NUTS!!!!!!!

[condenseddave]

Well, specifically, one type of nut.

An Acorn. (Capitalization intentional.)

Anyone here have any brand specific experience with the "Acornvac" products???

Got one going in soon, I've only ever worked on "Jet-vac" systems.

[condenseddave]

Their website (http://www.acornvac.com/index.html), for those of you who might have never experienced a vacuum drain.

I hope it's better than the "Jetvac".:rolleyes:

[condenseddave]

Well, that went well.

Noone has seen an acornvac in service?

Oh boy. It's gonna be a loooooooong contract.:rolleyes:

[hack hater]

Um,is it an ice machine?J/K-sorry man,cant help ya.

[mccool]

Never seen it but heard of it and checked out their website before. Given a choice I would opt for cutting up the floor and installing permanent drain lines. But some installations could benefit from this. Pay me now or pay me later!

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by mccool
Never seen it but heard of it and checked out their website before. Given a choice I would opt for cutting up the floor and installing permanent drain lines. But some installations could benefit from this. Pay me now or pay me later!

It's a remodel, and floor cuts are out. The store is on septic, which can't handle the water load.

I have experience with Jetvac, and would rather have french drains. (Which we do for some of the smaller systems...:( )

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by hack hater
Um,is it an ice machine?J/K-sorry man,cant help ya.

It's not supposed to be, but Jetvacs certainly know how to make ice.

[Dowadudda]

I know a guy who knows these real well I am guessing. I just met him recently. I will try to get a hold of him for you and give him your email, with your permission. This guy evidnetly knows every system out there for vacuum condensate systems.

[condenseddave]

Hey, have him post here.

This is a subject that we're going to see a lot soon, I think.

Might be good to have an experienced guy on the board.

I promise not to hurt him.:D

[Dowadudda]

Thats actually a much better idea. I will call and mention it to him.

I agree. I think Jetvac is working thru its bad parts of it's system, not that I am an expert but I understood that if you had a coil iced and you simply forced deforst, it couldn't take the amount of water.. If you think about it, it's a pain in the ass to cut up a floor in a remodel, plus expensive. You watch this will be in some major plumbing systems very soon. I have yet to see a vacuum system. But I think it was you that was talking about it last year and so I went and read a lot on them. I had an idea for an acount I have. Still working on it. In doing the research I met this dude. I personally like the idea in theory. But if the equipment is crap it'll kill a good idea.

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by Dowadudda
But if the equipment is crap it'll kill a good idea.

Here is my main concern.

I've never seen the PLC that runs this particular one before, either. I didn't get to open the panels and such the other day when I was there to get a good view of this thing, either.

Knowing the older Jetvacs as I do, I'm leery of anythign like this.

I will say this, the machinery is well built and pretty.

[mccool]

Can these systems handle the amount of water used when a case is manually defrosted with hot water hose?

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by mccool
Can these systems handle the amount of water used when a case is manually defrosted with hot water hose?

According to the Acornvac website, theirs can.

Jetvacs have "issues" with this...

[oly]

Check out evac.com click on the supermarket icon. This might help your particular situation. Phone #888-get-evac if you would like a c-d on supermarket system details.
We have not have much troubles with the system, only instalation. The system runs @ 18-21 Hg. Just make sure there are no leaks in the system. Different contractor installed the system.

[raleys-me]

I have been using Evac systems for about 1 year, and am currently looking into Acorn. The major challenges that you will face with any vacuum system is finding a knowledgable installer and service contractor. The system isn't terribly difficult to understand, but the subtleties can make troubleshooting an exercise in frustration. Evac makes a decent product, but as a word of caution, they have let most of their American reps (Supermarket industry)go in the past year. My suspicion is that they are backing out of the supermarket game. So far I've found that Acorn is very similar to Evac, but their components are much cheaper. I don't know that they will be less reliable, but they definitely have cut the cost down by using simpler manufacturing methods. I was able to visit a Trader-Joe's that had an Acorn system, and the building engineer was very happy with it. An interesting note is that Evac an Acorn's components are interchangeable.

[frozensolid]

Vac drains are becoming more common in markets. The controls are just another control for the sparkys to get wrong. When you walk into a store and every case is leaking water, at least you know where to start looking.

They do provide solutions to many problems. These solutions also create many new problems. If you think about it though, the more complex they make it for us, the more they are going to need us.

I think they are here to stay.

[smilies]

Nice to walk in to a lake on the floors when there is a power outage.

[refer dude 2479]

Originally posted by condenseddave

Originally posted by mccool
Never seen it but heard of it and checked out their website before. Given a choice I would opt for cutting up the floor and installing permanent drain lines. But some installations could benefit from this. Pay me now or pay me later!

It's a remodel, and floor cuts are out. The store is on septic, which can't handle the water load.

I have experience with Jetvac, and would rather have french drains. (Which we do for some of the smaller systems...:( )

Never seen this before. Went to the web site and saw this...

When the condensate reaches a pre-set level in the Accumulator, the “CONTROLLER” (2) opens the normally closed “EXTRACTION VALVE” (3) allowing vacuum pressures within the system to evacuate and lift the collected condensate into the piping network. The piping network routes conveniently overhead to the “VACUUM COLLECTION CENTER” (4), where it is discharged to facilities' main sanitary waste line

If your store is on septic and that system will not handle the extra water load where is it going to go from the VACUMM COLLECTION CENTER. I don't mean to razz you I just do not see how this helps you in your store unless you are just putting the condensate down a storm drain or in the parking lot.

[mccool]

Do they make any mini condensate vac. systems?
Recently had to bid on a # of produce island installs that involved connecting to nearest lineup for the refrigeration(on rack) and connecting to nearest drain line for condensate. Was difficult to bid as the customer did not include plans showing existing drain lines in the floor, despite requests for these plans and the reasoning that it would save guesswork and worst case scenario bids they would not comply. I figured that a good idea would be to have a large plastic condensate receiver under the cases that was connected to a vacum unit located under the same cases that the refrigerant lines were run to.
This vacum unit would only be activated when the water level in the receiver under the island case was high enough to warrant a dump of condensate and when the vacum stops the receptacle tank under the vacum could simply free drain to the nearest hub drain under the existing cases by means of a simple check valve that would close under vacum conditions and open when the vacum shut off(sound workable)?This would eliminate the need for 2 separate saw cuts. 1 for refrigerant lines and 1 for the mystery location of the nearest under slab drain line. The refrigerant lines and the condensate vacum could be placed in the same trench.

Don't have to worry about this kind of bidding now though, after 14 years with the same outfit I have switched to a large supermarket chain that does all of its refrigeration through its own internal company, start next week, all supermarket, no invoicing, bidding, restaurant COD, blah, blah, blah.
Hoping the stress level plummets and know the dollars will be the same or more. Still union but get paid for every hour instead of base + commission.

I think a mini evac system like this could work under certain situations. Any thoughts or experience with such a setup?

[condenseddave]

Congratulations and good luck on the new gig.

Next:

The system has been online for a few months. Other than a couple of minor vacuum leaks, causing excess run time until a tech could arrive, it has been trouble-free. The septic handles it just fine.
It was not my idea, so razz somebody else.:p
What would work fine for those islands, would be a sump pump in a pre-fab sump pit. No real need for vacuum, just get a submersible pump capable of a 25' lift, a tub to set it in, then hard pipe it overhead, and down into the other drain.


The Acornvac has been a disappointment only in that I was a naysayer, and it made me wrong. I don't like being wrong. I hate being wrong.:D

[mccool]

Thanks Dave.

The requirements for these islands was for no overhead and visible piping. Guess a sump pump would work though, If I was to try this I would want a large diam. line to the nearest hub drain, thus avoiding the inevitable plugging you would get from smaller condensate pumps and smaller outlet lines.

The vacum operation would help to keep the line clear, though I'm sure it would bring up its own maintenance issues.

[frozenslug]

Got a friend who has just installed several electronic controllers in a vac system. Must be new: http://www.cv-flow.com. Said the pneumatic(sp?) controllers malfunctioned and the vac pumps ran all the time.

I've got a system that I think is Acornvac, maybe an Evac, that beginning to give me headaches. Same problem.

Have any experience with the electronic controllers?

[Dad]

I hope Dave has it fixed by now.

This thread started almost a year ago.

[hvac_czar]

Yeah, no S***... How about a rule against digging in the garbage Lusker? :D

[Dad]

Digging up garbage is what I do best :)