Ice Machine Faults and Fixes

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If your commercial kitchen has an ice machine, chances are, you’ve had some problems with it. Ice machines are particularly prone to issues because their need for a constant supply of water means they must be built as open systems. The water that flows through the machine can cause a number of problems. In particular, the water may not flow properly or may cause deposits to form throughout the machine’s mechanisms. Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most common ice machine faults and tips on how to deal with them.

  1. Water is leaking into the machine
    You’ll know this is happening if your machine is producing large cubes of ice that are clogging it. This problem may be caused by a leaky valve. Check for loose connections and bad clips. It may be necessary to give the machine a tune-up and to replace any faulty clips.
  1. You are experiencing frequent breakdowns
    If your machine is breaking down often, it could mean that the room the ice machine is in is too warm. When the temperature in the room gets too high, the ice machine has to work on overdrive to produce ice. Over time, this results in frequent breakdowns. If you can decrease the temperature of the room where the ice machine is located, you should see a significant reduction in breakdowns.
  1. Your ice machine is too slow
    If you find that you are often using all of your machine’s ice before it can make more, your machine may be working too slowly. Often, this is a result of a water temperature that is too high. When the water temperature gets too high, the machine has to work extra hard to cool it to produce ice. This problem is most common with new systems. You may need to call a technician to help you to remedy this issue.
  1. Your ice is small and uneven
    If your ice machine is producing small and uneven chunks of ice, your water flow is probably too low. This may be because something is blocking your line. Check the water flow from your plumbing to the machine and remove any blockages that you find in the hose or the filter.

If you need a new part for your ice machine or a professional technician to repair it, be sure to give CPS a call.