Vogt TUBE-ICE P-118F, Service Manual

Page: 29 / 115

P118F Service Manual
INSTALLING YOUR TUBE-ICE
®
MACHINE
1/6/09
3-6
Air-Cooled Condenser Installation Instructions.
Certain installation guidelines must be followed
to obtain reliable operation from air-cooled ice machines. If these guidelines are not followed, the
compressor warranty will not be honored by the manufacturer. Any exceptions to this policy must
be obtained in writing from the manufacturer prior to installation and operation of the ice machine.
1. Outdoor condensers must be installed with vertical air flow. Indoor condensers used for heat
recovery may be installed with either horizontal or vertical air flow.
2. The preferred condenser location is above the ice machine with liquid refrigerant draining freely
back to the receiver with no traps in the liquid line.
3. If it is absolutely necessary to install the condenser below the ice machine, certain conditions
MUST be met. The refrigerant connections on the condenser must be no more than 8 feet below
the refrigerant connections on the ice machine. The return liquid line from the condenser must
rise no more than 12 feet before dropping back down to the elevation of the ice machine. When
the condenser is located below the ice machine, expect a 16 psig increase in head pressure and
3% reduction in capacity.
4. Flooding head pressure controls such as Alco Headmaster are not to be used since they cause
excessive subcooling of the returned liquid refrigerant and interfere with reliable ice harvest.
5. The discharge and liquid lines must be insulated with 1/2 thick Armaflex insulation or equal.
6. Horizontal runs in the discharge line should slope 1/4” per foot in the normal direction of flow
(away from the ice machine).
7. Traps must be installed in discharge lines at the base of all vertical risers. There should be no
intentional traps in liquid lines. Trap volume should be kept to a minimum. Typical details are
shown in FIGURE 3-4.
8. Use only ACR grade copper pipe, Type L. Recommended line sizes are shown in TABLE 3-3.
9. For field attachment instructions, see FIGURE 3-5.
10. Distance between ice machine and condenser must not exceed 150 equivalent feet.
11. Condensers must be provided with a cold weather valve kit per FIGURE 3-5. These valves
allow one-half of the condenser to be disabled in cold weather. Running the ice machine with
one-half of the condenser in cold weather makes it easier to maintain minimum necessary
condensing pressure particularly in windy conditions.
12. Condensers with multiple fans must be provided with a thermostat to turn off unneeded fans in
cold weather, per FIGURE 3-6. Turning off unneeded fans reduces on-off cycling of the fan(s)
and allows for a steadier condensing pressure and more consistent warm gas for ice harvesting.
13. When extreme cold conditions are expected or encountered (temperatures below -10
°
F and wind
greater than 15 MPH), it may be necessary to install a protective enclosure around the condenser.