Hello all...
I've been asked to look at and fix a SaniServ A5011ET ice cream machine, S/N G108311. Made in the 23rd week of 1988, it's not new but it is in good condition and worked fine the first few times the owners used it. The first thing that went wrong was a front panel switch, but it was replaced and is working properly.
However, it will not engage the compressors or auger motors when ice cream is requested with any pull handle. The switches do make contact just fine, but this thing's "brain" consists of several SSAC solid state timers with different timing values. As best I can tell, pulling the handle sets these timers in motion and starts the machine up. Its circuitry is split into two main "units"--one for each of the two ice cream dispensers and a handle in the middle that activates both. There are six total timers, three on each "half" of the machine. Two are 1.5 second timers. The other four are ganged together as two units per assembly, with a timing of 15 seconds on and 10 minutes off. I think the 1.5 second timer is what gets everything started.
I believe that one or more of these timers has failed. And while the cases came open, they are all fully potted inside. There's evidence that they run hot, and looking at the potting compound suggests that they have been somewhat warm over the years. They run directly from the 230 volts AC with a switching capacity of 1 amp. That seems like a lot for the parts I could scrape out of the potting compond on one of them.
Unfortunately, these timers seem to be made of unobtainium. I'm hoping that someone out there might still be selling a suitable replacement part or that a circuit could be built to replace their function. Any ideas? Might anyone have one of these in their junk box?
SaniServ has been useless thus far, and hasn't returned my calls or e-mails. A parts supplier was able to provide the replacement switch but they don't think they can get the timers.
William