Value Vend/Choice Vend

[rogerz]

My Value Vend that is in my shop is icing up pretty heavy behind the cans. Is this normal? What causes it?

Also I have it vending cans and they sometimes get hung up in the chutes. So I noticed it had side spacers and figured they were for bottles. Is that correct?
Are the back spacers you can see in the picture for bottles also?

Thanks
rz

[johnieG]

A leaky door gasket, or a bad/missing delivery chute gasket will case humid air to leak into the machine & condensate on the cold metal, and form (you guessed it) Ice, also check your evaporator fans if one or more of them isn't working this can cause Icing too.

the side spacer are for adjusting the width of the columns to vend smaller diameter bottles (& cans) so they don't "log-jam" sideways in the column. the back spacers are for making sure that the necks of the bottles won't shift & tip down & jam the stack at the back.

if you wish to vend bottles there is a set-up guide on the door ( or should be anyway) showing you how to set the rear & center rear gears to handle bottles, sometimes on late model choice vends you must also remove the anit-theft gate from the delivery chute too, otherwise you can't tip the bottles enought to get them out of the chute.

[rogerz]

Thanks Johnie

I figured out that it needs side spacers to keep the cans in the center of the helixes. Otherwise they seem to end up on the sharp pointy part.   It only punctured 3 beers for me to figure that out.  '>   But the good news is that my hair never looked prettier from the beer bath and shampoo '>

So what is causing the cans to hang up in the machine?
bad loading?  Is there a certain way I should load? Nose to nose or nose to butt?    They seem to sometimes half drop and hang on the helix or another can.
Bad design maybe?

rz

[MoonDawg]

One tip : If you've been running the same cans through while testing, some of them become dented and won't roll properly.

[johnieG]

(MoonDawg @ Sep. 07 2006,10:56)

QUOTE

One tip : If you've been running the same cans through while testing, some of them become dented and won't roll properly.

yep you're right! if the cans got a flat on the side, it'll jam up the column, this wasn't as big as a problem with the old steel cans, but the aluminum's so thin nowadays, that it doesn't take much to dent or puncture one.  One of these crazy people who visit this board sold me a copy of a general info catalog/service /prts guide to Choice Vned helix & upright vendors, if he's reading this you might want a copy, it's very handy...

[Kevin C]

Hey I am not crazy!!!  Yet

I just check in this section & noticed this thread.

Icing -  Check -replace the fan motors. Once you get the bottom vend rack out & then take the top storage rack out you might as well change them. You may have 2 or 3 fans.

When my choice vend froze up like this I did a few things but the problem was that the sensing tip for the thermostat was in the wrong location. It should be in the shleve on the right side of the evaporator coil.

Your vending problem sound like you are trying to vend cans when the machine is set up for bottles. Plus if you are vending cans the the back spacer should be set as back as possible. If you look inside the upper storage rack you will see the adjustment screws.

I still have a couple copies of the Choice-Vend manual. If you want one let me know. $ 8.

Kevin

[rogerz]

Thanks Kevin
I bought one of your Choice Vend manuals and it didn't really explain the spacers. (at least to me)
My back spacers are all the way back, but do you run side spacers on the bottom and are there different thickness ones to use?
Thanks
rz

[Kevin C]

Hey

My machine did not have any side spacers.

Try vending one row with the door open by using the row loading switch (Sorry I did not know what to call it). It is located under the bottom of each row & it is a little section of metal hanging down in the shape of an "L"  Push it up & watch the vending process to see the problem. Is it all rows or just one row.  It if is just one row you may need a new vend motor or the CAMS may not be lined up correctly.

I have one whole machines worth of parts from the CV I bought to spare parts. Let  me know if you need something.

Kevin