scotsman ice machine cme506

[Lancelot]

Hey guys!! I have a scotsman ice machine model number cme506ws-id, serial 291926-10c, I replaced the water cooled condenser because it had a leak on it, it was making ice prior to the repair but it went off reguraly because of shortage of refrigerant, so I replaced it and did a good vacuum and let it stay for 24 hours, charged it with the proper amount of r-404 A, all the pressures are ok, and all is working except that I don't get any ice, the freeze mode goes beyond the time limit and the machine shuts of!!!
What did I do wrong??

Thanks a lot

Pierre Paquin, montreal
Canada

[Yuri B.]

Ice machines work continuously - once turned on until either the ice bin is full or a safety switch stops its work. What is shutting off yours one?

[Lancelot]

Thanks for reading me, it shuts off because the freeze cycle goes beyond time allowed without making any ice...

[Yuri B.]

Stupid qwestion - is not water turned off somwhere, I mean, does it sprinkle OK on the evaporator ? No ice AT All or the ice of a poor qwality (thin)? Can you during the cycle reach the evap and feel it with your fingers - is the evap's surface cold enough and is it well washed over with water?

[Yuri B.]

By what I said you I meant cubic maker - like ones used in bars. Your machine should do the commercial ice, of course, then does the drive of the screw inside the evap run properly (and, again, is water delivered sufficently to the evap ?).

[Lancelot]

There are two evaporators on this machine and they are in an upright position,they don't have screws, the water flows over them with no problem and when the ice is thick enough, the hot gas valve opens to kind of detach the ice cubes from the evaporators and they fall in the storage bin,the surface of the evaporators are cold like it was before and are well washed. What puzzles me is that everything is ok, pressures , temperatures and all but still no ice??

Thanks again my friend for your answers

[karim9]

if it is cubic ice the evaporator should be during the cold process irrigated by water fron down tu up by water pump,then u shoulb check if the pump is working correctly to push water til he reach the evaporator if no the will be no ice
if yes check your evaporation temperature is not good.
and u must check TEX valve

[samlee12]

What is the superheat reading at outlet of evaporator perhaps txvalve not feeding properly.

[samlee12]

If you have water flow over evaporators and it is not freezing sounds like your evaps. are starving for liquid check superheat readings.

[Lancelot]

Thanks guys, all was left to check was the tx valve, it can't be adjusted so I'm going to check what the superheat should be, running on 404-A, and take the readings.
I'll post back soon

[Yuri B.]

TXV ? Scotsmanns I saw were all capillary. Anyway, superheat aimed at to maintain, I believe, does not depend on the type of refrigerant used. If there is only some -5 to -15 C on evap's surface, there will be no ice to poor ice. On your place I would first of all attached a thermometer to the evap where water run. And what is, by the way, the temperature of the water supplied to the evap? Have you not switched mistakenly to the hot line?

[Yuri B.]

And what is the intensity of the water supplied, maybe too big? In all instances of course there would be too high SP. You need to give all the parametres, somebody certainly will point at the cause.

[Yuri B.]

Is not the water leaving condenser somehow getting to the evap? Sounds stupid ...but sometimes happen unbeleavable things ....

[samlee12]

I don't work on ***** stuff very much just assumed they had tx valves. One thing that i was thinking of is 404 not a blend refrigerant if so, it has to be put into system as liquid not vapor, are you sure when you charged the system it was take from bottle as liquid not vapor, just checking. and are you sure you have the right charge.

[samlee12]

Also if it is a cap tube system and you changed water cooled condenser do you have the water regulating valve set properly 105 degrees f condensing, remember liquid is pushed through cap tube via discharge pressure if discharge pressure too low evaporators will be starved for refrigerant.

[lowcool]

recover refrig,reprocess system,compare temperatures to pressure,just sounds like nitrogen is present if water circuit is ok.happy hunting

[lowcool]

forgot to add strip components and dehydrate in oven purging with nitro,oil change a must

[samlee12]

Lowcool has a good point. if there is noncondensables in system this would effect ice making and discharge pressure could look normal because water regulating valve would just bring in more water to lower head pressure.

[Lancelot]

Wow! Talk about quality answers!! Thanks again guys!! So let's continue, there is no nitrogen in the system because I didn't use any,I'm going to continue my '' hunting '' on monday. I do know that the presence of non-condensable gas is doubtfull, because it had a small leak but was always in positive pressure, and it was making ice. As I said before, the tx valve is a non adjustable one, so if something is wrong with it, you replace it.

[Lancelot]

Thanks for your concern Lowcool, but I'm not sure I understand what you wrote...do you mean running heated nitro in the sytem? I know it's a good way to dry out a system, but there is no moisture or non condensables in mine...thanks again friend

[Lancelot]

You are right about 404, it as to be charged in a liquid state, if you have a leak on the vapor side, you have to drop the gas ( recuperate it of course ) and charge the right amount, wich in my case is 20 ounces charged in the liquid state. But when I come through a system with a water valve, if I'm not sure, I always take the gas out and weigh it back in with the proper amount , because I've seen some technicians try to adjust the valve instead of finding the leak, thats just pushing the problem further.
Thanks friend and have a good day

[lowcool]

got a dumb question for ya pierre,dont suppose water & refrigerant circuits in condenser are confused,mightbe your not getting full liquid at expansion point

[Lancelot]

Hey Lowcool, there is no such thing as a dumb question my friend, like they say only dumb answers, so that been said ,the gas and water lines hasn't been mixed up.
Thanks my friend . I'm back on the job this morning I'll keep you posted.
By the way, I love your motto''To beer or not to beer...'' Funny man !!

[Lancelot]

Hey guys!! A miracle accured during the week-end...I went to check the machine this morning...and it's working fine and it's full of ice ????? Something is fishy...
I'll keep you informed!!

Thanks again !!

[lowcool]

you must have good fairies their mate,ill swap you for some goblins

[Lancelot]

Ha Ha !!! Anytime my friend!!!

[icecube51]

so the true solution was,that the evaporator was choked on liquid,and there was nothing to condens.when you let it be for over a few hrs,the refrig migrates to the coldest place,and the refrig cycle can start as new,and normal.......i think...

Ice

[Yuri B.]

Scotsmans that I saw, just installed, or after a repair, would often not harvest good ice cubes - sometimes no at all - at the first cycle. Need two, three cycles to work in.

[Yuri B.]

The above, is belated, of course, note, I agree.

[Lancelot]

Let's hope thats it! Anyways I'll keep a close eye on it, thanks Icecube51.
Thanks to all of you!!