Generic TXV for Scottsman?

[GenesisRefrig]

I just chose the cartridge for the size I was working on, braze it in, and done. It worked just like OEM..

[davidadavis]

I just chose the cartridge for the size I was working on, braze it in, and done. It worked just like OEM..

Great! I am not terribly surprised it works. The bulb charge issue is the biggest part of it, and that is resolved with using that one.

How do you know which cartridge/orifice to use? They don't put that info on the OEM valves normally.

[davidadavis]

I guess to discuss further we'd need to know how much overlap of txvs there are for the different machine capacities there are. Do you know if the kit was tailored for one manufacturer over another?
I would guess ice o matic / scotsman

Back to this. It is not about orifice size / capacity, I am sure you could figure out which orifice to use. It is about the bulb charge as I wrote to Beer.

As for which OEM they are made for. Danfoss got into the US market via Manitowoc, but it is the same basic ICE valve that they sell to all the Ice manufacturers. Just different part numbers and SH settings.

[itsiceman]

Back to this. It is not about orifice size / capacity, I am sure you could figure out which orifice to use. It is about the bulb charge as I wrote to Beer.

As for which OEM they are made for. Danfoss got into the US market via Manitowoc, but it is the same basic ICE valve that they sell to all the Ice manufacturers. Just different part numbers and SH settings.

I'm positive the only reason they switched away from sporlan was the corrosion and resulting leaks. Now it might be different with all the changes in efficiency for Mani but I don't believe the other ice machines changed that much you couldn't just drop a typical balanced port txv in. Danfoss needs some serious help with their solenoid valves. Another one of those parts I believe they changed to stop leaks.
I have wondered why danfoss valves (not ice specifically) can't maintain sh like a sporlan. Is it due to this bulb charge?

[Gleng]

A danfoss valve is poorly constructed !!!A small little spring loaded cartridge VS. sporlan push rods.I like the stainless power head on Danfoss,but not the internal parts.Sporlan should make a valve with a stainless power head and bulb, that would be a great valve!!!!No corrosion problems.

[Gleng]

It's a shame what Scotsman is now making.The Prodigy is such a piece of Junk!!!Scotsman used to make a good ice machine!!I hope they can make a good machine in the future to-replace the prodigy!!!!Lots of cheap plastic parts, that easily break-even when an experienced person is just cleaning it!!!!

[davidadavis]

I'm positive the only reason they switched away from sporlan was the corrosion and resulting leaks.

1. Sporlan never had much ice machine marketshare. They switched from Alco to Danfoss.
2. For sure the corrosion is a factor. Might be why they switched from Alco to Danfoss rather than Also to Sporlan, but it was primarily warranty issues that prompted the switch. Danfoss TU assembly line is far more automated than either Alco or Sporlan.

Now it might be different with all the changes in efficiency for Mani but I don't believe the other ice machines changed that much you couldn't just drop a typical balanced port txv in.

It is about the bulb charge as I have discussed. You for sure can't put a typical Sporlan TXV into a cuber and get it to work. Absolutely not.

Danfoss needs some serious help with their solenoid valves. Another one of those parts I believe they changed to stop leaks.

I left Danfoss about a year after they recalled their solenoid valves. My primary customers were the supermarket guys, and Walmart was a mess. So I don't fully know what their resolution was.

I have wondered why danfoss valves (not ice specifically) can't maintain sh like a sporlan. Is it due to this bulb charge?

I have also personally had problems adjusting Danfoss valves as a tech. However, every lab tech and engineer I worked with said they did not have that problem. And every lab report I have seen, in refrigeration, ice, AC, industrial... shows that Danfoss and Sporlan have almost equal SH control. Not really sure why we as US techs have issues with them, but I suspect it is familiarity.

[itsiceman]

Didn't hear about a recall. They should on the little ice gas valves.

I know they make machines to perform in wide range of conditions but the vast majority are not in any extreme.

Thanks Genesis for offering your experience with those valves.

[navyguy1]

First I will say one of the reasons I don't just "throw" the information out there is that I did sign a NDA. Granted, I am sure at this point Sporlan knows exactly what is going on in a Danfoss Ice TXV... but still.

It is not as cut and dry as you are saying, but in general you are right. Normal TXV don't actually have the exact same gas in them, but they have gases that together accomplish that. And you are right that these valves have cross charge that act as compressor protection while reaching the energy efficiency standards. The gas in the bulb is different, and there is an absorption "brick" in there similar to what is in MOP valves. But it is it's own thing. There is a reason Danfoss dominates the ice machine business. Of course Sporlan could make Ice TXVs if they wanted, but standard valves just don't work on modern machines so they would have to invest to compete.

This is why you can't use generic TXVs. In standard refrigeration there is a wide range of SH under which the equipment will function and the compressor stay safe. There is a tolerance range that is achievable to hit with the equipment we have on our truck, human error etc.

Ice machine... even if you had a valve with the right bulb charge, hitting the SH tolerance would be difficult. Add in the different bulb charge... it's what makes it a NO with capital letters.

Would the fact that its a flaker and not a cuber make any difference? Thats what this Scotsman does is just push out the flaked ice from the barrel.

[navyguy1]

Plus this machine is a flaker. Not much to it. No big load changes. No harvest.

Excellent point. I can see a generic TXV not creating a uniform sheet of ice over the evap plate but because this is just a flaker I wouldnt think the SH requirements would be as demanding

[davidadavis]

Didn't hear about a recall. They should on the little ice gas valves.

Oh those solenoids... I think they did a good job on those. The OEMs wanted a cheap valve... they got a good value for the price they wanted in my opinion.

[itsiceman]

Oh those solenoids... I think they did a good job on those. The OEMs wanted a cheap valve... they got a good value for the price they wanted in my opinion.

So you are a ME?

Sounds like something a ME would say

We don't find them clear cut bad. They work when they want to. Intermittent problems all over the place. I could see them sending the valves back a someone could say they work fine actually.

[davidadavis]

So you are a ME?

Sounds like something a ME would say

We don't find them clear cut bad. They work when they want to. Intermittent problems all over the place. I could see them sending the valves back a someone could say they work fine actually.

Not an engineer, a tech. But I also understand things from the OEM perspective, and seen the warranty statistics.