With summer on the way, ice will be in demand in many Decatur, Alabama area businesses. If you own such a business, chances are that you have a commercial icemaker. This vital machine creates ice more efficiently than any freezer could, and is important for restaurants, food storage, ice bags, and other uses.
Commercial icemakers are more complicated than many realize, and with many parts. Most of the time, icemakers create clear, odorless ice cubes without issues, but when an issue arises, it’s best to take care of it quickly.
The Most Common Issue: Not Dispensing Ice
This is perhaps the most common and noticeable issue with commercial icemakers. There are a lot of things that can cause a machine not to dispense ice, ranging from the water supply line coming undone to the thermostat. Other issues, such as a faulty shutoff switch, supply valve, and ejector motor can also cause a machine to stop putting out ice cubes.
Dirty air condensers and dirty valves can also cause this common problem.
You may also notice your machine not dispensing enough ice or putting out smaller ice cubes than normal. Many of these same issues could be the cause.
Since there are many internal issues that can cause this problem, your time may be best saved by contacting a professional.
Ice Is Cloudy or Discolored
No one wants ice that looks cloudy or has a strange odor. The easiest thing to address is the water filters in your ice machine, which can become dirty just like any other part.
The machine itself may also be dirty inside, particularly if black or white flecks appear in your ice cubes. These can indicate mineral deposits or a bad water filter, and in some cases, mold can grow in the areas where ice drops, also leading to dark flecks.
If the ice cubes are cloudy or have an odd odor, it may be worth having your water quality tested and addressed.
Ice Isn’t Completely Formed
Icemakers are supposed to dispense cubes, not slush. When this fails and ice cubes aren’t coming out in the proper form, there are a few issues you can have addressed.
Low water pressure to your facility can cause ice cubes to form improperly, so it’s a good idea to rule out this issue with your utility company if this is an issue you’re noticing with multiple machines or other parts of your facility.
Broken water filters and uneven surfaces can also cause strange ice cubes, and you may need to have the water level probe or the ice thickness probe adjusted.
The Ice Machine Won’t Harvest
Harvesting is the time where an ice machine collects the ice cubes it’s been freezing and places them in a storage bin, so that it can begin to freeze more ice cubes. When this fails, it could be the result of the ice thickness probe being dirty or not connected. Ice that freezes too thin can also prevent the icemaker from entering harvest mode. (See the section above if this appears to be the issue.)
The surrounding air temperature warming too much can also prevent harvesting, and so can a non-level surface.
Solve Your Icemaker Woes Today
At Southeastern Mechanical Services here in Decatur AL, we’re here to make sure your commercial icemaker works flawlessly all season long and helps your bottom line. Contact us today with any questions or concerns.
