If you go to Youtube and search for...

Manitowoc Neo UY0140A-161B

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•Nov 24, 2019

That's the video I made. Thank you!

 

I'm not entirely familiar with this exact Manitowoc model and I don't know what kind of trough water fill controls it has, but if it has a dump valve, make sure the valve isn't leaking water during the ice-making mode. Doing so, if it has a fill valve, will allow warm water to enter the water trough and mix with the cold water coming off the evaporator coil during the ice-making mode. This will cause uneven ice buildup on the evaporator coil like we're seeing in the first photo. Watch the drain during ice-making and see if you have an abnormal amount of water coming out of the drain other than ice melt from the bin. Again, I'm not familiar with this particular machine and its sequence of operation, so what I'm suggesting may be completely wrong.

 

Thank you for the reply! Hey, any help is appreciated! It does have a dump valve... Manitowoc Ice 000014062. The whole thing doesn't make sense. The machine was working fine before the cleaning. This baloney happens just about every time AFTER it gets cleaned which makes no sense and frustrates me! The ice build up issue happens after a cleaning and always works itself out and it has this time as well. That build up issue is gone, however the thick bridge issue remains. I replaced both the Harvest and Ice Thickness floats with no improvement. This has to be something so simple and goofy. Just a machine with a temper? I took it apart again today and put it back together again and the thick bridge still remains. I was thinking maybe a issue with the Magnetic Bin Switch (Manitowoc Ice 040002393)??? Who knows! Solenoid valve??? Again I say none of this makes any sense because it worked fine before the cleaning and it pulls this baloney after just about every cleaning. As my friend who is a car mechanic said... if it happens after a cleaning then don't clean it haha.

 

Weak compressor. Get a bigger one this time.

 

Funny! At that point they might as well just get a whole new machine. It's been a good machine except it gets like this after cleanings. I'm stumped! Were you able to find and and watch the Youtube video?

 

Yes. I saw a long freeze and long harvest.
You can adjust ice bridge by moving the front float lower. There is another lower and higher setting around the left side of needed. If the machine isn't level it could take in too much water.

The cycle you showed doesn't appear to be hanging up anything like a hot gas valve. Long freeze and no heat for long harvest. Looks like a weak compressor from here.

 

I appreciate your input! The ice thickness float is usually in the default factory position which is the middle setting, but I already moved this one to make the thinnest bridge... the lowest setting to the far right. The lower and higher setting around the left hand side you speak of would be the harvest float... There are 4 settings there (4 notches) and I have it in the correct position according to Manitowoc which is the second to last notch from the back. The way the bracket is made, from what I have experienced, there are only two spots out of the four notches it can be mounted to there... where it is now where Manitowoc says it should be and a spot closest to the front side, but that's not the correct spot and it would interfere with the ice thickness float... practically butt up against it.

I replaced both floats with brand new ones. The machine is level... it hasn't moved from the exact spot it was installed in, not even moved a hair. If it was a weak compressor then why wouldn't this issue have cropped up before the cleaning? This baloney only happens at times after a cleaning and sanitizing. It makes no sense and it's frustrating. Normally it works itself out, but not this time. The build up of ice on the evap issue is gone, however the thick bridge issue remains. I was thinking low gas, but then again if it was that it would have been happening before the cleaning. It's like it's off it's rhythm, like the cycle is out of whack.

 

Take the water trough out and have a look. Harvest float goes on the back two nubs where the stainless hook sits right over the water trough lip. There are two more front left corner you can hang the water float on that are one higher than the three on the front face and one lower than the three on the front face.
If you clean the filter or condenser you will have a cooler running compressor. Discharge needs to be hot enough at end of freeze to melt the ice off the plate. Also the more it runs the more heat will be available like you were saying it used to work itself out.

 

I spoke directly with Manitowoc tech support and as I thought... There's only one position, only one nub the harvest float should be installed on and it's the second to the last one on the left. That's exactly where I have it installed. The tech said he has no idea why they ever put four "nubs" on that side because only that specific one I spoke of can be used. My guess... that trough is probably used with some other model(s) that may require a different position, but that's just a guess on my part.

The filter and condenser are clean as a whistle. Those are things I do at each cleaning which is every 3-4 months. The area the machine is in is very clean to begin with.

Manitowoc tech support is trying to convince me to replace the harness to the floats... Manitowoc Ice 040002052 Harness Wire, Low Voltage.

 

Full thick slab is not low on charge.

 

Do you have a level and a DMM

 

Yes I have a level and a DMM

 

Have you tried raising the harvest float ?
Installed this one last month.

 

I spoke directly with Manitowoc tech support and as I thought... There's only one position, only one nub the harvest float should be installed on and it's the second to the last one on the left. That's exactly where I have it installed. The tech said he has no idea why they ever put four "nubs" on that side because only that specific one I spoke of can be used. My guess... that trough is probably used with some other model(s) that may require a different position, but that's just a guess on my part.

 

What's your water pressure. If too high you'll overfill. The guy you talked to probably wasn't on the design team or around back then either. The guy who was on the team isn't even working there anymore. This "tech support" told you he doesn't know why it's there but it IS there lol. I'm telling you you can use the first lower nub closest to the corner on the left side for a thinner ice thickness. If you are a tech you are focusing on the wrong cause being the cleaning. Use your DMM to check the float/wire harness. Stop parts changing. It's doing this right in front of you. Take the bin off and use the test mode.

 

The water pressure is fine, nothing has changed with it. The machine worked fine until the cleaning. I can't explain it, but after just about every cleaning it flakes out and usually fixes itself within a day, but not this time.

Techs Barry and Steve at Manitowoc both confirm I have the HARVEST float in the 1 and only position it should be in which is mounted to the second to lowest nub on the left hand side of the trough. Buddy, trust me, the float bracket will *not* mount on that lowest nub, it's impossible. I can make a video for you showing you it's impossible if you'd like. The nub you speak of is too low for the bracket to slide over and lock into place. Now it could mount to the one higher nub, but for one it shouldn't be there and two if you did place it there it would butt up against the ICE THICKNESS float. I greatly appreciate your help, I truly do, and you are knowledgeable, but I'm telling you, it won't mount to the nub you speak of.

You are right... I do need to check the float wire harness. No doubt about it!

 

Works perfectly just how it is. I've had no complaints.
Don't believe everything you're told.

 

Those cubes are too thin!

 

Yes it's true the factory wants you to use those front setting.
Obviously as you saw in my picture I've moved it to the left.
Why ? Because the bar tender's kept hitting it with the scoop.
I still get a 1/8 " bridge using the left side.

 

itsiceman could use that diagram LOL!

 

Can you quote my posts where you misinterpreted their meaning please?

 

First off telling someone to get a bigger compressor is ridiculous in this situation.

You: Take the water trough out and have a look. Harvest float goes on the back two nubs where the stainless hook sits right over the water trough lip. There are two more front left corner you can hang the water float on that are one higher than the three on the front face and one lower than the three on the front face.

Me at this time: No, the harvest float is to be positioned on 1 and only 1 nub which is the second to the last one. The other 3 nubs are not to be used and that comes straight from Manitowoc which is something I already knew. FYI, 2 of the 4 nubs on the left won't even accommodate the float, but go ahead and knock yourself out trying.

Me: I spoke directly with Manitowoc tech support and as I thought... There's only one position, only one nub the harvest float should be installed on and it's the second to the last one on the left. That's exactly where I have it installed. The tech said he has no idea why they ever put four "nubs" on that side because only that specific one I spoke of can be used. My guess... that trough is probably used with some other model(s) that may require a different position, but that's just a guess on my part.

You: The guy you talked to probably wasn't on the design team or around back then either. The guy who was on the team isn't even working there anymore. This "tech support" told you he doesn't know why it's there but it IS there lol. I'm telling you you can use the first lower nub closest to the corner on the left side for a thinner ice thickness.

Me at this time: Again you can't mount it to the nub you are referring to, it's impossible. Again, knock yourself out trying though. Here you are saying the Harvest float controls the bridge thickness.

You: Dude the harvest float is fixed... Doesn't move from the back mounting position.

Me at this time: Now you change your story and say it's fixed where before you said it could be moved to other nubs, specifically the "first lower nub closest to the corner on the left side for a thinner ice thickness." I'll say it again... it's supposed to be mounted to one specific nub which is the second to last one on the left, not the very last one because it's impossible to mount it there unless you don't want it to snap into place as it should.

You: Ice thickness is controlled by the front float. The high it is mounted more water is allowed to fill the trough. There are five adjustment nubs you can chose.

Me at this time... Now you change the story and go from the harvest float controlling ice thickness to the ice thickness float controlling the thickness LOL. Well at least you got it right this time... yes the front float, the ice thickness float does control the bridge thickness. Only thing you got wrong is there are 3 adjustment nubs, not 5.

Like I said... I don't know what game you are playing, but play it with someone else. You must have a lot of time on your hands... very sad. Thanks and have a great day!

 

Would like to see his level, water pressure gauge and DMM too.
If you need them they are all out in the truck

 

As for the extra tabs, where was Mani to put them other than the left side. There's no room left in the front. Just saying ....

 

As for the extra tabs, where was Mani to put them other than the right side. There's no room left in the front. Just saying ....

Something would be out of wack if the other two were needed but it's an option.

 

I've been pretty nice. Don't know why he seems to be getting amped up.

 

Some people take this $hit to serious!

 

Harvest starts around 18 mins in.
2.5 mins after that vacuum seal is completely gone from behind the ice. Takes another 30 seconds to slowly drop after that.

70°/50° book time for this machine is
10.2-11.7 min freeze

Yea it's too thick but I still see dimples.

 

From what I heard Mason Rudolph started it !!! :D:

 

 

Cinco

 

Does this have a thermistor? Early neos had an issue with them failing and causing freeze ups and manitowoc said unplug and remove or cut thermistor out “they may still warranty it”. Later one did not have them and newer ones do that aren’t an issue.

 

Thank you for the reply! This one does not have a thermistor. I got the issue corrected, and the bridge thickness is back to normal! I thought I was out of the woods, but a few days later I got a call that the cleaning light on the pad was coming on for no reason and flickering and now the cleaning light is on all the time.

 

The original poster may have other issues, but after working on truckloads of Neos now, some general advice for everyone:

-If it has a trough thermistor, remove it permanently on machines from 2018 or older.
-Thick ice: The floats rarely fail, yet are frequently replaced. Check the bin switch, especially on 2018 and older machines. Attach a mulitmeter and cycle it 50 times. If you see any resistance reading about about 0.8 ohms or more ever, replace the switch. This solved 90% of my thick ice/double slab problems.
-Thin ice/short freeze: check with bright flashlight that water isn't tracking out of the trough, especially along the right side of the trough, tracking down the rear wall. These can be tough to stop, but I've had good luck with a super thin smear of clear silicone behind the bottom extrusion under the evap plate, and sometimes a silicone film on the right hand damper arm.


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Thank you for the reply! This one does not have a thermistor. This unit was manufactured in 2014. I got the issue corrected, and the bridge thickness is back to normal! I thought I was out of the woods, but a few days later the cleaning light on the pad was coming on for no reason and flickering. The flickering went away as quickly as it came, but then I got a call that the cleaning light is now on all the time, but the machine is producing normal ice. The board shows lights on... compressor, bin switch, floats all good and cleaning light is NOT on despite the cleaning light on the pad being on.

I appreciate the tips and should check on the bin switch at some point.

 

Touch pad is another sticky wicket. Water pump impellers were weak early on but I think they changed suppliers.

 

I replaced two dead neo touchpads this week. They weren't misbehaving, just completely unresponsive. It could be that the touchpad connector on the control board is damaged if someone ever tried to pull off the bin without disconnecting it first. The Neo service manual has the test procedure for basic tests of the buttons using your ohmmeter. If the touchpad is whats bad, you have to replace the entire door frame. It isn't as expensive as I thought. I recommend changing the harness too. The new harness will come with like 12 butt connectors as they expect you to cut the new harness and fish it through the bin wall then reconnect the conductors. I take a small screwdriver and release the molex pins from the connector, fish, then replace the pins in the connector. Make careful notes of wire colors, obviously!

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Our Manitowoc NEO has been great for a couple years. However this summer it started making really thick bridges, I checked the Ice Thickness Float (its on the thinnest setting on the front (right side) I also checked the Harvest Float, its in the right position in the back left. (I haven't MM then yet to see if the operate correctly)
I cleaned the whole machine with the Sanitizer (5 years at MacDonalds - did finally come in handy). Still getting super thick bridging on the ice. Checked the Bin switch too, seems to be OK and allowing full cycle of ice.

the machine is level (hasn’t been moved in 2 years), I cleaned the condenser filter too, still no dice or ICE releasing, just one solid block. It seems like the heat cycle is shorting cycling to release the ICE. Any ideas, I have the the tech manual, a MM, and can read schematics (22 years as a Army technican working on HF/VHF/SATCOM/CCE devices from (Field Support to Depot level)... but the ICE Machine which looks super simple has me stumped. I need a good flowchart to check test points and time each cycle to see which element is failing, also I think it might be the compressor, its operating in a weird surging cycle or at least the fan is doing that (runs WOT( Wide Open Throttle) then slows, then WOT, then slows). May pull power tonight and let it sit, it seems this board can hold a memory and maybe that will clear it out. Also getting a flash on the service (red wrench) on power up that goes away. Could be a faulty keypad, but I dont know yet without testing everything. Also sent a note to local pro here in Manassas VA, when ahead and ordered new harvest float switch and ice thickness float switch, will replace and check, if that does fix it, I'll return them. I did notice a constant rapid drip from the water supply, but believe the issue must be this - Ice Machine Does Not Cycle Into Harvest when Water Loses Contact with the Harvest Float Switch.

 

If there is a water trough thermistor unplug it and see how it runs