Defrosting cases by hand

[james264]

Just wondering among the vast knowledge here has anyone come up with any quick ways to defrost iced up exaporator coils ????????Had a Hussmann display case the other day Damn near used 20 gallons of hot water on it .Defrost timer went no electric defrost or hot gas defrost on this unit it was a medium temp. display case.off cycle was the defrost .Then last week used the hair dryer on the dessert case frozen solid any ideas other than a can of gas:eek:

[k-fridge]

http://www.easysmileys.com/img/violent_flamethrower.gif

[james264]

Ha ha HA LOL where the hell do you guys come up with this ???Ask A serious queston and I get this :D Pretty funny !!!!!!

[k-fridge]

The only fast way I know of is to use water. Hair dryers or torches just don't have the heat energy to melt the ice very quickly. Next best is probably just to kill the refrigeration and let the fans run.

Oh, sorry for the flamethrower...couldn't resist.:D

[james264]

Thanks I about pissed myself laughing !!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[jcrank]

TurboTorch

Just don't melt or catch anything on fire :eek:

[akpunkacr]

hot water is the quickest means to melts ice, water transfers heat alot better the air does...

[icehouse]

hot water is the quickest means to melts ice, water transfers heat alot better the air does...
Well I guess you haven't heard the candidates. LMAO

[-frozen-ocean-]

plugging up the drain and letting the hot water melt some colis in some cases is a good idea.when warm remove what ever you had plugging the drain and start over. a torch with a nice size feather works not bad on walk in evaps.

[cybercontadino]

Hot water works quickest. Try one of these garden hose nozzles with all the different spray patterns. "Mist" works great...lots less excess water runoff. Use "Flat" to cut out sections of ice. Of course you need to get a garden hose to a hot water connection possibly at the hot water heater drain valve. This is usually not a problem in restaurants.

[hillbilly tech]

Hoter the water the better,just make sure your drain is worken,Ive had to thaw out a many of a freezer and cooler glass doors and walk ins,the only way to go.

[the mojo]

Hot water works quickest. Try one of these garden hose nozzles with all the different spray patterns. "Mist" works great...lots less excess water runoff. Use "Flat" to cut out sections of ice. Of course you need to get a garden hose to a hot water connection possibly at the hot water heater drain valve. This is usually not a problem in restaurants.

You are correct. Sometimes when draging out a long Goodyear hot water rated (hint, hint) hose gets in the way,and you don't have a 3/4 hose connection close by.... pick up some hose thread adapters at any decent hardware store and also have on hand a shorter hose. Great for W/Is and frozen up Hoshizaki I/Ms.:mad: :cool:

[alpha480v]

Hot water is the best. Can be messy, but nothing quicker or better IMHO.

[subcooled_]

Hot water as stated.

[frozensolid]

I would agree that hot water works the fastest, but I use cold.

My reason is? I don't want to have to deal with a snow factory in that box tomorrow. With hot water you are saturating that box with humidity. The added latent load is going to slow recovery time also.

[frigetater]

hot water in a pump up sprayer....sometimes a hose if faucet is close by

[refrige-nate]

8lb sledge hammer and some choice four letter words:D

[IceMonster]

I see the most of the users recommend the hot water method. Just to add my ten cents worth. It would depend on force air convection or natural convection. If the unit has evaporator fan. I would open the door allow the evaporator fan to transfer ambient heat into the evaporator. The natural convection type system then hot water is the best method.:)

[mccool]

90% of the time hot water is the answer. As mentioned quality hose, know where your case drain is and clear it first. In supermarkets it is usually at 1.5 OT to melt ice:D, take your time and get it all!!!

Large walk-in freezer though, water could be difficult, don't hand that tiger torch to just any apprenti., good luck.

[icehouse]

90% of the time hot water is the answer. As mentioned quality hose, know where your case drain is and clear it first. In supermarkets it is usually at 1.5 OT to melt ice:D, take your time and get it all!!!

Large walk-in freezer though, water could be difficult, don't hand that tiger torch to just any apprenti., good luck.

Did that with a "seasoned" mechanic once. He put a hole in the coil.:(

[RedRock]

2 Gallon Garden Sprayer...

[FlatTire]

Well what is 2nd best then. For less say a walk in freezer with no drain. But walk-in is below -5 degrees?

[crackertech]

I use a small 115 vac submersible pump and a trash can on wheel's
to deice coils be it glass doors or walkins it's better than draging a hose
around.

[gas_n_go]

I use a small 115 vac submersible pump and a trash can on wheel's
to deice coils be it glass doors or walkins it's better than draging a hose
around.


Cracker you may already know this this little trick but when I use to do your job I would use the bakery cans like your saying but only pull the center pan, plug the drain with a rag, fill the case with water right up to the motors. this clears the ice all the way to the back wall. easy way to check if your deiced is by the water temp if its ice cold water repeat the process. just make sure it wasnt a clogged drain that iced you up in the first place, lol.

[markettech]

I would use the bakery cans like your saying but only pull the center pan, plug the drain with a rag, fill the case with water right up to the motors.

........and hope like hell all the seams are sealed so you don't have to mop the floor.......:D

[markettech]

Large walk-in freezer though, water could be difficult, don't hand that tiger torch to just any apprenti., good luck.

Quick funny story:

Back in June, I got called out to a convenience store on a Sunday night - walk-in freezer was warm

Well, the shift leader's husband had done some refrigeration work years ago:rolleyes: and as soon as I arrived she informed me that the "blower thing" in the walk in was iced up.

I enter the freezer just in time to see her husband putting the finishing touches on setting up a turbo heater (that he brought from home) on one of the racks......pointing it directly at the coil - sitting within 2' of the evap.:eek:

Wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gotten there when I did:D

He was PO'd at me because in his mind this was a perfectly acceptable (and the most efficient) way to defrost the coil........

[frank slusher]

heat gun and turbo torch, its hard to use water when box is still below freezing or the product has to stay cold.


"if you get in there and can't get out, your gonna wish it wasn't there"

[FlatTire]

Lets say that you are working on a system that has a hot gas bypass on it but is set to only be used when the weather causes the high side pressure to lower. The system either uses fans or elements to defrost.

The evap is iced up badly. Would it be okay to energized the hot gas bypass to cause it to defrost or are there reasons why one shouldnt do that?

If i do do this should i do it for short period of time to make sure that their is no liquid going to the compressor, or should i just do it until all the ice is gone cause the ice will vaporize most of the liquid?

Or should i just keep it simple and use the boring messy hot water.:cool:

[markettech]

Lets say that you are working on a system that has a hot gas bypass on it but is set to only be used when the weather causes the high side pressure to lower. The system either uses fans or elements to defrost.

The evap is iced up badly. Would it be okay to energized the hot gas bypass to cause it to defrost or are there reasons why one shouldnt do that?

If i do do this should i do it for short period of time to make sure that their is no liquid going to the compressor, or should i just do it until all the ice is gone cause the ice will vaporize most of the liquid?

Or should i just keep it simple and use the boring messy hot water.:cool:

Generally speaking, its always a good idea to run the system into defrost while defrosting the coil....in fact, on a freezer, I'll go so far as to pull "X" off the clock while doing so.

Now, the hot gas "bypass" of which you speak - I am not familiar with. Is this a single compressor with hot gas defrost?

We have a convenience store chain in this area (Kwik Trip) that swears by single compressor hot gas and energizing defrost heaters with 115V in defrost. Personally I've never understood it, and never been a fan of it......but it must work, or they wouldn't be continuing to install the new stores this way. And I'll add that these compressors sit outside......and our ambient temp in the middle of winter gets pretty damn cold:eek:

If you are, in fact, using hot gas........I would think you'd want to use it during higher ambients when the gas can actually do some good and defrost the coil......not in low ambients when the unit is struggling to maintain minimum head pressure......I dunno:o

[FlatTire]

Bare with me my vocab is not the best. I am talking about the hot gas bypassed that is used during times of extremely low ambient. I am from jersey many techs dont feel as though these are needed they rather cut them out then replace them and put a fan switch that shut off the condensing fans during the winter times instead.

And i am not talking about a specific case just in general i am talking about walk-ins that have such a set up but uses other means to defrost the coil.

Most of the condensing units seem to come with these hot gas bypass valves that take hot gas out of the liquid line before it gets to the condenser on freezing days.

[markettech]

Bare with me my vocab is not the best. I am talking about the hot gas bypassed that is used during times of extremely low ambient. I am from jersey many techs dont feel as though these are needed they rather cut them out then replace them and put a fan switch that shut off the condensing fans during the winter times instead.

And i am not talking about a specific case just in general i am talking about walk-ins that have such a set up but uses other means to defrost the coil.

Most of the condensing units seem to come with these hot gas bypass valves that take hot gas out of the liquid line before it gets to the condenser on freezing days.

Could you be talking about a Headmaster by chance?

If indeed you are, the headmaster has no effect on defrost whatsoever.;)

The function of a headmaster valve is to stack and divert refrigerant as needed to maintain minimum head pressure during low ambient operation....which is MUCH more effective than fan cycling in my opinion.

Again, generally speaking, you want to at very least shut the refrigeration system down while defrosting the coil.....but you may as well force a defrost on a freezer and let the heaters (or gas on a rack) help you.

Here (http://www.sporlan.com/90-30.pdf) is some information on the valve I believe you are talking about..........it's an OROA

[FlatTire]

Yes headmaster that is what i met. I wanted to know if i were able to open one of those, could, should i use it for defrosting the Evap.

I have never ran into problems with headmasters.

Tell you the truth i dont think i ever seen a walk-in that used hot gas defrost all the freezers that i can remember used elements.

[markettech]

Yes headmaster that is what i met. I wanted to know if i were able to open one of those, could, should i use it for defrosting the Evap.

Ummm..........No.

You need to do a little reading and studying my friend;) Hit the link to Sporlan's website in my previous post and bone up.


I have never ran into problems with headmasters.

And you very rarely will.........they are fairly trouble free.


Tell you the truth i dont think i ever seen a walk-in that used hot gas defrost all the freezers that i can remember used elements.

Unless your working on a parallel rack system, you probably won't run into hot (or cool) gas defrost.

[FlatTire]

Hmmm after thinking i think for the hot gas to work it has to come after the TXV.

This is why I should not ask questions about hypothetical problems, cause i never can imagine the system correctly:(.

Naa it has just been a minute since i have worked on a system. I was also thinking if i froze up that bulb on the headmaster i might be able to open it up but i dont think that, that would be worth all that work, and again the TXV will still be there.

As far as headmaster go i usually just touch all three lines to make sure that gas is going from the headmaster to the condenser and not leaking into the the receiver.


I should of thought more before posting the question.

[markettech]

Hmmm after thinking i think for the hot gas to work it has to come after the TXV.

This is why I should not ask questions about hypothetical problems, cause i never can imagine the system correctly:(.

Don't beat yourself up too bad......it takes a while to get a grasp on this refrigeration stuff (heck, I don't know what I'm talking about better than 50% of the time:D)

..............unless you've been in the trade for a long time - then go ahead and beat yourself up:D:D

[FlatTire]

Don't beat yourself up too bad......it takes a while to get a grasp on this refrigeration stuff (heck, I don't know what I'm talking about better than 50% of the time:D)

..............unless you've been in the trade for a long time - then go ahead and beat yourself up:D:D

Been do it for 5yrs though i am not happy with my work on more common types of refrigeration.

[gas_n_go]

Been do it for 5yrs though i am not happy with my work on more common types of refrigeration.

Reading through your posts you do not sound like a 5yr guy. I dont know what type of training you have been getting and what kind of responibilities you have had over these 5yrs but it's time to improve them if you want to improve yourself. Im not trying to insult you please take this advice for what its worth. You need to learn correct terminology for instance a discharge line is not a Liquid Line, A head Master is not a style of defrost. The better you describe stuff the better answers you will get to build off of. Read everything you can get your hands on.

[badbillr]

I use one of them coil-spring looking hoses with a multi-pattern nozzle. Also setup wet-vac for over-all clean up. If this is a Hussmann open-face display with dual fan motors in the front, blows air up through the back-- check or replace fan motor(s) and blade direction. Smallest amount of restriction of air flow will cause ths case to freeze over once about every 2 weeks. Had one give me 2 call backs, stood & watched it for 40 minutes and then saw #2 fan motor running about half speed. replaced both and set time clock and temp control to spec. Got that info from their web site using a google search on the model # of the unit.:)

[thegoodhumorman]

An apprentice (doh!), a shop vac, and cold water if a FF case, hot if a W/I, and not too much pressure either...

or put it in HG again...;).