follett LC12 ice makers

[gsxrsquid]

Okay what is the secret to these puppies?

We have a number of these machines and they are always tripping on overcurrent (M20 LED) We have cleaned them checked them and checked the amps which often never get to the listed shut off point. There appear to be no binds in the system and we have even changed the ice hose which wasn't kinked but could find no other reason for this. As always, any help is appreciated

[2sac]

Did you just run cleaner thru them or completely disassemble the auger/evaporator? I was instructed by Follett to clean the evap with a green scrubbing pad soaked in regular ice machine cleaner. Nicklesafe will not clean their machines properly.

[gsxrsquid]

we have pulled the auger to make sure everything was clean. Made sure the auger wasn't dragging on the evap because of bad bearings. Replaced the bearings on one and it still does it. Not the Hoshizaki cleaner though right? Don't want to eat it up. When I get in Monday I'll strip it down again and try a find scotch brite pad and cleaner and polish the evap. They seem to be VERY sensitive to the amps and there is no grace zone. Not easy like the hoshi. Thanks for the tip!

[2sac]

Yes the Hoshi cleaner. Not the Manitowoc cleaner. Follet tech support told me specificaly not to use nickelsafe.

[cswenson218]

Could it be the wheel in the ice bin? I just replaced one where the wheel assembly in the bin that feeds the auger self destructed. The whole motor and gearbox got skewed off center and the plastic wheel just got torn apart. The wheel motor had enough torque to turn the wheel when the bin was close to empty but not when all that weight was on it.

[gsxrsquid]

When I pull it apart to clean it I was going to check the gear box and drive as well. It only makes a couple pellets before it trips though.

[frio]

Is the compression ring in correctly?

[jackintheboxtec]

Replace the gear box...

[refrepairman]

Don't mean to drag up an old thread, but I've got one doing the same thing. Replaced the bearings and still tripping. Customer says it makes a sqeelinig noise also. I have not heard it make any noise and the current is never higher then 1.8 amps. Trips at three amps. Thanks for any help in advance.

[HellGato]

yes would be nice if the poster follows up the thread with what they did to fix it or not..

[gsxrsquid]

Sorry about that! I replaced the evaporator/auger assembly and it works fine now.

[refrepairman]

Hum.... This one looks to be in great shape.

[MicahWes]

It should be noted that there is no Follett LC12. The icemaking equipment is most likely a 12CI400A, or similar. I work on hundreds of Follett countertops, remote Maestro's and Horizon's, and the new 7 and 15 series machines, as well as their beverage dispensers. The ice machines are not very sensitive in regards overtorque situations. A moderately dirty evap won't even stop them. I will tell you some of the things I run into that cause overtorques somewhat regularly:

-Worn ice transport tubes, especially in large ice/water machines that have a sharp bend just before the tube enters the storage bin. You can usually hear the ice binding in the tube.
-Ice compression loop left out of auger topside. Won't run long at all.
-Partial blockage of ice transport tube due to a piece of the inside wall of the flexible tube getting shaved off by the metal fittings they slide over leaving the flap inside the metal fitting but still attached to the tube. I have seen this a lot lately.
-Bad bearings. They have to be pretty bad though. Marginal bearings will generally not cause overtorques.
-Bad or low oil in gearbox. I had two machines in December that had no oil in gearboxes. Neither of them had any evidence of oil leakage but had been in service for a long time. Adding gear oil to them restored them to service.
-With the new, smaller Horizons, there was a manufacturing defect with a large batch of augers that causes regular torqueouts. It is too complicated to explain why here and without photos, but if you have a brand new Horizon 700 that is having torqueout issues, Follett will tell you what to check and then send you a new auger. I think all these machines have been installed and fixed now though.
-Failed bin controls in specific models.

[refrepairman]

Thanks. I will check the gearbox and transport tube. This thing is driving me crazy. It will run for a day with no problems and then trip multiple times in a row. And never when I'm there. Just going off maintenance guy telling me. I have yet to see the thing draw more than 2.0 amps. I loaded it up and am bringing it to the shop so I can check on it through out the day.

[gsxrsquid]

I have gone nuts taking amp readings and the control board is so sensitive that even a quick transient will set it off. I guess Follett wanted to shut it down before the evap got damaged but I have seen them screeching with the evap chewed up and never pull enough amps to trip.

[refrepairman]

I've had it in the shop for two days and it hasn't missed a beat.

[few2many]

Don't forget, the potential start relay on top of the gear motor. If you have one that trips the amp safety a few seconds after stat up, it may be the relay. It's sometimes intermittent.

[trippintl0]

It should be noted that there is no Follett LC12. The icemaking equipment is most likely a 12CI400A, or similar. I work on hundreds of Follett countertops, remote Maestro's and Horizon's, and the new 7 and 15 series machines, as well as their beverage dispensers. The ice machines are not very sensitive in regards overtorque situations. A moderately dirty evap won't even stop them. I will tell you some of the things I run into that cause overtorques somewhat regularly:

-Worn ice transport tubes, especially in large ice/water machines that have a sharp bend just before the tube enters the storage bin. You can usually hear the ice binding in the tube.
-Ice compression loop left out of auger topside. Won't run long at all.
-Partial blockage of ice transport tube due to a piece of the inside wall of the flexible tube getting shaved off by the metal fittings they slide over leaving the flap inside the metal fitting but still attached to the tube. I have seen this a lot lately.
-Bad bearings. They have to be pretty bad though. Marginal bearings will generally not cause overtorques.
-Bad or low oil in gearbox. I had two machines in December that had no oil in gearboxes. Neither of them had any evidence of oil leakage but had been in service for a long time. Adding gear oil to them restored them to service.
-With the new, smaller Horizons, there was a manufacturing defect with a large batch of augers that causes regular torqueouts. It is too complicated to explain why here and without photos, but if you have a brand new Horizon 700 that is having torqueout issues, Follett will tell you what to check and then send you a new auger. I think all these machines have been installed and fixed now though.
-Failed bin controls in specific models.

Very informative, thanks!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[COOLJIM]

x 2, thanks

[jdaugrefer]

On pins and needles here!! Is there a resolution yet?