winterizing with compressed air
I have a 2004 Fleetwood Bounder which I have always winterized with anti-freeze in the lines. Last fall I was talked into having it done with compressed air and yesterday, when I hooked up the water ...
Forum Discussion
Mont G&J is correct - the job isn't finished till the line past the solenoid is drained. The only time that line would leak though is when the ice maker solenoid is open. It will only open at the end of the harvest cycle and then only for a few seconds.
The trigger to open the ice maker valve is to get the mold where the ice is made below 15 degrees to start the harvest cycle pushing out the cubes and opening the water valve for a few seconds to allow more water in to fill the mold and start the process over again. Once the mold is down to 15 degrees again (a sign the water has all turned to ice), the harvest cycle begins again. The length of the cycle is controlled by the timer motor that opens and closes switches in contact with a cam on wheel attached to its shaft. There's also a gear on the edge of that wheel that causes the arm on the ice maker to go up and down. If it doesn't make it all the way down (signalling the ice bin is full) the process is interrupted till the arm falls to the bottom again and waits for the mold to drop to 15 degrees.
I've been using compressed air for winterizing for many years with no problem but I disconnect the ice maker solenoid valve and leave to disconnected for the winter. The alternative is to disconnect the solenoid valve connector and apply 120v to it using an extension. Many wouldn't feel comfortable doing that and I understand but with power applied to the solenoid valve, any water in that line can be blown out. Disconnecting the waterline should allow gravity to drain the line though. There is nothing but an open tube up to the ice maker past the solenoid - therefore, nothing to stop gravity from sucking all the water out.
The trigger to open the ice maker valve is to get the mold where the ice is made below 15 degrees to start the harvest cycle pushing out the cubes and opening the water valve for a few seconds to allow more water in to fill the mold and start the process over again. Once the mold is down to 15 degrees again (a sign the water has all turned to ice), the harvest cycle begins again. The length of the cycle is controlled by the timer motor that opens and closes switches in contact with a cam on wheel attached to its shaft. There's also a gear on the edge of that wheel that causes the arm on the ice maker to go up and down. If it doesn't make it all the way down (signalling the ice bin is full) the process is interrupted till the arm falls to the bottom again and waits for the mold to drop to 15 degrees.
I've been using compressed air for winterizing for many years with no problem but I disconnect the ice maker solenoid valve and leave to disconnected for the winter. The alternative is to disconnect the solenoid valve connector and apply 120v to it using an extension. Many wouldn't feel comfortable doing that and I understand but with power applied to the solenoid valve, any water in that line can be blown out. Disconnecting the waterline should allow gravity to drain the line though. There is nothing but an open tube up to the ice maker past the solenoid - therefore, nothing to stop gravity from sucking all the water out.
Mont G&J wrote:
The problem is unless the ice maker is cycled several times like it is making and dropping ice cubes the pink stuff or compressed air cannot get the water out of the input hose and the ice maker. I use compressed air to pressurize the system, open the refrigerator and take off the front cover of the ice maker, rotate the gears manually to speed up the ice maker cycle. You need to do this until
all the water is out of the system and either the pink stuff or air is all you get when it is calling for ice cube water.
