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How to Properly Maintain Your Commercial Ice Machine

The quality of your water supply will determine how many ice machine cleanings you will need per year. Ice machine maintenance in Chicago should be done at least twice a year.  Units supplied by well water require more frequent cleanings.

Ice machines can be the most complex and expensive piece of refrigeration equipment in the kitchen.  Northeast Cooling can help you create a maintenance plan for your ice machine.  Keeping an ice machine clean will help keep the original warranty valid. Failure to keep a unit on a maintenance plan can lead repairs that would not be covered under warranty.

The inside of the machine is the perfect breeding ground for mold and growth of build up and scale, caused by dark and wet conditions.  Businesses that bake bread or sell any product containing yeast should check the condition of the machine at least every six weeks. The yeast builds up a scum that covers the water supply in the machine.

Manitowoc and Hoshizaki machines have many parts that are sensitive to scale build up. This holds true for all commercial ice machines. When the machine becomes too scaled up with lime deposits it will fail to work correctly. Water level sensors and ice probes will start to fail.  Ice will have trouble dropping off the evaporator grid due to binding with the scale. Water pumps will go bad, and water distributors will plug up.

Dumping chemicals in a machine and switching it to clean mode is not good enough. All removable parts should be taken out and scrubbed in a sink. The parts should be reinstalled and then an acid scale dissolve chemical should be run through the unit. If the condenser is air cooled it needs to be pressure cleaned. The bin drain should be pressure cleaned. After the cleaning is completed it is often necessary to adjust the ice thickness sensor and discard the first couple of batches produced.

It is a good idea to have a professional perform these services.

Northeast Cooling  is Accredited by the Better Business Bureau and specializes in ice machine service and repair. We are authorized to perform warranty work for Manitowoc, Hoshizaki, Scotsman, and all other major brands and we look forward to servicing your machines!


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