Technical information

12/01/02
FLAKER WATER FILL SYSTEM
The reservoir in a Hoshizaki auger type ice maker feeds
water by gravity flow to the evaporator cylinder. The level
of water in the reservoir is maintained by the operation of
the dual float switch.
The dual float switch assembly is made up of two reed
switches inside of a sealed shaft. The reed switch con-
tacts are operated by individual magnets attached inside of
the two separate floats.
As ice is made and extruded from the evaporator cylinder,
the water level in the reservoir drops. When the level drops,
the top float opens the top switch contacts (considered a
latching circuit). Opening these contacts allows the bot-
tom float switch control of the water control relay in the
control circuit. As the water level continues to drop, the
bottom float contacts open to de-energize the water con-
trol relay.
De-energizing the water control relay closes a circuit to
supply 24 volts to the inlet water valve solenoid. This al-
lows water to fill the reservoir. It also opens a circuit to the
timer board which starts a 90 second low water safety
shutdown timer.
When the water supply is available, the reservoir refills.
As the reservoir level rises, these two switches swap
jobs. The bottom float is now the latching circuit and thetop
float re-energizes the water control relay. This will stop
the safety timer and shut off the water flow.
If no water is available, i.e. the filter is stopped up or the
water supply is turned off, the unit cycles down and the
water valve remains energized. When the water supply is
restored, the reservoir fills and the top float switch re-
energizes the water control relay to automatically restart
the unit. This system provides a consistent water level in
the reservoir and an automatic reset low water safety
protection.
Since the float switch is mounted into the water reservoir,
it is susceptible to scale build-up. The amount of scale
build-up will depend on the local water quality. Scale on
the switch shaft can cause the floats to stick. This will
effect the unit operation. In this case, the float switch
should be cleaned and checked.
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12/20/03
2/20/03