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Author: Subject: Wanting to repurpose old ice machine
chefportal
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[*] posted on 28-10-2020 at 21:19
Wanting to repurpose old ice machine


Hi, I have an old ice machine that would like to use as a water cooler. i will post picks is anyone has an idea to get it to work.

Thanks in advance

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I have a PID controller i can use to turn on and of, looking to bypass the electronic circuit board as its screwed up
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wg48temp9
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[*] posted on 29-10-2020 at 02:26


The first thing to do is check it can actual get cold.
Disconnect the control board and determine which wires go to the compressor. If it has only two wires + an earth then connect them to a power lead and only those wires.

Turn on the power and you should hear the compressor start and you may hear sounds of the refrigerant and oil moving thru the pipes. Eventually the silver finger thing which I assume is the ice making part should get cold and frost should form on it.

If that happens you have a working cooler. You then have to work out how to flow the water you want to cool round the cooling fingers.

Above assumes the solenoid valve you can see in the copper piping is a valve used to allow the hot compressed refrigerant to the fingers and it is closed.




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Dr.Bob
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[*] posted on 29-10-2020 at 06:33


If it makes ice, I would just put some copper coils in the ice compartment, and then circulate your coolant through them with a small water pump. You might even change the water drain to allow a certain height of cold water to build up in the ice compartment, so as to improve the heat transfer to the coils. Or just plug the drain (or raise it higher for flood control) and then pump the water directly from the ice chamber. It looks like the ice area may be cooled, so if that is true, it will be hard to do that, as the ice will stay cold and freeze hard, thus not allowing flow. That is why I like the coils with some anti-freeze coolant in them. That way the ice maker will not need any modification.
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chefportal
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[*] posted on 30-10-2020 at 21:17


Thanks WG48 will have a play
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[*] posted on 31-10-2020 at 08:55


Quote: Originally posted by chefportal  
Thanks WG48 will have a play
Your welcome.



I am wg48 but not on my usual pc hence the temp handle.
Thank goodness for Fleming and the fungi.
Old codger' lives matters, wear a mask and help save them.
Be aware of demagoguery, keep your frontal lobes fully engaged.
I don't know who invented mRNA vaccines but they should get a fancy medal and I hope they made a shed load of money from it.
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