The ice cube machine is composed of a refrigeration system, a water circulation system, and a deicing system. Refrigerant is used for refrigeration, water is used as the carrier, and ice is produced after passing through the evaporator (ice mold) in the electrified state. Depending on the structure and production method of the evaporator, the shape of the ice cubes produced is also different. The industry generally divides ice machines into flake ice machines, cube ice machines (also known as granular ice machines, ice pellet machines), block ice machines, plate ice machines, tube ice machines, shell ice machines, snowflake machines, Slurry ice machine and so on.


Working principle of ice cube machine

1. The working principle of the refrigeration system: After the compressor is running, it is sucked → compressed-exhausted → condensed (liquefied) → throttling → then evaporated in the evaporator at a low temperature of -10 to -18 degrees to absorb heat and vaporize → then compress and then Inhalation, the refrigeration system works in a reciprocating cycle. Frozen water continuously condenses into an ice layer on the surface of the lower temperature evaporator at a water temperature of 0 degrees. When the ice layer condenses to a certain thickness, after the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant reaches the set temperature of the temperature control, the defrosting solenoid valve is turned on, usually in the form of a heat pump to deicing, and then the next cycle is realized.

2. The working principle of the water circulation system: the chilled water in the water storage tank is continuously circulated through the plate or grid evaporator with a water pump. Through the supplementary water valve, water automatically enters a water storage tank, and then through the flow control valve, the water is pumped to the splitter head, where the water is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the evaporator (ice mold) and flows through like a water curtain On the wall of the evaporator, the water is cooled to the freezing point, and the water that has not been evaporated and frozen will flow into the water tank through the porous return tank, and the cycle work will start again.

3. The working principle of the deicing system: when the ice reaches the required thickness (thickness can be arbitrarily selected by the operator/user), the hot gas discharged from the compressor is led back to the evaporator wall to replace the low-temperature liquid refrigerant. In this way, a layer of water film is formed between the ice and the wall of the evaporator tube, and this layer of water film separates the ice cubes from the evaporator, and the ice cubes will fall into the freezer due to gravity. The water generated during the ice mining cycle will return to the water storage tank through the porous groove, which also prevents the wet ice from being discharged by the machine


1. The ground of the ice cube machine should be solid and flat. [Precautions] Keep the ice cube machine level. [Otherwise] 1. It will cause no or unclean ice scraping. water leakage. 3. Noise will be generated during operation, affecting machine performance and output.


2. When the ice cube machine is running, the condenser fan will take away a lot of heat. Therefore, the flake ice machine should be installed away from heat sources, without sunlight, and in a well-ventilated place. The ambient temperature of the site should not exceed 38 degrees Celsius to prevent the ambient temperature from being too high, resulting in poor cooling of the condenser and affecting the ice-making effect. If the venue is poorly ventilated, an exhaust fan can be installed to remove excess heat.


3. The installation site of the ice cube machine should use a vertical power supply and water source, a dedicated line for power supply and be equipped with a fuse and a leakage protection switch, and it must be reliably grounded. The back gap of the cube ice machine is not less than 30cm, and the top gap is not less than 60cm. There should be no obstacles at the fan outlet of the condenser (at least a distance of 1 meter between the fan outlet and the ground) to keep heat dissipation smooth.


4. When transporting the flake ice machine, handle it with care, and use a forklift or aerial crane to hoist it on the ice storage cabinet stably to prevent severe vibration. The transport slope should not exceed 45 degrees. After long-distance transportation, the flake ice machine should be placed for 2-6 hours before it can be turned on to make ice.


5. When cleaning the flake ice machine, the power should be turned off. It is strictly forbidden to flush the machine directly with a water pipe. It should be scrubbed with a neutral detergent.


6. Clean the dust on the surface of the condenser every month. Poor condensation and heat dissipation will affect the reduction of output and even cause damage to compressor components. When cleaning, use a vacuum cleaner, a small brush, etc. to clean the oil and dust on the condensation surface.


7. The storage bin of the square ice machine should be cleaned every two months. When not in use, it should be cleaned, and the ice mold and the water in the box should be blown dry with a hair dryer, and placed in a dry and ventilated place without corrosive gas, avoiding open storage. Before making ice, first check whether the water supply is normal; check whether the power supply of the ice machine is normal; check whether the compressor is cooling normally. If the reason for not making ice is still not ruled out. No ice can be produced for the following reasons:

1. The compressor is working but not cooling.
Cause: The refrigerant leaks or the two-way solenoid valve is damaged and not closed tightly.
Maintenance: After leak detection, repair the leak and add refrigerant or replace the solenoid valve.

2. The compressor keeps working to cool down, and the water pump also keeps working to pump water. The ice cubes keep getting thicker, but it can't automatically enter the deicing program to drop ice.
Cause: The water temperature probe is faulty, so that the intelligent control system cannot effectively sense the water temperature and work, misjudgment program error, or controller failure.
Maintenance: Use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the water temperature probe (when the water temperature in the water tank is close to 0 degrees, unplug the three-core wire in the control box and test the resistance of the two wires on both sides), if the resistance is above 27K, If it is judged that the controller is broken, it should be replaced. If the resistance value is lower than 27K, then any one of the two wires must be disconnected, and the resistance value should be adjusted to between 27K and 28K by connecting resistors in series.

3. The machine enters the deicing program (the water pump stops working and the compressor stops cooling) but the ice cubes do not fall off.
Reason: The two-way solenoid valve is damaged.
Maintenance: replace the solenoid valve body or outer coil.

4. The water shortage light is on but the machine does not automatically replenish water.
Reason: There is no water in the pipeline or the water inlet solenoid valve is faulty and the valve does not open.
Maintenance: Check the water inlet of the pipeline, if there is no water, open the waterway and restart the machine. If the water inlet solenoid valve is faulty, replace it.

5. The compressor works but the water pump does not work all the time (no running water)
Reason: The water pump is damaged or the inside of the water pump is blocked by scaling.
Maintenance: Clean up the water pump or replace it.