I've got a Manitowoc Series 150 Icemaker, and the last problem I have to fix on it is achieving the proper balance so that it's far enough back that the water coats the ice tray enough to get ice cubes forming (and doesn't drip out over the front of the trough), and far enough forward so that the ice cubes actually drop out of the top and down into the bin.
No matter how much fiddling I do, during the harvest cycle the ice cubes still seems to drop part-way out of the tray, but get stuck on the bottom and the whole sheet of cubes just leans out onto the top of the water curtain, but isn't at the right angle to swivel the plate out of the way in order to let the cubes drop out. (like this ---> |// )Then a new cycle starts, water cascades over the stuck sheet of cubes, and pours down into the collection bin - melting any ice successfully formed. :(
So, I use up a lot of electricity and still get no ice. I've fixed EVERTHING else on this machine, just not this. Very frustrating.
So then, something strange happened. I was doing P/M - cleaning the ice machine, removing scale, and cleaning the ice tray (nickel plating is a little spotty in a few places).
After I rinsed out the machine and tried to start it up, at first, the water pump wouldn't run in the freeze cycle, and then one it finally started up, it would shut off after a few seconds (CLICK - sounded like the harvest cycle started.) The next day - it's freezing ice again, but the cubes are still not dropping. Weird. Could have been something to do with the ice bridge probe... Happy that it sorta ''fixed itself'' and I can manually drop the ice and at least get SOME - but still troubled that it's not working quite right.
Great suggestions, the only issue that could be making a minor contribution to the problem is the water curtain hole where the plastic pin expands into is cracked -so I fixed that with cyanoacrylate.
I had a distributor ask his HVAC guy, and they didn't have much to suggest except adjusting the ice bridge thickness. I wasn't sure what that would accomplish since the whole sheet was releasing, just not falling into the bin, but I turned the adjustment screw down 2 full turns (!) until the ice started to fall into the bin in a sort of haphazard fashion. I levelled the machine as a baseline function test before doing that, but it wasn't working reliably enough. Tilting the machine forward helped to provide enough momentum to the falling sheet to have it function pretty reliably for the past several weeks.
I have photos of the Ice tray, showing clear vacuum-release holes, some flaking of the plating, and the style water curtain used.
Not sure how to post / link to those ... The grids are secure, and the evaporator is in there solid.
But thanks for all the thought and helpful input. It might all help me get this dinosaur up and running the NEXT time it fails!
Great suggestions, the only issue that could be making a minor
contribution to the problem is the water curtain hole where the plastic
pin expands into is cracked -so I fixed that with cyanoacrylate.
I had a distributor ask his HVAC guy, and they didn't have much to
suggest except adjusting the ice bridge thickness. I wasn't sure what
that would accomplish since the whole sheet was releasing, just not
falling into the bin, but I turned the adjustment screw down 2 full
turns (!) until the ice started to fall into the bin in a sort of
haphazard fashion. I levelled the machine as a baseline function test before doing that, but it wasn't working reliably enough. Tilting the machine forward helped to provide
enough momentum to the falling sheet to have it function pretty
reliably for the past several weeks.
I have photos of the Ice tray, showing clear vacuum-release holes, some
flaking of the plating, and the style water curtain used.
Not sure how to post / link to those ... The grids are secure, and the evaporator is in there solid.
But thanks for all the thought and helpful input. It might all help me get this dinosaur up and running the NEXT time it fails!
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The thickness probe should be approximatly 1/4 inch off of the evaporator.Sounds like you might have loose grids on the evaporator.turn the unit off and remove the curtain.use a flash light and inspect the grids.There should not be space in between the joints,if there is the ice will freeze behind the grids and not properly release when in harvest. Also gently pull at the grids,if they pull towards you or wiggle then they are separating. I have removed one of the grids and had the unit continue to run for sometime until the evaporator could be replaced.The plating being spotty causes release issues as well.Finally check the level of the machine,front to back and side to side.Not being level will also cause release problems
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If ice is formed but will not drop just pour hot water over the cubes. Or the teeth that push out the ice are getting stuck, in that case hold down the on switch to advance the teeth manually.
Hollow cubes are caused by not having enough water in the ice mold. Fill it up manually by pouring water in it and see how the cubes turn out. look for an adjustment behind the plastic
endcover with a +/- on it. - is less water. + is more water.
Try swapping the wires on the dual water inlet valve. Then
try the water dispenser. The water should go to the ice maker. This will tell
you weather or not the ice maker valve is working and if the line is clear.
There is a screen filter before the water inlet valve in the water line. It can get partially stopped up with sediment blocking water flow.
Pour about 1/2 cup of water into icemaker ( unless ice is already there ) . If the icemaker dumps the cubes , then the water valve is bad . If it doesn't dump , and holds the frozen cubes , replace the icemaker . Also check your coils to make sure they are clean from dust , lint , etc . Check the fill tube going to the icemaker , to make sure it isn't frozen with ice . If it is , then watervalve is still bad (leaking ) .
As I understand it, My manual says that it is usually a drop in water pressure to the Ice maker. Some sediment could be in the water inlet causing it to NOT fill up all the way when the timer shuts off.
the apparatus that distributes the water into the tray had been knocked out of balance when taking the tray out. We pulled the ice maker and replaced the apparatus back in it's proper location .
Normally, when the temp of the icemaker gets to about 14 degrees F, the icemaker goes into the harvest mode, turning on the mold heater and attempting to eject the cubes. When the heater has warmed the mold sufficiently to release the cubes, the ejector can continue and push out the cubes, then the icemaker fills with fresh water to beging to make a batch of ice again. Manually starting the cycle as you have done only allows the cycle to start without the temp sensor seeing the 14 degrees. The mold heating generally takes a couple minutes. If your mold heater or the temp sensor are not working, you will have to replace the icemaker, as they are not available as a repair parts.
if the reed switch is not tripped at the end of the harvest cycle it will shut down. when ice drops it hits a cover with a magnet on the right bottom corner. the ice falling moves the magnet away from a switch and lets the sequence reset and start over.
Something is holding your Ice Slab at the bottom from your description. Some causes are 1 Dirty - scaled up evap, or just dirty w muddy covering, 2 the vacuum breaking holes are stopped up If it is making a sla whith the evaporator warm no ice take a flashlight and hold it where its shining to the back of the evap and look for the light on th cube forming slots next to the ones your shining the light into Upper corners of each hole must be open. 3 The slab is freezing uneve most like cause is a stopped up distributor tube at the top thats feeding the water down the evaporator. 4 On some models thay had a closer fitting water curtian (the cover in front of the slab) and the top of the sheet touched this and caused the slab to stay uprite and continue the "slide" forward.If your curtian is of the older style and has metal hooks on it with verticle slots n the curtian look at the slots and see if the slots are worn making the whole curtian slide down ward I have seen this several times.4B On some older models there is also a plactic coated wire diverter on the bottom infront of the evaporator. If the palstic coating is gone or the bottom or is not even, the slab could hang up there. 4C If you have the newer plastic pins make sure thay are seated in the mounting properly. 5 Nickel plating could be comming off (any copper color on the lower 1/3 of the evaporator?). 6 I have seen some of the horizontal plates them selves be loose and not in flush try pushing and pulling on them especially the ones at the bottom. ANy that are loose and comming out is your problem. This lengthy extrapolation is by no means all of the possibilities but most of the common ones. If this helps you solve your proble please rate me accordingly. If it leads you to the correct and completed repair WOULDNT WE MAKE A TEAM?? And Good luck to you.
Great suggestions, the only issue that could be making a minor
contribution to the problem is the water curtain hole where the plastic
pin expands into is cracked -so I fixed that with cyanoacrylate.
I had a distributor ask his HVAC guy, and they didn't have much to
suggest except adjusting the ice bridge thickness. I wasn't sure what
that would accomplish since the whole sheet was releasing, just not
falling into the bin, but I turned the adjustment screw down 2 full
turns (!) until the ice started to fall into the bin in a sort of
haphazard fashion. I levelled the machine as a baseline function test before doing that, but it wasn't working reliably enough. Tilting the machine forward helped to provide
enough momentum to the falling sheet to have it function pretty
reliably for the past several weeks.
I have photos of the Ice tray, showing clear vacuum-release holes, some
flaking of the plating, and the style water curtain used.
Not sure how to post / link to those ...
The grids are secure, and the evaporator is in there solid.
But thanks for all the thought and helpful input. It might all help me get this dinosaur up and running the NEXT time it fails!
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