the ice maker when faults or problems are detected. Once one of these faults occur the unit will stop producing ice and will alarm you with a high beeping sound.
The alarm will sound off a number of beeps, pause, then repeats the number of beeps. This number represents the type of fault that equipment has detected. Therefore it is important to determine how many beeps the alarm is giving you before resetting. Let’s take a look at the three most common the faults and what potential issues may have caused the them. Continue reading “Hoshizaki Ice Machine Beeping”
One of the most important services and upkeep of an ice machine is keeping it clean. Cleaning involves removing scale buildup and or removing slime. Either type of debris can clog hoses and spray bars slowing, even stopping, water flow. Scale can collect on important sensors causing decreased production as well as equipment failure. The most common service call is Continue reading “Scotsman Prodigy Cleaning Procedure”
In many cases we are faced with a service call in which the client believes the ice machine is not making enough ice. It is difficult for the client and sometimes even the technician to determine if there is an underlying problem, especially when the unit is making ice consistently. So how do you know if it’s production is up to par. There is only one way and that is to determine the ice machine’s production.
Most manufacturers will provide equipment specifications such as size, refrigerant charge, voltages, etc. In that documentation you will need to locate the equipment’s ice production capacity. Not all ice machines are create equal, so you will need to narrow it down to your model number. Let us look at an example. We will say you have a Scotsman Prodigy C0530 – air-cooled ice machine. First find the manufacturers capacity in the specification documents. Most manufacturers will have this information on-line. To the left is an example of what you would find. Next you will need to determine the water temperature being supplied to the unit and the ambient temperature where the unit is located. The ambient temperature is the space temperature. Continue reading “Calculating an Ice Machine’s Production”
This article is intended to introduce the defrosting methods in refrigeration equipment. More specifically in freezers. The majority of all freezers have a defrost cycle of some sort. In general the sequence of operation is the same, although components differ from unit to unit in many cases. We will explore the defrost cycle and the why it is necessary for freezers to have them. By the end of reading this you should a basic understanding of why defrost cycles are necessary, the primary methods of defrosting, as well as how they are initiated and how they are terminated.
The basic principle of refrigeration is to remove heat from the desired space or product, then get rid of the absorbed heat outside of the refrigerated area. The component responsible for absorbing the heat from the refrigerated area is called the evaporator coil. This component is nothing more than multiple loops of copper and aluminum with a fan motor to move air through it. The idea is to allow low temperature refrigerant, generally in the negative degrees, to absorb the heat from the air traveling through the evaporator coil. Continue reading “Defrosting Methods in Refrigeration”
What does it mean when your Scotsman Prodigy ice maker is off on error code number 8. The Prodigy error code indicates that the Prodigy has gone through short freeze cycle, a few times. If the ice machine’s harvest cycle is triggered before 6 minutes into the freeze cycle this error code will occur. Understanding the sequence of operation and component functions will help you understand how to diagnose this problem and how to solve it. One of the first components to look at is
Continue reading “Scotsman Prodigy Error Code 8”
A client stated that the his freezer temperature was rising however upon arrival we found the unit operating normally with a temperature of -3*F. I increased the temperature control setting to see if I could get the unit to cycle off. The current setting was at # 6. Turned the temperature control knob to setting to # 3 when unit cycled off. Reset temp control back to # 6 to turn refrigeration system back on. Checked the compressor amps and checked system pressures. Continue reading “Evaporator Fans Running During Defrost”
Model# ID0606A-261
Technician Notes:
Customer stated that his Manitowoc ice machine won’t turn on. I found the ice machine unplugged and water valve at the wall was shut closed. I restored power and water to test operation. Turned unit back on and found unit operating in freeze mode. After a about a minute unit the shut off. After a second attempt I found the unit’s condenser fan motor was not running. I turned off ice machine and placed my stubby gauges on high side of the system. Restarted the unit and noticed the head pressure went up rapidly then shut off. Continue reading “Manitowoc Ice Machine won’t Turn On”
Model# VSF-2
Technician Notes:
I found the unit operating but the compressor sounds rough like it has internal damage. I did not feel any heat coming off the condenser unit and the u-bends felt slightly warm. Connected my stubby gauges to the system and found the suction pressure was really low at approximately 6 psig. I decided to add refrigerant to further diagnose the system. I found the suction pressure struggling to increase passed the 6-8 psig range and the head pressure rising past 200 psig. Based on these pressures I determined that the capillary tubes were restricted. I also found oil on the side of the compressor rotor lock, which indicated that it was most likely leaking from this area. The area around rotor lock and compressor Continue reading “Freezer Compressor Running Rough”
After arriving at the location and speaking with client, I found the walk-in freezer temperature at approximately 50*F. Noticed that the evaporator coil was covered with ice, blocking air flow. Looks like a possible defrost issue. Went to the roof top and found condenser operational. Placed unit into defrost and check to see if defrost heaters were pulling amps. Clamp meter reading 6 amps during defrost. Data plate stated 6.3 heater amps. Allowed defrost to operate to melt ice from coil. After ice removal placed defrost timer at 3 pm. After 15 minutes of operation, timer clock did not move from the 3 pm position. Continue reading “Walk-in Freezer with Defrost Issue”