Chris Chapman
Active Member
Hey, can anyone confirm or tell me if I'm mistaken in my diagnosis of what's wrong and how the plumbing works on a Le Maitre True North Snow Machine? We were doing annual maintenance on one and are having difficulties.. which lead to some interesting engineering observations.
I'm observing this series of connections: Intake tube with filter goes directly into "pump" on left side of unit, forward of the electronics control board. This changes into an outflow line that goes directly into the fan assembly.
If you follow the intake tube down to the "pump" I am observing the following things with the "pump". The pump contains a spring loaded piston inside a brass and steel sleeve. This sleeve is mounted inside a electromagnet. When the "pump" is energized, the magnet activates, the piston withdraws and fluid flow begins. My question, is what is actually causing the fluid flow? The Le Maitre Tech told me I need a syphon feed going to get draw on the pump, but as far as I can tell, there is no mechanism that is actually lowering air pressure to create a draw. The Outflow tube dumps at the fan, and I assume that is on the side of the fan that airateing the fluid so the bubbles turn into foam and snow. Do these units rely on a syphon feed for the fluid? With pure water I can barely maintain a flow, and snow fluid is MUCH more viscous than water.
Since the machines are shipped dry, how would a syphon be created in the first place with no actual pump onboard? Am I wrong and the actual pump is in the fan assembly? IF you ever got into the situation where the snow fluid ran out you'd be outta luck again and have to re-create priming the syphon. That just doesn't make sense to me.
Le Maitre has NO drawing available for public consumption on their website concerning the internal schematics, etc.
Ideas? I mean I'm going to have to send the machine off for repairs, but I'm wondering if I'm just totally misreading the layout of this gear.
Thanks,
-Chris Chapman
TD, Greenville Performing Arts Center
I'm observing this series of connections: Intake tube with filter goes directly into "pump" on left side of unit, forward of the electronics control board. This changes into an outflow line that goes directly into the fan assembly.
If you follow the intake tube down to the "pump" I am observing the following things with the "pump". The pump contains a spring loaded piston inside a brass and steel sleeve. This sleeve is mounted inside a electromagnet. When the "pump" is energized, the magnet activates, the piston withdraws and fluid flow begins. My question, is what is actually causing the fluid flow? The Le Maitre Tech told me I need a syphon feed going to get draw on the pump, but as far as I can tell, there is no mechanism that is actually lowering air pressure to create a draw. The Outflow tube dumps at the fan, and I assume that is on the side of the fan that airateing the fluid so the bubbles turn into foam and snow. Do these units rely on a syphon feed for the fluid? With pure water I can barely maintain a flow, and snow fluid is MUCH more viscous than water.
Since the machines are shipped dry, how would a syphon be created in the first place with no actual pump onboard? Am I wrong and the actual pump is in the fan assembly? IF you ever got into the situation where the snow fluid ran out you'd be outta luck again and have to re-create priming the syphon. That just doesn't make sense to me.
Le Maitre has NO drawing available for public consumption on their website concerning the internal schematics, etc.
Ideas? I mean I'm going to have to send the machine off for repairs, but I'm wondering if I'm just totally misreading the layout of this gear.
Thanks,
-Chris Chapman
TD, Greenville Performing Arts Center