Follett Horizon argggh. Long, but bear with me.

[dudeabides]

I don't work on ice machines much, but I think I have this one all screwed up. We had one going off on head pressure. I restarted the unit and checked it and had 300#. It's a water cooled Follett Horizon. Based on the touchy feely test I had cool water going in, I'd say about 75* and I had hot (not warm) water coming out. The strainer was clean. I stupidly tried to adjust the water regulater valve and it didn't help. (You know the water regulator valve that has the big piece of tape over it that says "do not adjust?" Yeah, that one.)

So... to buy time, I told them I suggest cleaning the condenser and getting a new water regulator. I came back and to clean it and change out the water regulator. I only took out about 9 oz of gas where the total charge is 15oz. Hmm. I put in the new regulator and leak check. I can't find anything. I start the unit and attempt to charge and I can only get the whole charge in before my head starts going up to 250# What's wrong??? Still hot water coming from the condenser outlet. It's making ice, so I'm going to leave it for now.

While looking at the unit, I see 1/4" OD copper feeding the condenser water lines feeding it where the connections are 1/4"npt. Ha!, I figure I have it. Tell them I'm going to repipe it, I think that's the problem....

I come back and repipe it. It doesn't help. I come to find out that I put the valve in wrong. I put the new valve in the same way as the old valve. I have since thrown out the old valve, so I can't verify. But I know I'm right. Ha! I figure I have it again.... Nope. I flip the valve around. I can get the whole charge in now, but my head is 325 -350. The rise across the condenser is way better though. What's going on here?? I'm thinking maybe noncondensibles?

[VTP99]

What refrigerant & what was your water pressure ?

[dudeabides]

404a and 90# water pressure. 150# is max.

[VTP99]

Did you get a low side pressure reading ?

[VTP99]

Whats the model # ?

[VTP99]

Looking at there 400 & 1000 series i see a 90* max. water temp. & 70 psi max. water pressure.

[dudeabides]

hcc1000w

[dudeabides]

that's potable water, condenser water is 150

[VTP99]

that's potable water, condenser water is 150

Yes that's correct i looked up the model and found this info.
70*F water = 225 psi.
80*F water = 231 psi.
Factory set @ 230 psi. +/- 15 psi. @ 70*F
Also the line size is correct @ 1/4"
What happens when you adjust the water regulator ?

[dudeabides]

3/8 od. Nothing happens when I adjust it. Tech support has told me that if you adjust the reg, it should be replaced. That doesn't make sense to me.

[sgagne199]

I agree because if it has been working fine before and you have to adjust it to make it work again with different settings then something has obviously failed in the valve to mess it up.

[VTP99]

I agree because if it has been working fine before and you have to adjust it to make it work again with different settings then something has obviously failed in the valve to mess it up.

Or water pressure / temperature has changed.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

Doesn't the internal workings of the water valve automatically compensate for water pressure, water temperature, and flow rates? Isn't that the point of having the water valve in the first place?

PHM
------

Or water pressure / temperature has changed.

[VTP99]

Doesn't the internal workings of the water valve automatically compensate for water pressure, water temperature, and flow rates? Isn't that the point of having the water valve in the first place?

PHM
------

Compensate for water pressure no. Water temperature no. Water flow YES.
By adjusting the screw the control pressure of the valve increases or decreases.

[VTP99]

3/8 od. Nothing happens when I adjust it. Tech support has told me that if you adjust the reg, it should be replaced. That doesn't make sense to me.

What did tect support say about cleaning the water condenser ?

[duguay320]

Have you verified that you're getting proper waterflow through the condenser? Also if you use standard 5 or 6 foot hoses you will throw the unit out of charge every time you gauge up on it.

[dudeabides]

This all went down on Saturday. Now it's Tuesday. At least it must still me making ice because they would have called. Somebody suggested that maybe I messed up the charge. 404a's a blend right? I reclaimed the gas to make the original repair, but then used the customers virgin 404a to recharge but couldn't get it all in. Then when I went back to finsh, the virgin stuff wasn't available, so I used what I reclaimed. I charged liquid, but maybe something got screwed up a long the way.

[Snapperhead]

If you claimed and re-used the gas, who knows what gas that might be .... the last person who touched the unit could have topped it off with anything he had on the truck. Head pressure jumping up like that makes me think so ...

You might have to purchase a bottle of 404