TLDR - I got my hands on a cold oxygen plasma generator for preventing biofilm in ice machines; could it help food last longer in my fridge or will it mess up my food?
I’m a refrigeration mechanic and recently while decommisioning some old ice machines I found one with a functional Luminice II module in it which I snagged. Generally nobody in my area orders icemachines with this optional module. With our water quality limescale becomes an issue and necessitates cleaning far far more quickly than biofilm so they generally aren’t worthwhile here. So I have no experience with these modules.
From what I understand they use a UVC bulb to generate cold oxygen plasma which is then pumped through the ice machine to kill bacteria. At least from what I’ve heard they work really well. I’ve been trying to think of places I could use it and it occured to me that I could pump cold oxygen plasma through my fridge to kill any microbes in there and therefore potentially make my food last longer in there. At the same time though, food is also often made of cells so I’m not sure what effect cold oxygen plasma would have on my food long term. Maybe I would just be turning my fridge into an instant produce spoiling machine.
This isn’t really an issue that needs to be solved but I like tinkering and it would be cool to have a self sanitizing fridge. Is this a bad idea?
If it fits in the fridge, of course you can. I know nothing about cold oxygen plasma generators but I am somewhat of an expert on fitting things into other things and I have learned from my extensive studies that smaller things usually fit in larger things. So as long as the generator thingy is small enough and the fridge is big enough, Id say its absolutely possible.
It do fit so I guess it do sit.
MaybeI’m wrong but I think you might oxidize all your produce faster. I do think you should try though.
Especially because, if this is the device I think it is, it’s an ozone generator, which are even more oxidizing than the normal O2
That’s what I thought they were at first too but aparently there is a difference. A cold oxygen plasma generator does produce ozone but aparently it also does other stuff. I’m not sure on the exact science but it isn’t just an ozone generator.
A cold oxygen plasma generator does produce ozone but aparently it also does other stuff. I’m not sure on the exact science but it isn’t just an ozone generator.
Ozone isn’t something you generally want to pump out into the air around you as it damages the lungs when inhaled. Machines that generate ozone in rooms usually have to have systems the absorb the ozone created. Sometimes thats with filter charged media, sometimes with magnetic fields.
Since neither of us know exactly what this machine of yours does. Can you describe the plumbing? As in, is it possible the ozone is created in an isolated chamber and the feedwater the ice is made out of is exposed to it, then the ozone recovered? To me, that sounds like a fairly safe way for this to operate.
If so, then it likely cannot be used with your food because the ozone would have to be in contact with the food (or food containers) in your fridge, and when you open the door to retrieve an item, you’d be exhausting all of that ozone into your living space, which would be very bad for your lungs.
Inside the ice machine it pulls in air from near the ice making sheet, runs it across the bulb, and spits the air back out above the water distribution bar above the ice making sheet. Similar devices from other manufacturers will pull the air from all the way down in the ice bin to circulate it inside the bin as well.
As far as it being an enclosed space, ice machines are fairly sealed but are frequently opened to access the ice in the bin. They’re less sealed than your average refrigerator.
Pretty cool device. Thanks for linking to the manufacturer’s page. Lots of good info there.
Pretty cool device.
That’s the exact reason I snagged it as soon as I saw it in the scrap pile with no idea what I would ever use it for. Aparently they work really well but I’ve never had the opporitunity to work on a machine with one installed.
Is it unsafe to eat ozone, perhaps? Like if you had something really porous like a cake in there and all the air spaces became ozone, that couldn’t be safe to eat.
That’s what I’m kind of wondering. Maybe I should try it out with my minifridge first.
Seems like a low risk way to make sure
Yes, this. You can. But you probably shouldn’t.
Science demands you perform an experiment! We are all awaiting your results with excitement.
I want to. I have a spare minifridge so I may run some trials with that. Unfortunately it’ll need to wait a bit because the Luminice unit needs a new bulb and I don’t have that kind of money on hand at the moment.
Oxygen plasma sounds like something that could very easily set something else on fire.
It’s not pure oxygen. It’s basically just ionizing the oxygen in the air. From what I understand it works similarly to an ozone generator but is slightly different.
I know ozone degrades some plastics really quickly. I’m not sure if that’s just ozone or also the oxygen radicals, but I’m worried for the plastic parts in your fridge. I’d have to look into ice makers’ construction materials to be sure.
In my experience, it’ll eat through the rubber seals first.
Ice machine do use a lot of plastic but it is usually designed to be more robust due to the cleaners used so it may be different from the stuff used in a fridge.
I got my hands on a cold oxygen plasma generator
My dude, very unique opportunities seem to be a common occurrence for you. I remember when I answered your question about 240v residential power. And now a plasma generator??
Sadly, I don’t have an answer to your present inquiry, but I hope the other commenters are of aid.
I spent nearly 30 years of my life with unmedicated ADHD and ocasionally it works to my benefit.
Also still working on the 240V power thing. I just need to have disposable income first.
Those devices should just be used to clean emptied machines
Nope. They run all the time. They literally just get wired direct to the hot side of the main contactor in the machine. If the machine has power the luminice unit is running.
Yup
