Black ice radiator review: Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 360GTX Radiator Review

Package contents

The Kitfort corporate identity is recognizable from afar: a schematic image of the device on the front side, the model name, the manufacturer’s logo and a playful slogan — different for each type of household appliances. For ice makers, the company’s marketers found it appropriate to use the phrase «My ice is flying!»

Inside the box, in addition to the device itself, we found an ice scoop dispenser, user manual, warranty card and some promotional materials. nine0003

At first glance

The case is made of smooth black plastic without unnecessary decorations — the only eye-catching element is a light strip separating the cover from the main unit.

On the right side wall of the appliance there is a round hole for the release of warm air. Behind its plastic grille, a fan is visible, and under it is a radiator grille.

On the back wall, we found a label with the model name, brief technical specifications, serial number and information about the country of manufacture. nine0003

A plastic drain valve plug is located on the bottom panel. It is attached to the body with a collar made of the same material. The metal bottom is equipped with ventilation holes: for compressor equipment, additional cooling is not superfluous. The device rests on four rubber feet.

A large part of the top panel is occupied by a hinged cover of the working area. It has a transparent window through which you can watch how the container is filled with ice. It is removable, made of white plastic, with holes for draining melt water. nine0003

There is a water tank under the container. Its walls are marked with minimum and maximum levels, and at the bottom there is a water intake valve.

In front of the working area of ​​the cooler there is a filling sensor, which is an optocoupler of an infrared emitting LED and a light-receiving diode. When the overflowing container ice crosses the invisible beam between them, the sensor is triggered and the device stops working.

The unit also includes a white plastic ice scoop. nine0003

Manual

The 14-page user manual in A5 format is made in the corporate style of the manufacturer and, like all documentation for Kitfort equipment, is of high quality printing.

As usual at Kitfort, the instruction is preceded by a detailed story about the principle of operation of the device. And yes, she is very helpful. True, the picture illustrating the scheme of the device, most likely, migrated from another manual: it shows an ice cube generator. This almost misled us, but no — KT-1806 prepares thimbles of ice. nine0003

The rest of the management is top notch. It contains detailed information about the structure of the ice maker, safety precautions for handling it, tips for caring for the appliance, troubleshooting tips, and detailed technical specifications.

Control

Kitfort KT-1806 ice maker is extremely easy to operate: the only button on the top panel turns the device on and off.

Green LED «Ice» blinks slowly in standby mode and lights up continuously when the device is operating. nine0003

Malfunctions are reported by the generator with two orange signals: when the container is full, the «Basket full» LED lights up, and when the tank is empty, the «Add water» light lights up.

Operation

The unit must be placed in a room of sufficient volume to avoid the risk of fire in case of refrigerant leakage (at least one cubic meter of free space for every 8 g of refrigerant — in the case of KT-1806, three cubic meters should be left free). nine0003

Do not install the ice maker close to walls, furnishings or heat sources. To ensure the necessary air circulation, a gap of at least 15 cm must be maintained on all sides.

Before switching on, the completely unpacked device should be left in the room for several hours to equalize temperatures and start the cooling system normally.

Using the generator is extremely simple — just fill the tank with water (it is better to use boiled or filtered water) and press the power button. The first portion takes longer to cook, and as the device cools down, the process takes less and less time. This should be taken into account when preparing for a party: it makes sense to turn on the device at least an hour before you need ice. nine0003

Before the start of the freezing cycle, the water from the tank enters in dosed portions into the white semi-cylinder of the cooling tank. Nine polished cylinders with rounded ends are immersed in it. They communicate with the evaporator, and when the compressor is on, ice freezes around them.

At the end of the freeze cycle, the cooling tank rotates, the remaining water from it drains back into the tank, and the frozen “fingers” slide off the cylinders under their own weight. The spatula below them scoops them up into the ice box. In order for the ice to fall faster, warm air is supplied to the work area. nine0003

Ice thimbles are opaque, milky white. This is normal for generators of this type: the formation of ice occurs in a stationary mass of water, and the color of the ice is given by air bubbles that remain in the thickness of the formed crystals.

The noise emitted by the generator is even, not too annoying and not loud: you can talk near the working device without raising your voice.

If a power failure occurs during cooking, when the appliance is turned on again, it runs the rinse cycle, dumps unfrozen ice into the container and starts the cycle again. nine0003

The generator freezes a portion of ice (nine pieces) on average for about 10 minutes. It is enough to prepare one or two servings of a cocktail. With a reasonable rate of consumption of drinks, this provides the needs of ice for a company of four to six people. If you plan to invite more guests to the party, it makes sense to take care of creating some stock in advance. Ready ice can be stored in the refrigerator without cluttering up the freezer compartment: at a slight positive temperature, the product does not melt for several hours. nine0003

Maintenance

The ice maker body can be wiped with a dry or damp cloth.

The water tank should be cleaned once a week. Before this, the device must be disconnected from the mains and drained of water. To empty the tank, the device must be pulled out 6 cm from the edge of the table, put a bucket or other similar container under the drain hole and pull out the drain plug.

Clean the inside of the ice maker with a soft cloth dampened with warm water and vinegar (1:1 ratio). After that, you need to rinse the surface with clean water and drain the water again. It is not recommended to clean the evaporator. nine0003

When not in use for a long time, the water tank must be completely drained and all parts of the appliance must be dried.

The ice maker is charged with refrigerant for life and does not need to be recharged.

Do not wash any part of the appliance, including the ice box and scoop dispenser, in the dishwasher.

Our measurements

Making the first portion of ice (9 pieces with a total weight of about 70 g) at room temperature (23-24 °C) takes about 11 minutes. However, after an hour of continuous operation, when the body of the device and the water in the tank have cooled sufficiently, the cooking time for one portion is reduced to 8.5 minutes. Thus, the longer the ice maker works, the less heat loss and, therefore, the higher the performance. nine0003

The volume of the water tank, filled up to the maximum mark, is, according to our measurements, 2020 ml.

The appliance consumes the most electricity (140 W) when the compressor is started. During operation, the power is significantly lower — an average of 98 watts.

The noise that we have measured, which the ice machine emits during operation, does not exceed 54 dBA. It is noticeably quieter than promised by the manufacturer.

Practical tests

Of course, we did not miss the opportunity to test the Kitfort KT-1860 in action. We measured the performance of the device in real conditions and checked whether the resulting ice is enough for a good party with chilled drinks. nine0003

Six hours of continuous operation

We were interested in how much ice the appliance can make over a long period of time. We poured water into the tank, turned on the generator and prepared to wait.

The final volume of the product significantly exceeded the volume of the ice container, because once an hour we emptied this container, weighing the resulting ice. The measurement results are given in the table.

In the six hours since launch, the ice maker has made 2,763 grams of great ice, enough to make for a great cocktail party. nine0003

During the test, the device consumed 0.614 kWh of electricity.

Result: excellent.

Conclusions

The Kitfort KT-1806 ice maker allows you to get a good amount of ice in a short time, suitable for making frozen cocktails or chilled drinks and for storing food.

Relatively compact dimensions make it convenient to store the device, and low power consumption will allow you to use it on a picnic or on a road trip — it will not overload even a not very powerful car inverter. nine0003

Pros:

• good performance
• small size
• comfortable handle
• low noise

Cons:

• lack of a drain tube to facilitate draining water from the tank
• rather heavy weight

what is this phenomenon and why is it dangerous?

• Introduction
• What is black ice and how to spot it0310

• Where does black ice appear most often
• What will help if the car had to drive on black ice
• Conclusion. The main secret of black ice

Introduction

Roads in the off-season become dangerous due to changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation and other features of this period. Weather websites sometimes warn drivers about road conditions. The features of the pavement on a particular day can be marked with the words «Hoarfrost», «Dew», «Wet Road», «Black Ice», etc. nine0003

In the article, we will find out what is characteristic of the “black ice” phenomenon and how to recognize it in order to correct the behavior on the road in time. At the end of the article, we will reveal the main secret of black ice.

What is black ice and how to spot it

Black ice is a thin, transparent film of ice on roads that appears at temperatures from 0 to below. Such ice is called black because dark asphalt shines through it.

Black ice is dangerous because it is not visible on the roads. Driving on such a surface, it may seem to the driver that he is just driving on a wet road — this causes many accidents. Moving on the thinnest slippery film at high speed, the tires easily lose contact with the surface, and the car can easily skid. nine0003

Black ice often appears on the roads when the air temperature is slightly above zero during the day, the air is humid, it is raining or drizzling, and in the evening the temperature drops to just below zero. Due to high humidity, the smallest particles of water settle on the road and form a thin water film. When the temperature drops, it turns into ice. Moreover, the thermometer can show positive temperature, and on the road surface it will be below zero.

Observation will help determine that black ice is in front of you. Take a closer look: if there are dark spots or shine on the asphalt, this may be a sign of an insidious ice film. nine0003

When driving on black ice, the driver may feel that the steering wheel has become light, the car does not obey well, and there is almost no noise from the tires. This makes the asphalt look clean.

Watch for cars ahead. If it seems that the asphalt is wet, but water splashes do not appear from under the wheels of traffic participants, it is highly likely that a thin ice film has bound the road.

In the off-season, for your own safety, it is especially important to monitor the weather: temperature changes, the presence / absence of fog — in order to adjust your driving style to the situation. Just before driving, assess the weather and road conditions on the street and guess what kind of coverage you will have on the way. Starting the path, if it is safe around, you can try to do a test braking. This will help to understand the level of grip of the wheels with the road. If the ABS system is activated, this is a sign that the tires have poor contact with the surface. nine0003

Where does black ice appear most often

There are sections of roads where black ice appears and lingers most often:

• bridges and flyovers;

• roads that are well blown from all sides by the wind;

• roads passing through hilly terrain with deep ravines into which fog often descends;

• small roads in the regions in appropriate weather — a thin ice film forms on them more often than on the highways of megacities; nine0003

• stretches of road that receive almost no sunlight.

The I-35W bridge in Minnesota, USA was notorious for its black ice. So, in 1985, when the temperature dropped to -34 ° C, the bridge was covered with the thinnest film of ice. Drivers following the bridge lost control and a huge number of broken cars accumulated on the north side of the bridge.

In 1996, the bridge was named the most dangerous cold weather site on the local freeway system. The black ice that formed there had little to no friction when the temperature went below zero. In addition, the situation was aggravated by the proximity to the St. Anthony Falls — it increased the humidity of the air in the area of ​​the bridge. By the way, this dangerous bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in 2007. nine0003

What will help if the car had to drive on black ice

If by all atmospheric indications the roads appear to be covered in black ice, slow down considerably, double your distance and increase your lateral spacing with other vehicles. It’s best to avoid driving on a track that’s been covered in thin ice if possible. Even if your car’s tires can handle this, you can’t be sure other drivers will be as lucky. It will be safer to get off the icy road, if possible, and find another way. It is important to remember: standing on the sidelines in such conditions is extremely dangerous! nine0003

Keep an eye on the weather and prepare for off-season surprises in advance.