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Cockpit Freezer Pump Issue and Ice Chipper... Coincidence or Something Else?

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by PSW, May 26, 2017.

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  1. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    On my eskimo I have 3 things actually on the unit that will trip occasionally. Hi & lo pressure push in pins (the high trips often) and a reset button. On my freezer I also have a reset button.
    Last edited: May 28, 2017
  2. PSW

    PSW Member

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    I have checked the hi and low reset on Eskimo as well as the other reset where the ice exits auger to hose for fish box.

    On the freezer where is your reset? I can get freezer to turn on and start cooling plates but it auto shuts down from pump not running. I am hopinig theee is just something simple I am missing that is keeping pump from turning on.

    Thanks for the help troubleshooting guys.
  3. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    My reset on the freezer is right at the top of the unit. Have you removed the hose that connects to the freezer to make sure you don't have an air block. An air block will prevent the pump from running.
    Are both the freezer and eskimo hard wired or do you have electrical plugs somewhere to check voltage.
  4. PSW

    PSW Member

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    Yes I removed outlet hose from pump that goes to freezer and it has water passing through. I think pump is fine. I just can't get it to trigger on.

    The pump for Eskimo get's power directly from Eskimo unit.

    Have checked fuse on side of freezer and it is pushed in so should be fine. It looks like power for March pump for freezer comes directly from freezer unit itself.
  5. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    I would suggest removing hose up at the freezer and see if water is flowing and also to remove any air blocks. On my eskimo the 220v power comes from a cord that is connected with a female and male connector to the eskimo. The cord comes from the breaker panel. I don't think the power comes from either unit it comes from the breaker panel.
  6. PSW

    PSW Member

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    I have breakers at the panel but those wires go to control unit on both units and then power goes to pumps from there. I will suspend any further troubleshooting until I get home.
  7. wdrzal

    wdrzal Senior Member

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    Instead of stripping wires where there are no terminals to hook a multi-meter to, They make inductive probes that you just touch to a insulated wire and they will tell you if its energized. I have a inductive probe that the sensitivity can be changed so you can even track live wires behind walls.

    The compressors thermal high limit may be shutting it down if it's not receiving enough coolant.

    Also you mentioned the pumps are behind the engines. Since they are plastic , they would have a high limit shutdown towards the low end of a temperature scale so they don't melt.
  8. PSW

    PSW Member

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    A little update. Spoke to Glacier Refrigeration who installed system for Cabo and they said that if compressor trips on pump should at same time and all other things I have trouble shot lead back to pump. After work I confirmed power was being sent to Cockpit freezer pump and fortunately I was able to pick up a new pump just down the street. I plan on removing old pump and doing prep work over next few days after work as time allows.

    I also spoke with Dometic regarding Eskimo and they said the two sounds I heard after providing water pressure to the unit which kicked on the pump was first a slow to trigger capacitor and then one I got that to kick on a moaning caused from scale build up from a long period of sitting unused and lack of maintenance. I ordered up a capacitor that I will keep as spare until the current one fails. I also ordered up some ice machine cleaner descaler for commercial use. I plan on pouring that in the reservoir tank tomorrow night and running through system until it cleans things out. Fingers crossed that is all that is needed.
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Take the cover plates off of the March pumps you have. I've seen snails or mussels get in the end and not allow them to turn and cause them to overheat and not pump water before....it's 6 screws and the end comes right off.
  10. PSW

    PSW Member

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    The March pump for cockpit freezer had some junk in it but not sure if that is what did it in or not. Cleaned up sea strainer and installed new gaskets. Installed new pump and wow she runs smooth. Down to 11 degrees in 2 hours. All good.

    Eskimo is running but I think it needs an adjustment given our cold water temps. 55 degrees. I will leave it for now and move on to other items like installing Scotty downriggers so I can go fishing. I don't have a baseline for expectations yet so need to get to know it better over time to figure out what it needs to run better.
  11. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    This thread was one of the best I have seen on a group troblevshooting a technical problem together, with great responses from all and clear and intelligent input from the OP.
    One of the best examples of the power of this site!
  12. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

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    Let me know if I can help provide any info on the regulating valve I had to install due to cold water temps affecting the ice machine. I replaced my Eskimo with a different brand as the Eskimo didn't work very well and I wanted to be able to make ice from either fresh water or sea water. It was during installation of the new machine that I found out about needing a regulating valve due to cold water temps. However, I believe your Eskimo machine will likely have similar issues as the cold water temps were reportedly a problem for my Eskimo machine from the beginning.

    Also, to each his own on downriggers but I much prefer the Canon downrigger's to the Scotty's. I like the gear drive vs belts as my main preference on the Canon's.
  13. PSW

    PSW Member

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    FINAL UPDATE: All systems Operational.

    After another call with Dometic I did some addtl troubleshooting. I removed the current hose connection and hooked up a temporary hose and ran it straight into a 5 gallon bucket. Machine ran great and filled the bucket up with no issues. From this I was able to determine that there was a restriction in my hose between the Eskimo unit and fishbox. I hooked the hose on the boat back up and removed the first 18 inches of insulation so I could better monitor ice accumulation. I found that it worked fine initially but after a few minutes there was an obstruction or corner between the bulkhead and fishbox that I was blind to. I didn't want to remove the fishbox again and that wouldn't help me gain much access anyway. So we removed the hose as it entered fishbox and with some work we pulled as much out as we could out into the fishbox and came up with new connection at the side of the fishbox. That kept the hose as short as possible to reduce any bends and to give the ice a nice gradual bend into the box from the unit. I am happy to say that the system is now working fantastic. I ran it for 2 hours tonight with no issues. This entire situation has been good initial learning experience as it allowed me to better understand the Eskimo unit and what it likes and doesn't like to run properly. Dometic has been knowledgeable and helpful in educating me. Going forward I am planning to run the unit monthly to hopefully keep it running smoothly with descaler being ran through the system annually.

    Attached Files:

  14. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Glad to hear you got it working. Need a favor if you have a chance. A picture of your battery compartment and wiring. My batteries have been giving me some issues and I'm thinking maybe they are wired incorrectly. Thanks a bunch as I am in the Bahamas. Skip
  15. PSW

    PSW Member

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    I will look for a pic with cover off. If I can't find one I can take a pic this evening when I am at the boat. PM me your email or cell you want pic sent to.
  16. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Glad to hear you got it working. Need a favor if you have a chance. A picture of your battery compartment and wiring.
  17. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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  18. PSW

    PSW Member

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    Email sent