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Post by turbokinetic on Feb 18, 2020 15:23:47 GMT
Thanks for the clarification. I would just keep it plugged in so the heater is on while you’re troubleshooting. Yes, good point. Definitely keep the heater on at all times. When you say a higher wattage cartridge.....should I replace the 15W cartridge with say....a 20W? Yes. There's been a lot of heater experimentation. It seems the individual machines have different requirements. My DR1 is happy with a 20W heater; however my DR-D2 sometimes rattles a little with a 20W. Coldspaces has had good luck with a 40W in a larger DR3. The heater is working against heat loss from two major sources. One is the cold gas returning from the evaporator. The other is bad insulation in the bottom of the cooling unit. The base of the compressor needs to be well insulated to keep it warm, in spite of being just above the cold cabinet area. The issue is that the oil must at all times be hotter than the condenser coil; so even when the unit is running the need for heat is still important. The motor is way above the oil in the dome, and is cooled by refrigerant gas moreso than oil, so a little extra wattage won't hurt. If you are going to order a new heater, I would recommend a 25W in light of the fact that my DR-D2 has a little rattle with the 20W. Sincerely, David |
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Post by davido on Feb 18, 2020 15:34:14 GMT
Thanks Turbo! I will get a new higher Wattage cartridge heater and proceed...see if that helps any to get this ol thing back to life.
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Post by davido on Feb 18, 2020 15:36:52 GMT
As with antique soda machines...it's a hit and miss trying to get em going... I realize that many factors surround each machine we find...and we can't save em all... although I try to.
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Post by turbokinetic on Feb 18, 2020 15:55:57 GMT
As with antique soda machines...it's a hit and miss trying to get em going... I realize that many factors surround each machine we find...and we can't save em all... although I try to. It's true to a certain degree, but it all boils down to what it's worth to you. Anything can be fixed with enough money and / or time spent to fix it. |
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Post by turbokinetic on Feb 18, 2020 16:02:47 GMT
Here is a cutaway diagram from the manual. It shows how the components are arranged. The bottom where the oil is shown - that's where the heater well is located. The very top is the motor where the winding is located.  This is the specifications for the DR2 size machines. I have highlighted yours.  So, as you can see, it depends on the type of freezing solution in the evaporator. The lowest temp range with Sun Oil is 2°F; all the way up to 7°F with the brine solution. So at 5°F your unit should have been able to cycle off, assuming the control was shifted just slightly away from the center position. If I were working on it, I would make sure the motor isn't faulting to ground first. Then if that is OK, put a slightly higher wattage heater in place and try again. If you can get it to cycle, allow it to run and it may likely improve with use. Just be sure it doesn't end up running constantly without ever cycling off. Often the control moving parts need a drop of oil here and there to keep them moving freely. EDIT: I don't know why the "image" BBcode is not working. Direct links to the two images are below: Specs: http://home.hiwaay.net/~davida1/IMG/DR2_specs.pngCutaway: http://home.hiwaay.net/~davida1/IMG/DR_Cutaway.JPG |
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Post by davido on Feb 18, 2020 16:12:21 GMT
I couldn't open either page attachment. I'm ordering another higher Wattage cartridge and will proceed.
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Post by turbokinetic on Feb 18, 2020 16:43:24 GMT
I couldn't open either page attachment. I'm ordering another higher Wattage cartridge and will proceed.
Seems like just now, the forum software was updated to force HTTPS image downloads, which isn't working for the images I have posted.
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Post by davido on Feb 18, 2020 17:20:16 GMT
Took me a while to figure out how to attach pics using a link from Google pics....never done that before.
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