This was a service call on a Hoshizaki ice machine that had a 3 beep safety caused by a low refrigerant charge. But it wasn't so easy to find due to some inaccurate information from the customer at first.
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This video is brought to you by spore'ln quality, integrity and tradition. Before this video starts. I want to give a little context real quick, because I don't know if I quite explained it correctly in the video itself. I had a service call in the ice machine, not working.
The customer said that they've been having an issue for a couple weeks now, where every morning when they come in, they have to reset the safety limit on the circuit board. Okay, so the Hoshizaki ice machines have a safety if it does something wrong inside the machine it has like. You know, I think it's like four or five different things that it will shut the Machine down and give you an audible beep to tell you why it shut off okay, but with the Hoshizaki machines once you reset it, it's done. It doesn't save a history.
So the customer had been resetting it themselves. I didn't show them, but someone else did show them how to reset their board, so they reset it. And then they called me out and said: the machine is beeping every morning and then the first thing that I asked them is how many times was it beeping and they were like. We don't know, and then they finally got a hold of someone and that person was adamant.
It only beeps one time every morning only in the morning, so that kind of led me down a path when you guys will see that actually wasn't the case. Okay, so it led me down a little path and I started investigating why it would be beeping one time which is high, evaporator temperature. Okay, so you guys will get it and then I'll see you guys in the end and give you a recap. Today's service calls on a hoshizaki ice machine, that's not working properly, and the complaint is is that every morning they have to hit the reset button, and the problem is, is that it's already been reset and we don't know how many times it was beating.
So I wasn't the one that resented it was the customer, so I got to open it up and try to figure it out. But what's curious to me is that it's full of ice, but they said every morning it's making it consistent. She thinks it's one beep question, you know we don't know for sure, which is one of those things we run into. Sometimes I can be a problem when people reset things, but so we got to figure out why we're full of ice and what's going on here, so what I'm gon na do is cycle it off on the game stack.
Remember I kind of ignore the first one. So long as it doesn't take too long 22:23, it's taken quite a while, but again the first usually takes the longest, and it's every time after that that you really want to pay attention to about 30 seconds. Let's see how long it takes to turn on grab it with your hand, warm it up three seconds turn it off again: one-mississippi two-mississippi three-mississippi three seconds one. So it's three seconds off three seconds off.
I mean it's like it's working, it's very interesting, but it's peculiar that it's full of ice. We do have very low water pressure, but it's not horrible. It's about twenty psi, and but still I don't like how low that water pressure is. This is the difficult things when they reset them. We run into these problems or we got to try together. I was curious if we have hot water come into the machine, but I'm not nonsense Annette. Whenever we have a warm evaporator. I always want to check to see if we have plate separation, so grab the stationary tube right there and try to move it up and down and see now-adult mistake just the Flex.
That naturally happens, but you don't want to see this tube right, get moved within the evaporator, so usually just grab them to push up and you will get separation on older evaporators I'll just check them all. But usually you want to do it when the evaporator is warm so right in a defrost like right now it's just turned on, so we just went into a freeze mode right now, so yeah this is very peculiar. I don't know this beeping that there the machines have a safety limit, but you know I didn't get to hear it. Interestingly enough, they say it only happens first thing in the morning right when they walk in and if you look at that, we've got a whole bin.
So I have a theory that they've got a hot water mixing valve. That is bad and it's allowing hot water to come to the machine. I've seen this happen or and you'll only see it in the morning, because when nobody's using any water, the machine will it'll be the only thing using the water and it'll send hot water and shut off and they're saying they're only hearing one beep. So you know it's a possibility that it could be a thermistor or a hot gas valve stuck on.
But if that was the case, I would think it would be happening during the day too, and they said it only has been happening for a couple weeks now, and it only happens first thing in the morning a single beep is high, baffert or temperature, which makes Me think that they have hot water going to the machine, but right now there's not hot water, it's 72 degrees, but it just makes me wonder at nighttime, if they're getting hot water to this machine again, I'm just kind of taking guesses here and so I'm investigating The hot gas valve - and it doesn't feel like it's bypassing, doesn't feel clicking by plaque and we'll say you look at the bottom of those hot gas lines right there. There's oil on them looks like there might be oil and there was a droplet a minute ago that I grabbed with my fingers. So I'm gon na do a quick lead check, see if we've got a refrigerant leak, possibly on my hot gas. Well, I'm checking the hot gas dog.
It's got ta be there, but it's interesting. I could see oil on this valve too, and I'm thinking. I believe that in here on this one for sure I can reduce so my colleague to carry common balloon, and I put some bubbles on this one over here for the lifetime, and I might see a few micro clusters popping up on this one. But I'm telling you there was oil all over this valve which, like I said, there's a history of these things leaking. So if I change that liquid line solenoid valve, which is the one down below I'm - probably gon na change this one to just because of the high weight great that they now I'm trying to move the stem around to see. If I can get it fully, careful other thing before is popping up tiny bubble right Afghanistan that just appeared when I kind of moved so I'm pretty confident there's a leak there, but my fear is, is I still don't know what this again they're saying single beat? I mean a leaking hot gas valves, not gon na cause it to run high evap temp. So I don't know. I really want to hear this beeping sound, but I already know that we have leaks, attempted to come back first thing tomorrow morning and reset it myself.
Just so I can hear which safety is going on. What I did was. I turn the Machine off turn it back on. That's gon na force it into a harvest.
We crossed all the water off. I mean all the ice off the operator and I'm gon na. Take pressure readings hoses off. He wants you to take pressure readings at the five minute mark and it should match up to their tech spec book, so we're gon na wait for the cycle to start once the water pump turns on.
That means that we're in the free cycle, then we'll uh, we'll wait five minutes and then we'll take a reading of the pressures and then compare it to the book just to confirm that was low on refrigerant. That's I'm pretty confident we are. The unit is currently still going through its harvest and again we've got a warm refrigerant lines coming into the evaporator at the moment. That's the thermistor, which is tucked back in here.
It's this little wire right here the moment that the thermistor senses the certain temperature. I can't remember that number off the top of my head and then when the water pump turns on that's the moment that a machine actually no it's got. It takes one more second here, we'll know when, when the hot gas valves turn off, then we'll know we're in deep rough alright, so the hot gas valve turned off water pumps now running and we're gon na start. Our timer and the five minute mark we'll check our pressures so we're looking low on our head pressure, our suction pressures, kind of on point, which is a little disconcerting because I'd like to see both of them low to really validate low refrigerant charge.
But we know we have a leak because we're picking it up. I'm still concerned, though, because I didn't see the safety limit that they're resetting, so I I don't think I don't really have time to come back tomorrow, but what I'm gon na do is I'm gon na call them and have them call me before they reset it? That way, they can tell me exactly how many times it was beeping that'll make me feel a little bit better and I'll. Make sure too that when I quote this, I'm going to cover my ass basically and just say we got to fix these problems first before we can go any further. Well, that's! Well we're just going to submit a quote. I got all the information model and serial number how much refrigerant we're gon na change liquid lines. Solenoid valve liquid line, dryer hot gas valve I'll change, both strainers, I'm sorry, the single strainer in both check valves. What do you know? It wasn't a single beep. After all, it's a three beep so we're here to go ahead and make these repairs today.
So I've got all kinds of parts and we'll see what we can do. There's been a couple weeks since I've been out here and you can see that there's clearly still oil all over that and then also back there's clearly oil all over that valve. So these solenoid valves - I don't know what it is lately they've, been having a history of leaking, so we're gon na start by hooking up the mega flow kit to make for a faster recovery, we're gon na recover from these guys on the hoses. You have to do a three-point recovery unless you open up the silliman valves, which I'll probably end up doing that.
Definitely we're sure look at that inlet to the dryer and you'll notice, a puff of smoke coming out of it right at the tail end. That's because this entire time, while I'm fitting unbrace in and then braising everything in, I have got nitrogen purging through the system to try to help. Now, I'm not a perfect technician, I'm not always brazing with nitrogen, but in certain situations when I can, I do and it definitely helps so that way. I can make sure that I can pull a better vacuum and make sure that you know we don't get any contaminants that we don't need to in the system.
Okay, everything is braised in I'm gon na do one last little check and then we're going to give it a purge with nitrogen and then get the vacuum pump running and then we'll start doing the electrical and hooking everything up. I'm just going to do one more solid watt. Look over so make sure that uh we didn't miss anything. I really do like the feature on the field piece: VP, 85 and there's a similar feature on the appian tez 8 to where you can do the on-the-fly I'll change.
So in my situation I started my evacuation. Let it pull down to, I think, two thousand or a thousand microns, and then because I could tell the oil was getting kind of cloudy went ahead and did an on-the-fly oil change. That way, I could get a much deeper vacuum and one of the things too, on the VP 85 vacuum pump. Is you have the gas ballast too? So even before I got down to, I think I think up to 2000 microns I had the gas ballast open.
Then I closed it got it down to a thousand microns, then change the oil so anyways, but yeah. I really like that feature on this pump and I have no affiliation with field piece other than occasionally testing products for them, so take it for what it is. Now this is a very important piece of advice that I can give you in that, while I'm working on the Machine, I got all my equipment there. The customer still needs ice okay, so I'm keeping on top of instead of getting annoyed by them. Coming to me saying: hey: can we get ice too we get ice. Can you move your ladder, the entire time as I'm working, I'm filling their ice buckets for them, putting them to the side they come and grab them, and whenever I notice they're empty, I fill them again. It seems like hey this isn't my job, but it saves you time in the long run, because it keeps the customer from asking you at the long time to move your ladder. In my situation, I've got my vacuum pump sitting on top of my ladder and if I let the customer move it, someone would get hurt so always think about the customers best interest.
It's gon na make you look like a better technician. It's gon na make everything operate more efficiently and more smoothly. Alright, so we just hit the five minute mark sixty 277, so a little bit high on the suction pressure, but much better compared to what it was before we're gon na. Let it run a couple cycles.
The book says for a hundred degrees, the most 59 and three, the lowest 2:30. So I would imagine our water temperatures somewhere in the 70 degree, not that at all, so I'm just gon na watch. It make a couple batches ice and then start cleaning up. My messes, the rides, are gon na, go quickly, check hitting all the welds check the rest of the machine, so we're good so we're just gon na let it run the best.
We've started our new free cycle, so this is what we're at so we're. Gon na head write those numbers down, so we had a to then at harvest, go ahead and reset and start and then at the five minute mark we'll do this again check the pressures ride him down, make him up make sure we get good ice coming out Of this machine make sure it makes it a couple times before we leave all right. We just finished our second freeze cycle and I'm waiting for the harvest to complete everything's. Looking good.
The timing is looking a lot better, so we had a 36 minute freeze cycle. The refrigerant pressures were pretty much on point with what the manufacturer says. They should be often times when you start these up and after it being off for so long, you'll run the first cycle. You almost want to like wipe out of the picture and then just pay attention to the second and third cycle, so we're just waiting for this guy.
So what I do is I hit laughs so that cycles are harvest stops and this will be. It will tell them to keep an eye on it hot gas lines, so we have laughing our time and then hit stop now. Thirty-Six minutes and thirty, six and a half minute freeze cycle and two and a half minute harvest cycle. So that's why I like doing these papers go so we're good, we're gon na call this one quick.
Sometimes we run into these things where you know the customer leads us down that path and we spend some time investigating when, in fact that wasn't the case. Okay, the customer was mistaken and it was actually beeping three times, I'm okay with customers trying to reset their own stuff. You know flip circuit breakers, whatever, but there's a lot more. That goes into it than just flipping the switch oftentimes customers. Think. Oh, it's simple I'll! Just reset it and move on when in fact, they're causing themselves more trouble. Now it wasn't a huge amount, but this made me spend more time on this job because I was investigating something that they told me happened when, in fact it didn't happen in this situation. In a perfect world, had the customer not gotten into their machine and reset it and just called me the first time, maybe we could have saved them an hour of me troubleshooting some some stuff.
Ok again, it's not the end of the world. I don't mind, I'm not upset it just made me think a little bit harder and made me look at the problem a little bit more, but you know everybody's free to do whatever they want to their own equipment, but there is repercussions sometimes ok and Hoshizaki machines. This is a common thing, you know, people will and you know, get on the internet look up a YouTube, video or something on how to repair their own equipment, how to troubleshoot their own equipment and sometimes they could be making it harder or more time-consuming for the Service technician that inevitably will usually come out and end up, troubleshooting and or repairing the equipment. Ok, so again, nothing against people that want to try to troubleshoot their own stuff, but give me the tools that I need give me the information that I need if you're gon na reset it in a situation like that, the customer, in my opinion, should call me And say: hey my machines going off, I'm gon na reset it is there anything I should check and then I say: ok do me a favor.
Tell me how many times it's beeping then hit it reset and then usually I would tell them. If it happens again, you need to call me. I usually give it one shot same thing with a circuit, breaker. Ok, this is a safety thing, but with a circuit breaker I tell the customer: don't ever reset a circuit breaker more than once, if you're gon na do it, you know cuz customers want to reset things, and I said if you have to reset a circuit breaker.
I prefer them not reset it, but if they are do not ever reset a circuit breaker more than once, if it trips again there's something wrong, you don't sit there and keep resetting it. Okay same thing: on this ice machine, the customer said you know, hey it's been doing this for a couple weeks, we've been resetting it we're just tired of pushing the button. Okay, obviously there's something wrong there. In this situation, they probably didn't cause any more damage, but in some situations they can cause more damage and end up costing themselves more money. So you want to be very careful, or you know I like to instruct the customers to be very careful to make sure that they're not resetting something like this. So that way they don't cost themselves some more money. Okay, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to watch these videos. Do me a favor leave me some feedback.
Let me know what you think. Okay am. I are you a customer watching these videos? Am i completely wrong and telling you guys to be careful about resetting stuff? I am interested in your feedback. Let me know: okay, if you're a technician watching these I'm interested in knowing what you think I could have done better, how you would have done the job differently.
I love criticism. I love reading things because it gives me a different perspective and it helps me to approach problems in a different way. Possibly okay, cuz. Maybe you guys have something to add to help me with my troubleshooting skills.
So please please. Please leave me some feedback down in the YouTube comments. If you guys don't already know, I do live streams Monday evenings at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time to discuss these videos just like right now.
I definitely usually go over the comments. All the comments that you guys have sent me, I pick the best ones and I address them live there's also other ways to get a hold of me. I'm available on Instagram. I have a Twitter I'm available on Facebook.
Just look up HVAC our videos. You can email me hvac our videos at gmail.com or put comments down in the youtube comments. I try to address them on the live stream and then also there's there's a whole nother section to the live stream. The live chat that's going on.
Then. I get new questions so come check out the live stream. Let me know what you think. I really appreciate it other than that we will catch you guys on the next one: okay,.
Iโm working on a ice machine thatโs getting 1 beep but even if i do a reset it still wonโt go off and itโs also not coming on..
thanks for the vid sir. well done
I charge $85/hr for my handyman service. I'm thinking about a second tier price, if the customer went on Youtube and tried to fix themselves first.
Great work.could you assist in explaining the problems as it relates to ice harvest prematurely..this machine of mine is harvesting in 20 min.and the cubes are half the size.
great video
You would think with the prevalence of cell phone with cameras, that someone (the manager) could have taken a short video clip of the machine beeping before they hit the reset button, and to show the status (amount of ice in the bin, any messages on a display etc)
Hot water migration. 127 degrees on the thermistor. But I agree about not going further until the beeps are definite. 3 beeps….many possible causes but low charge is the most common. As an aside, looking at the incoming water line, on a self contained unit when the water line is coiled up like that near the condenser, for the 30 to 35 minute normal freeze cycle, hot air is being blown across the coil and when first calling for water, that heated water can trip the thermistor.
Always amazing to me to see copper pipes glowing red! You could have had them call you when it was beeping so you could hear the beeps over the cell phone. Or they could record it and send you the audio.
It's better to sniff with the unit off.
I dont think that I ever heard you say what the 3 beeps told you about the machine??
A Data Acquisition Module that records temperature is useful. Attach it, forget it overnight, and download the data in the morning.
Chris your one hell of a technician! I'm always amazed at your outstanding work and attention to detail. I wish I could pick up on refrigeration faster I wish I could work with you for a week or 2 to take back home some knowledge.
I love his videos
Great to see you braze with nitro. It's becoming more of a common thing here in bay area especially with filter dryers and metering devices going bad often. A lot of companies are doing it to save the techs time on pumping units down or recovering units just to change the the 2 parts. Good practice and you know your giving your work a good workmanship stamp. Are you in Barrhaven ?
I know you go out of your way to protect your clients, but I have to admit that I love to try to figure out what restaurants your are servicing! Especially if there drawer coolers are all scummy…๐ Service area Orleans??
Love your vids bro, but what sense does it make to do an electronic leak check after the repair? Isnโt that what nitrogen is for?
I'm retired ( happily ) and do occasional little side jobs out of boredom … But the extra time also let's me watch and enjoy all these trades vids … Much appreciated Chris …
๐
You are professional! Are you in Orleans ?
HOW stupid are restaurant and cafe people???
They are the DUMBEST SHITZ IN THE WORLD!
I GAG! and I am totally sympathetic Are you in Kanata ?
Definitely very thorough in your diag. Keep up the good work.
Not a tech. Not a customer. Not a potential customer. Just enjoy this kind of stuff. I mostly focus in auto/electrical but I love your video style and problem solving process.
When this sort of crap happens, get the customer to phone video the issue and send it to you.
Dame that machine is loud.
Nice video thanks.
The last hoshi I had that was beeping, I literally got three different answers. They reset it. First person I asked, one beep, second person, two beeps, third person, three beeps. No joke. Now, I don't ask, just check out the machine.
Great advice at the end
Is that a Reciprocating or rotary Compressor? Service area Barrhaven??
Agree 100% but I have noticed those valves seem to leak more when energized. Are you in Nepean ?
Thank you, I spend 1 month to troubleshoot Hoshizaki ice machine, because the customer mislead me ….
So the 3 beeps were directly related to the leak?
This video was great like always.
Would be handy in each video to mention how much time it took to troubleshoot it and how much time to fix it. Tnx Service area Ottawa??
Thank you for having a short and long version I know it takes a long time to edit the thank you and like your hat ๐ฉ
What was the three beeps code?
So the shortness in gas caused the unit to go on long freeze?
You are great at your job man. I never miss a video
I have been bitten by second hand information once or twice. This is why I have trust issues.
Great video chris, only thing I would have done different is when they called an said we reset it, I would have told them to call me when it happens again, an do not reset it. I've learned that most of the time the info the customer gives me is not completely accurate.
I'm not a tech, nor am I a customer, but for some reason, I like watching your videos. Keep up the good work!
Kind of like gschultz video with a long and a short version, if your into that sort of thing. I know this is more work, but is it a format you plan to do again?
They are notorious for leaking solenoid valves…. have changed a few but it was the hot has ones… never got a remote one…
Good bro ๐
Nice vid chris.