Commercial Ice Maker

A commercial ice maker is a vital appliance wherever it might be installed, and there are some simple steps you can take to keep it running reliably and efficiently.

First, make sure your ice maker installation was done carefully and professionally.

Second, it's always a good idea to use an ice maker filter.

And whether your commercial ice maker is a Hoshizaki Ice Machine, a Manitowoc ice machine or a small under counter ice maker; make sure to keep the owner's manual in a safe place.

It has information that will help technicians in the future if they ever have to do any ice maker troubleshooting on the machine, and it also has important information about performing maintenance on the machine, which is as important for an ice maker as it is for any other type of refrigeration or air conditioning equipment.

Regarding maintenance:

Be careful to keep the condenser coil as clean as you possibly can.

This is where the refrigeration system releases the heat picked up from the freezing water, and even a little dust build up on the coil will reduce the efficiency of the machine.

Freeze cycles will be longer which will result in less ice produced, the compressor will run at higher pressures and amperages, which will increase your power bill, and a really dirty coil can cause the machine to shut down, and running at extremely high discharge pressures can even cause compressor damage.

Once a month it's a good idea to run a de-lime cycle and a sanitation cycle on your commercial ice maker.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations step by step, and measure the de-liming and sanitizing products carefully.

Scale is a build up of the microscopic solids that are dissolved in water, and it occurs normally in ice machines, water heaters, boilers, etc.

Scale build up will interfere with the efficiency of the ice freezing process, and it can also build up enough to block water flow through the water distribution components of the machine.

Keeping scale build up under control helps maintain peak efficiency, and helps reduce the power consumption of the commercial ice maker.

Once again, use the de-liming product recommended by the factory, and measure it carefully.

I once worked on a brand new machine with an evaporator plate that had turned a strange dark color, and wouldn't release the ice slab during harvest.

The owner wouldn't tell me who had worked on the machine, but he did tell me it had worked fine until someone "cleaned" it.

The evaporator plate had to be replaced.

Taking the time, and making the effort to keep your commercial ice machine clean can pay off with maximum ice production, high quality ice, and low power consumption.

I hope this page has helped, and please, feel free to contact us with any specific HVAC questions you might have, including questions about refrigeration on Guam, or air conditioning on Guam.

Are you learning the HVAC Trade "on the job"? If you would be interested in the possibility of studying at home to develop your potential to become the finest HVAC Technician you possibly can; we highly recommend that you contact Penn Foster Career School and request the free, no-obligation information brochure about their complete, accredited HVAC Technician course. It won't take even 5 minutes, and might change your whole future. You'll find a brief review of the course on our HVAC Training page.