iBeeCool iBC-129P User manual

Self-Contained Ice Machines & Ice
Machines with Bins
Service Manual
Models: iBC-129P, iBC-219P, iBC-101B, iBC-289,
iBC-350P, and iBC-500P
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE SET-UP,
OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE

Table of Contents
R290 Refrigerant Properties 3
R290 Ice Machine 4 - 5
Maintenance Checklist 6 - 7
Maintenance S.O.P 8 - 11

R290 REFRIGERANT PROPERTIES
CAUTION: R290 refrigerant is highly flammable. KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT AND
FLAME. IGNITION POINT IS 450° Celsius.
CAUTION: R290 refrigerant has suffocating and anesthetizing effects.
R290 is a hydrocarbon refrigerant similar to R600a for household refrigerators. The
mass use of hydrocarbon refrigerants began as early as the 1930s, but they began to
be widely used in household refrigerators and other products in the early 2000s.
Explosion Concentration: 2.1 ~ 9.5%
Designation: Propane
Molecular formula: C3H8
Molecular weight: 44; specific weight is larger than air
Appearance and property: Colorless and odorless under atmospheric pressure
Environmentally friendly: R290 is globally recognized as being an
environmentally-friendly refrigerant and is generally permitted to be emitted into the air
Refrigeration properties: Natural refrigerant, ODP=0; GWP=3; has better
thermodynamic performance and energy efficiency than R404A and other refrigerants
3

R290 ICE MACHINE
Charging Volume
As R290 is highly flammable, its charging volume CANNOT be greater than 150g as
required by most governments and regions. This is equivalent to the charging
volume of about 10 lighters.
Special Parts
All electrical elements of the iBeeCool’s R290 ice machines (i.e. iBC-129P,
iBC-219P, iBC-101B, iBC-289, iBC-350P, and iBC-500P), including compressor,
relay, switch and controller are explosion-resistant parts that passed tests and are
permitted to be used in equipment using flammable coolant. Electrical parts that are
not tested or may cause a fire or become an ignition source must be completely
sealed to avoid becoming a possible ignition source. For all the reasons above, the
parts of iBeeCool R290 ice machines can only be replaced with original
accessories only.
Wiring Diagram
4

Water System Diagram
Refrigeration System
Note: R290 refrigeration system has no service valve for safety reasons; needle
charging valve is required
Note: When charging refrigerant for the system:
1. Discharge refrigerant from the system
2. Vacuum the refrigeration system
3. Charge the system
5

MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Environment
❏For products using R290 refrigerant, room for use and maintenance needs to be
greater than 15 square meters.
❏“Danger: No Smoking, No Open Flame” signs are hung up. Flame or heat within
2 metres of the maintenance area is to be prevented. No smoking.
❏Maintenance area shall always be well-ventilated.
❏As the specific weight of R290 is larger than air, the ground shall be level and
free from pits to prevent accumulation of R290 gas.
❏Maintenance areas must be equipped with R290 concentration alarms at low
positions, which shall not be covered.
❏Two or more fire extinguishers must be prepared at easily accessible locations.
❏Ventilators, switches, breakers and other electrical devices need to be
explosion-resistant.
❏All devices must be reliably grounded with secure wires.
Personnel
❏Maintenance personnel must receive professional training.
❏Maintenance personnel must have maintenance qualifications recognized by the
local government.
❏Maintenance personnel are wearing flammable gas testers in maintenance;
alarm value is set as 5% LEL (lower explosion limit).
❏Maintenance personnel are wearing goggles and gloves.
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❏All mobile phones and electronics are turned off.
Equipment
❏Portable R290 tester
❏Vacuum pump
❏Dual-head charging meter (mechanical or digital)
❏Charging tube
❏Needle charging valve
❏Refrigerant connection tube
❏Electronic scale with a precision of 0.5g
❏Cutter
❏Sealing pliers x 2
❏Magnet
❏Refrigerant cylinder. Storage requirements:
❏Protect cylinders from direct sunlight
❏Place cylinders in vertical position;
❏Place cylinders in a well-ventilated place;
❏Keep cylinders away from open flame and heat source
❏Check the valves for leaks regularly
7

MAINTENANCE S.O.P
BEFORE OPERATION
STEP
PRECAUTION
Use a handheld leak tester and wear a
flammable gas tester to check ice
machines of any R290 refrigerant leaks.
Make sure the maintenance area is
well-ventilated.
Wear the flammable gas tester
throughout the maintenance period.
Avoid sparks due to static electricity
during operation; all devices must be
reliably grounded and not be improperly
connected.
After verifying there are no leaks or
accumulation of refrigerant, please
disconnect the power and water supply of
the ice machine.
DISCHARGE OF REFRIGERANT
STEP
PRECAUTION
Connect the refrigerant discharge tube to
the middle connector of the dual-head
pressure gauge, connect the needle
charging valve to the low pressure
connector, and arrange the outlet of the
discharge tube to the outside.
Make sure the outlet is in an open place
and is at least 2m away from any heat
source or ignition source.
Remove the hot air bypass valve coil of
the refrigeration system, place the
magnet on the valve, and make sure the
magnet has enough attraction to open the
valve. Throughout this operation, the high
and low-pressure connectors of the
refrigeration system are interconnected.
Generally, if the solenoid valve is opened
by a magnet, a clop sound can be heard
at the moment of opening.
Conduct this operation as gently as
possible. Wrap the bottom of the magnet
in anti-static cotton fabric.
Mount the needle charging valve on the
charging tube of ice machine.
When the reading of the pressure gauge
is 0Bar, gently shake the compressor and
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keep discharging for 3-5min.
Remove the refrigerant discharging tube
from the pressure gauge and use the
connector of the vacuum pump to exhaust
gas to the outside.
Turn on the vacuum pump for at least 10
minutes.
Remove the needle valve from the
process pipe and cut off the parts that
need to be replaced. If it is unnecessary
to replace the compressor, cut the
process pipe flat.
Generally, the dry filter should be
replaced with the parts, especially for
equipment using the capillary throttle.
Purge the system pipeline with nitrogen
for more than 10 seconds.
REPLACEMENT OF PARTS
STEP
PRECAUTION
Welded parts are to be placed on their
original positions in the system.
REMEMBER: Some parts of the R290
system must be explosion resistant.
Please use the original accessories.
Weld the new extension pipe to the
original process pipe. If the compressor is
replaced, weld it onto the new
compressor.
The process pipe is required to be long
enough for the next service.
Press and weld the process pipe tightly.
VACUUMING
STEP
PRECAUTION
Mount the needle valve on the process
pipe and connect the vacuum pump
through the pressure gauge.
Vacuum the refrigeration system for more
than 30 minutes and make sure the
pressure decreases to 50Pa or lower.
The best practice to test low pressure is
using a vacuum gauge.
Close the low pressure valve of the
9

pressure gauge and turn off the vacuum
pump.
Maintain pressure for 20 minutes and
make sure there is no leak.
INJECTING REFRIGERANT
STEP
PRECAUTION
Remove the vacuum pump from the
charging meter. Connect the refrigerant
cylinder to the charging meter with the
connection pipe as short as possible.
Unscrew refrigerant cylinder and put it
upside down on the electronic scale.
ATTENTION: The charging volume is
very small for the R290 refrigeration
system, so it’s necessary to precisely
control the charging volume within 2g.
The precision of the electronic scale shall
be 0.5g.
Prepare the connection pipe, pressure
gauge and accessories; empty the
charging pipe; and set the electronic
scale to zero.
The hose connecting the cylinder and
charging meter shall be tension-free to
minimize error of charging volume.
Slowly open the low pressure valve of the
pressure gauge. When the charging
volume reaches the rated volume
indicated on the nameplate, immediately
close the low pressure valve, and then
close the R290 refrigerant cylinder to stop
the charging.
NOTE: Keep charging pressure below
3Bar all the time to prevent fast charging.
Fast charging will lead to a charging error.
SEALING AND COMMISSIONING
STEP
PRECAUTION
Use a leak tester to check the machine
for any leaks.
After confirming there is no leak, use the
sealing pliers to clamp flat the process
10

pipe on two points; snap the process pipe
on the clamped point farther away from
the compressor and seal it by brazing.
Take off the magnet and mount the
defrosting valve coil on the original
position. Turn on the ice machine for
commissioning at least 20 minutes after
charging.
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