Armarge Icecap-Pro User manual

ICECAP-PRO
ELECTRONIC
PIPE FREEZER
INSTRUCTION
MANUAL
UNITED KINGDOM

INTENDED USE
Your Armarge Icecap-Pro has been designed
to freeze water pipes allowing temporary
isolation of water flow in order to carry out
repair and maintenance work.
SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
GENERAL POWER TOOL
SAFETY WARNINGS
Warning! Read all safety
warnings and all instructions.
Failure to follow the warnings
and instructions listed below
may result in electric shock,
fire and/or serious injury.
SAVE ALL WARNINGS AND
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE.
The term “power tool” in all
of the warnings listed below
refers to your mains operated
(corded) power tool.
a. Keep work area clean and well
lit. Cluttered or dark areas
invite accidents.
b. Do not operate power tools in
explosive atmospheres, such as
in the presence of flammable
liquids, gases or dust. Power
tools create sparks which may
ignite the dust or fumes.
c. Keep children and bystanders
away while operating a power
tool. Distractions can cause you
to lose control.
1WORK AREA
SAFETY
2

a. Power tool plugs must match the
outlet. Never modify the plug in
any way. Do not use any adapter
plugs with earthed (grounded)
power tools. Unmodified plugs will
reduce the risk of electric shock.
b. Avoid body contact with earthed
or grounded surfaces such as
pipes,radiators, ranges and
refrigerators. There is an increased
risk of electric shock if your body is
earthed or grounded.
c. Do not expose power tools to rain
or wet conditions. Water entering
a power tool will increase the risk
of electric shock. In the event
of water coming into contact with
the power tool the plug should be
removed from the outlet.
d. Do not abuse the cord. Never
use the cord for carrying, pulling
or unplugging the power tool. Keep
the cord away from heat, oil, sharp
edges or moving parts. Damaged
or entangled cords increase the risk
of electric shock.
e. When operating tools outdoors,
use an extension cord suitable for
outdoor use. Use of a cord suitable
for outdoor use reduces the risk of
electric shock.
f. If operating a power tool in a damp
location is unavoidable, use
a residual current device (RCD)
protected power supply. Use of an
RCD reduces the risk of electric
shock.
2ELECTRICAL
SAFETY 3
PERSONAL
SAFETY
a. Stay alert, watch what you are
doing and use common sense
when operating a power tool. Do
not use a power tool while you are
tired or under the influence of
drugs, alcohol or medication. A
moment of inattention while
operating a power tool may result
in serious personal injury.
b. Use personal protective
equipment. Always wear eye
protection. Protective equipment
such as dust mask, non-skid safety
shoes, hard hat, or hearing
protection used for the appropriate
conditions will reduce personal
injuries.
c. Prevent unintentional starting.
Ensure the switch is in the off
position before connecting the
power source.
3

4
POWER TOOL
USE AND CARE
a. Do not force the power tool.
Use the correct power tool for your
application. The correct power tool
will do the job better and safer at
the rate for which it was designed.
b. Do not use the power tool if the
switch does not turn it on and
off. Any power tool that cannot
be controlled with the switch is
dangerous and must be repaired.
c. Disconnect the plug from the
power source before making any
adjustments, changing
accessories, or storing power tools.
Such preventative safety measures
reduce the risk of starting the
power tool accidentally.
d. Store idle power tools out of the
reach of children and do not allow
persons unfamiliar with the power
tool or these instructions to
operate the power tool. Power
tools are dangerous in the hands of
untrained users.
e. Maintain power tools. Check for
breakage of parts and any other
condition that may affect the
power tool’s operation. If damaged,
have the power tool repaired
before use. Many accidents are
caused by poorly maintained power
tools.
CONTINUED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
4
SERVICE
a. Have your power tool
serviced by a qualified
repair person using only
identical replacement
parts. This will ensure that
the safety of the power
tool is maintained.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
a. In the event of coolant
dripping from any part of
the pipe freezing
equipment, remove the
power plug from the
outlet and contact a
qualified service engineer.
b. In the event of the freezer
jaw hoses becoming
unduly warm, ensure the
hoses are not kinked in
any way and that the
coolant reservoir has
sufficient coolant within
the tank.
c. Do not obstruct the
air circulation, i.e. do not
close the lid or block the
air circulation vents during
operation. This will result
in a failure of the freezing
process and will cause the
unit to overheat.
d. Protect the coolant
hoses and freezer jaws
from damage.
e. Protect the unit from
sudden impact, strong
vibrations and do not drop.

OPERATING COMPONENTS
FEATURES
Your Armarge Icecap-Pro uses Patented Dual stage Thermo-electronic cooling
technology, providing fast freezing times in a wide range of operating temperatures.
A “thaw” switch is also incorporated to allow fast melting of the ice core after the
completion of work. The Icecap-E contains no compressed gas making it virtually
maintenance free and its robust, compact and lightweight design will provide
years of reliable service.
The top jaw contains a thermocouple which is connected to the onboard digital
thermometer. If freezing a single pipe, the top jaw should be utilised.
1x 1.5m power lead ......................................................................... Replacement part No 5.020
2x Thermo-conductive paste ..................................................... Replacement part No 5.018
4x 22mm reducing inserts............................................................ Replacement part No 5.021
4x 15mm reducing inserts............................................................ Replacement part No 5.022
4x 10mm reducing inserts............................................................ Replacement part No 5.023
1x Pair linen gloves ......................................................................... Replacement part No 5.019
1x Instruction manual .................................................................... Replacement part No 5.024
ACCESSORIES INCLUDED
POWER BUTTON
FREEZE BUTTON
THAW BUTTON
POWER SOCKET
COOLANT
RESERVOIR
FILL PLUG
JAW OPEN
AND LOCK
THUMBSCREW
FREEZER JAWS
5

6
TECHNICAL DATA
Refrigerating method ............................................................................ Liquid cooled electronic
Operating voltage ................................................................................... 230v 50HZ
Maximum operating current............................................................... 3 amp
Pipe size freezing capacity (UK)........................................................ 10mm-28mm
Operating ambient temperature....................................................... 0C - 35C
Weight.......................................................................................................... 8.4KG
Dimensions................................................................................................. 470 – 357 – 176mm
Maximum span between jaws............................................................ 2750mm
Storage temperature ............................................................................. -10C – 35C
Ingress protection................................................................................... IP22
The Icecap-Pro should be tempered before use when stored in
hot conditions, i.e. adopt room temperature by switching on the
power button and allowing the cooling fans to bring to room
temperature.
IMPORTANT
The water within
the pipe should be
completely static
(dripping taps should
be temporarily plugged)
and be at room
temperature before
attempting to freeze.

1. The freeze head of each jaw is
28mm in diameter. If a single 28mm
pipe requires freezing, if possible,
place both jaws next to each other
as this will speed up the freezing
process. However, jaws should not
be placed more than 150mm apart
as separate ice plugs will be formed
which could result in damage to the
pipe.
2. Undo the jaw locking thumbscrew a
few turns and open the jaw.
3. Apply a liberal amount of the pink
thermo-conductive paste onto
each freeze head and squeeze the
jaw together tightly around the pipe
by hand until excess contact paste
can be seen around the whole pipe.
Tighten the locking thumbscrew to
hold the jaw in place.
OPERATING
7
4. For UK pipe sizes less than 28mm
reducing inserts will be required.
Select the correct inserts for the
required pipe and apply contact
paste to the main 28mm freeze
head. From the left-hand side of
the jaw, slide the correct size
reducing insert into the main freeze
head and apply additional contact
past onto the pipe. This ensures
good conductivity occurs between
the 28mm main body, the insert
and between the insert and the pipe.
5. If excess contact paste cannot be
seen all around the pipe this may
be due to a drip of solder or a kink
in the pipe. If this is the case,
attempt to reposition the jaw to
ensure good contact is made. If
it is not possible to reposition the
jaw, apply additional contact paste
and allow extra time for the
freezing process to take place.
3
4

8
CONTINUED OPERATING
6. Plug in the power cord to a power
outlet and the current ambient air
temperature will be displayed on
the digital thermometer. If this
temperature is above 35C, freezing
pipes may not be possible. Should
the Icecap-Pro pipe freezer have
been stored in a hot location such
as a car on a hot summers day,
before using press the power button
and the cooling fans will start, the
temperature will lower to the
ambient room temperature.
7. Press the freeze button ❄and the
jaw temperature will begin to drop.
7
6
8. Factors that affect the freezing
times are:
aThe ambient air temperature.
bThe size of the pipe. Larger pipes
take longer to freeze than smaller
pipes.
c The quality of thermal contact
between the freezing components
and the pipe.
d The temperature of water within
the pipe.
eThe level of solar radiation. If
possible, keep out of direct sunlight.
fContaminated water. Corrosion
inhibitors or anti-freeze within
central heating systems may slow
or possibly prevent freezing in
high concentrations.
IMPORTANT
The Icecap-Pro contains an
accurate and fast responding
digital thermometer. During
the freezing process it may be
noticed that the temperature
rises a few degrees quite
quickly before stabilising.
This is not a fault with the
machine but is caused by ice
breaking away from an ice
plug as it is being formed and
being replaced by warmer
water from below.

9
9. When an ice plug is formed a
distinctive click can be heard as
the ice expands and becomes solid.
It is highly recommended that
persons unfamiliar with pipe
freezing carry out a test freeze
using short pieces of pipe filled
with water in order to familiarise
themselves with this sound. If in
doubt it is always safer and quicker
to be sure a large ice plug is
formed
Double check that the ice plug is
fully formed by opening taps or
slackening joints etc before cutting
pipes. As the application and end
use of the ICECAP-Pro is beyond
our control, we shall not be liable
for any loss or damage direct or
consequential arising out of the use
of or the inability to use the product
or its components in a safe and
effective manner.
IMPORTANT CHECKS
10. On completion of work check all
connections are secure and
pressing the Thaw button will
result in heating the pipe to
quickly melt the ice plug.
10

10
TROUBLESHOOTING
NO POWER
Check the unit is plugged in correctly.
Check the fuse in the plug.
The Icecap-Pro has an internal overload
protection circuit. Unplug the machine
and leave for 1 minute to re-set.
ICECAP-PRO FAILS TO FREEZE
PIPES – POSSIBLE CAUSES
Not allowing enough time for
the freeze to occur (this is the
most probable reason) – note
particularly that plastic pipes have
poor conductivity and will require
substantially more time to freeze; other
causes include: water moving within a
pipe; a bad thermal contact between
the freeze head and the pipe; the
presence of antifreeze within a central
heating system.
Remove both jaws from the pipes
and compare the level of frost that
builds up on all 4 freeze heads, which
should be at a similar amount. If any
jaw appears to not to have the same
level of frost then it may be defective
and require repair. If all 4 jaws appear
to have similar amounts of frost and
the onboard thermometer is reading a
temperature of at least -15C it is very
likely to be an irregularity within the
pipework rather than the machine. This
can be confirmed by carrying out a test
freeze using a short piece of pipe filled
with water, where the freezing process
of the ice plug can be observed.
COOLANT TOP UP
In the event of the coolant pump
making an unusually loud noise and
the freezer heads becoming warm.
Unplug the unit, unscrew the reservoir
fill plug check the coolant level is no
more than 40mm below the surface.
Top the coolant up if necessary, leaving
a 10mm air gap below the fill plug. In
the event of Blue coolant being leaked
from the unit, unplug immediately and
contact the point of sale for repair.
DISPOSAL
The thermal contact paste is water
based endemic and ecologically
friendly and can be recycled or
disposed of with normal waste. Cloths
contaminated by the paste can be
washed or disposed of in the normal
way without concerns.
Components of the unit contain
recyclable materials and should be
put to recycling. For this purpose,
registered and certified recycling
companies are available. For an
environmentally friendly disposal of
non-recyclable parts please contact
your local waste disposal authority.

11
GUARANTEE
Armarge Ltd is confident of the
quality of this product and offers
an outstanding guarantee. This
guarantee statement is in addition
to and in no way prejudices your
statutory rights.
If this Armarge Icecap-Pro product
becomes defective due to faulty
workmanship within 24 months
from the date of purchase, Armarge
guarantees to replace defective
parts/repair products subjected to
fair wear and tear unless:
●The product has been
subjected to misuse or neglect;
●The product has sustained
damage through foreign
objects, substances or
accidents;
●Repairs have been attempted
by persons other than
authorised Armarge repair staff.
To claim this guarantee, you will need
to provide proof of purchase to the
seller or register your new Icecap-Pro
on our website www.armarge.com
and to be kept up to date on new
products and special offers.
FOR EU COUNTRIES ONLY
Do not dispose of electric
tools with domestic
waste. In accordance
with European directive
2002/96/EC on
waste electrical and
electronic equipment
and implementation as
national law, electric
tools that are no
longer serviceable
must be collected
separately and utilised
for environmentally
compatible recycling.
EC DECLARATION OF
CONFORMITY
2014/30/EU98/37 EG, 73/23 EWG
EN 60 335-1, IEC 335-1, EN 60 335-2-34,
EN 60 335-2-24/A53:1997, IEC 335-2-34
(machinery directive.)
Armarge Icecap-Pro
electronic pipe freezer.
Patent Number EP2191185

www.armarge.com