I got brave today and charged Icyball SB 775 and it works, not bad for a 70 year old refrigerator.
I reread the two different instruction manuals I have, thanks to Igor, and John. Following the directions I drained the cold ball into the hot ball, put the hot ball on a propane camp stove set to a medium flame (outside), put the cold ball in a large tub of water and waited. The direction say 90 minutes. I didn't want to push my luck so I only let it heat for an hour. The direction say after heating to take to cold ball out of the water and put the hot ball into the water for about 10 minutes to start the cooling process.
After 10 minutes in the water I took the whole assembly out and the cold ball started to cool down. Water, from the dip in the bucket, that was on the bottom of the icy cube tray hole froze fast. Now 3+ hours latter the cold ball is still frosty, a thermometer in the icy cube tray hole, in contact with the bottom, shows about 18 degrees F. The warm ball gets warm as the cold ball gets cold, I measured about 82 degrees F with a thermometer I stuck in one of the cooling fins. This is all with the balls just setting on the floor no insulation between them, in my shop at about 60 degrees F.
As I heated the ball you could hear what I assumed was the gas boiling off the liquid in the hot ball. Now in the cooling mode you can hear a clicking sound that I assume is the gas after liquefying dripping back into the hot ball.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my Saturday science experiment.
Jim...
Great Jim!! Good work!
WELL - I couldn't wait!
So today I "cooked IcyBall 852 for 1 hour on a coleman stove. It was cold outside where I was working (about 38-40F), so I suppose that I didn't get anything approaching a "full charge".
And yet, the IcyBall is clearly cooling. Here we are about 5 hours later, and there's at least a 25F differential between hot & cold balls.
I need to find a larger styrofoam cooler, and some good quality thermometers, and then I'll get a bit more scientific!
But its exciting to know that the thing works - 70 years after manufacture!
John S.