Ice Machine Problem

[crawling]

Hello,

I have a crystal tip commercial ice maker that gives me problems.

At first when i turn on the machine everything runs fine and all the pipes are freezing
but after 10 minutes or so the hot gas starts flowing and everything starts to melt and then after a while the compressor shuts down.

anybody know what that means?

[Repair-man]

Unless you have gauges hooked up to the sealed system and can rule this out as a problem, you'll have to rely on the tech sheet in the unit. Does it have a board to control everything?

Model preferred.

[Icehouse]

Hello,

I have a crystal tip commercial ice maker that gives me problems.

At first when i turn on the machine everything runs fine and all the pipes are freezing
but after 10 minutes or so the hot gas starts flowing and everything starts to melt and then after a while the compressor shuts down.

anybody know what that means?

Check your e-mail. 

[crawling]

Watch this short video i made


Thanks for the pdf but that is not the model i have
the model number starts with1202c something, i can't read the rest.

Watch the video the hissing starts at 1.55

[JWWebster]

That hot gas is suppose to loosen the ice cubes up after they have reached desired thickness. This is done by some sort of sensor. It could be a timer or a thickness switch. Something in the controls is causing the solenoid to prematurely come on. What do the controls look like?

[Icehouse]

The troubledhooting section pertains to all of the models.
It seems to me that the hot gas valve is either stuck-open or prematurely energizing. Try removing the leads off the "hot-gas" valve, and see what happens. 

[JWWebster]

I watched your movie. That compressor sounds sweet. The gas level is OK. Try putting some nickel guard in the reservoir and giving it a good wash then clean the dang condenser. Check the pump and make sure it is functioning. That machine don't need no gas. Compressor sounds strong and sweet. You have an ice harvest control problem. My opinion.

[crawling]

Icehouse I did exactly what you said and the machine is working perfectly now.
I just removed the leads of the switch that triggers the hot gas then turned on the machine to see what happens.
The machine was working at that point so i turned it of and reconnected the leads and waited 5 minutes to turned it on again.
Everything is back to normal.

My guess is that the valve was prematurely energizing.

Thank you guy's for helping me out .

If this happens again should i replace the switch ?

[Icehouse]

  Yes and become a charter member here would help everyone.

[crawling]

What are the steps to take to become one

[Icehouse]

http://appliancejunk.com/forums/index.php?action=treasury

[crawling]

Problem Back!!

This time i replaced the icesize thermostat with a new one but the hot gas keeps releasing after exactly 1 minute and 50 seconds.
I washed and cleaned the whole condenser and blowed off all the dust .
The pump is working fine.
This is some switch that is malfunctioning .
I have made a picture of the hot gas solenoid valve and was thinking that it may be the problem.
If i replace this valve with another will i lose the gas?
There is some lock on the valve it self .if i remove that lock what will happen?

[Icehouse]

 :)The ice size (thickness control) sends a message to the harvest relay, which energizes the "hot-gas" valve.
The C clip on the solenoid portion is to keep the solenoid from popping off.
You can test this solenoid by removing the C clip ans lifting the coil off the valve stem. Put a screwdriver through the hole and feel the resistance.

[crawling]

Today i purchased a new ice harvest thermostat and installed it on the machine and it was working .
Until it was time to harvest the ice and noting happened,the machine kept running even thought it was time to release the ice.

I then pulled out the thermostat of the sheath to put it under the ice to get it temperture to release the ice but noting happened.

So i thought of installing the old one again to see what happens and did the same thing (Hot gas to early)

Replaced the old one with the new one and did the same thing (hot gas too early)

Now it's not running like the first time when i installed the new one.

What i don't get is why the compressor turns of after it release the hot gas and not restarting to make ice.

 

[JWWebster]

Make sure the probe does not have a kink in it and the bulb is tight against the evaporator plate. Turn it to the lowest (Thinnest setting)