For the Technician: IceCOLD Effects and Considerations

Q.  How does the stuff work?
A. We are all perhaps aware of the claims, that IceCOLD improves performance while reducing power consumption.  In the last ten months and through 35 trials to date at diverse testing sites, we are beginning to see developing patterns.  In each case, and beginning as early as the moment of installation, compressor current drops.  In a few cases, the drop is close to 20% but at a minimum we see 7-9%.  In quite a few cases, the effect takes over 60 days to reach its maximum.   We have been able to statistically parse out the effect of improved condenser capacity from reduced compressor friction.  We did this by measuring performance in systems with "flooded condenser" systems.  Data was collected over a variety of conditions both above and below the (average) 52 deg temperature when device begins to close.  In this case, the controls completely eliminate any improvement in condenser capacity by adding more liquid refrigerant to the condenser and thereby keeping head pressure constant regardless of temperature.  Therefore, at these temperatures, any recorded drop in compressor current would be solely attributable to the action of the product's catalyst on the oil.

A second property of IceCOLD is the catalyst that reduces or removes oil fouling, the sticky globs lining the interior walls of both coils and the tubing itself.  ASHRAE acknowledges the impact of the problem and predicts that, over time, the effect can cut 30% off the system's efficiency.  In the field, we see an immediate reaction as the catalysts are installed.  Compressors equipped with with an oil sight glass quickly show increased oil levels and the pale yellow color disappears from the refrigerant sight glass.

   Since the oil sticking to the interior of the system may have trapped manufacturing debris, there is a concern.  All this crud will start moving within the system and sooner or later will end up in a filter drier.  If the original drier was undersized it may become restricted and will have to be changed.  This is not a big concern, but it does occur in about 3% of IceCOLD installations.  It has not been a problem in any installations where the original drier was sized correctly.

   The third effect is a reduction in refrigerant evaporating temperature.  We tested for that effect by placing thermistors directly into a refrigeration evaporator at random points. The particular coil was operating at 15 degrees delta T and the drop in temperature was 1.8 degrees immediately, a 12% increase in coil capacity.  A current test will use extremely low mass thermocouples in an attempt to further understand this action of IceCOLD.