Chapter 6
Aluminum H-, F- and B-Type Evaporators
(Horizontal, Flat, Bin Type)
6:1
Location
All types of evaporator need to be located as high as possible in the icebox to maintain the correct
temperatures, with consideration being given to access to the interior freezing section in the H and B-
type.
Special attention must be given to the fact that air flow must be allowed to circulate to and
from the rear of the evaporator plate.
This necessitates leaving a gap of approximately 1” between
the top of the evaporator and the roof of the box, and similar spacing at the lower edge. In conjunction
with this, it is important that the ¾” spacers provided be used to offset the evaporator on all points
from the icebox wall. Additional spacers may be fashioned from wood, hose, or similar material, if
required.
The H- and B-types may be mounted in any position. The F-type
must
be mounted with the indicator
arrows pointing upwards, on a vertical wall, and with the refrigerant channels running in a horizontal
orientation.
Do not alter the orientation of the tubing and/or tubing components secured to the end of the
evaporator plate. Do not remove any securing zip ties, or attempt to straighten the tubing.
6:2
Bending Instructions for flat plates:
The F-type flat evaporators may be carefully bent on a minimum 1.5" radius to follow the shape of the
icebox. This is best done by holding a section of suitably padded PVC pipe (with an outside diameter
of 3.0" or greater) firmly down on the plate, and then carefully bending the section upwards with the
palm of your hand. The stainless steel plates need more force to bend and may require the assistance of
a second person. This must be done slowly and with great care to avoid excessive kinking of the
channels in the evaporator. Never attempt to bend a plate downwards over a pipe, as damage may
result. The area to be bent should be warmed with a hair dryer or heat gun to approximately 200
F
before bending, in order to prevent the paint from cracking. There are sections of the evaporator that
must not be bent, and these are indicated on the Bending Sheet included with the evaporator. If the
Bending Sheet has been misplaced, a replacement can be obtained from Coastal Climate Control.
All F-type evaporators can be mounted with either side facing inwards, including the 380F
which has one smooth side and one with channels. F-type plates with a stainless steel cover must be
mounted with the stainless side facing inwards.
6:3
Installation
All evaporators have approximately 9' of copper tubing attached,
with dust-plugs in the end
fittings that must remain installed until the very last moment when the connections are ready
to be made.
A 1.5" hole needs be drilled in the wall of the icebox, as high as possible, and
through successive bulkheads, as required. Carefully unroll the tubing, feeding it through the
holes to the area where the compressor/condenser is located. Any bends that need to be
fashioned in the tubing must be made carefully with as large a radius as possible to avoid kinking.
Excess tubing should be carefully coiled up
outside of the box
and fastened out of the way in a
horizontal orientation.
One tube is made intentionally longer than the other to enable as small a
hole as possible to be made in the box wall, bulkheads, etc. and this allows the couplings to be fed
through one after the other. When the tubing run is complete, carefully fashion the longer tube so
that the two halves of the coupling can be easily connected. Some evaporators have fragile
sections of aluminum tubing close to the body of the evaporator that must be handled very
carefully. Warnings to that effect are attached to the evaporators in question.
