Ice Machine Troubleshooting

There are a few reasons your ice cubes might become smaller or change shape. The most common reason us low water flow to the ice machine. If you’re having issues with your water system or your water filter is plugged with debris, less water will get to your machine, and that means smaller ice cubes. Either a plumber (water system issue) or ice machine technician (plugged water filter) can fix this problem.

Although it might not seem like it, when ice cubes are larger than usual, it’s a sign there is something wrong with the ice machine. Large ice cubes occur when ice sticks on the evaporator plate for too long. As the ice cubes grow, they can get stuck in your evaporator plate and cause freeze-ups, which end up cracking the evaporator plate. One of the most common ice maker problems that lead to ice cubes growing too large is leaks stemming from inside the ice machine. A leaky water inlet valve is a likely culprit. You’ll need to call an ice machine technician if this is the case.

Air and water temperatures significantly affect your ice machine’s production rate. As temperatures increase, your ice machine must work harder to create a batch of ice. The harder the unit works; the less ice it’ll make in a day. This isn’t so much an ice machine “problem” as a relationship between temperature the refrigeration system.

If your ice maker seems to be producing less ice than usual, check to see if the air temperature around your ice machine is reaching near 100 degrees. Ideally, you want the ambient air temperature of the room to be close to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the room is running hot, try lowering the temperature on your thermostat. If you don’t have air conditioning in the room you installed your ice machine; you should seriously consider installing it in a room that does.

Since ice machines give off heat, low ventilation could also be an issue. Make sure there isn’t any clutter around your ice machine that could be trapping hot air around your unit. A good rule of thumb is to keep a foot and a half of space around your ice machine. That includes the ceiling.

Hot water entering your machine is harder to diagnose. You can run a meat thermometer under your tap for about 2 min to see if the municipal water supply is coming out hot. Water lines exposed to outdoor heat can cause this or if the line is running near a heat producing appliance like an oven or furnace.

Hot water migration is another problem that lead to less ice production. Appliances like dishwashers can pump hot water into the cold-water line and run directly into your ice machine. Hot water migration is a difficult problem to diagnose, so you will most likely require a technician or plumber to find the source of the hot water.

If you notice your ice maker is not making ice, it will most likely be because it’s shut down into a failsafe mode. If an ice maker encounters a problem, it’s common that the ice maker will shut down to prevent any damage from occurring. While it may be a hassle to show up to work with no ice available, it’s far better than dealing with a broken ice machine.

Hoshizaki and Manitowoc ice machines will alert users to any potential problems during shut down mode. If you notice your ice beeping or there is a signal on your ice maker’s display, feel free to give us a call at 773-975-2005, and we’ll send a technician to your establishment right away.

When customers call us because they notice water leaking around their ice machine, most of the leaks are coming from the water line, not the ice machine at all.

If you ever notice water pooling around your ice machine, do a quick area check. An employee may have dropped a scoop of ice and kicked it under the machine so it can melt down the drain underneath the machine.

If it isn’t something as simple as a dropped batch of ice, see if the leak is coming from in front or behind your ice machine’s shutoff valve. When a leak originates from behind the shutoff valve, it’s generally coming from your business’s water supply. In these cases, you should call a plumber to come out and fix the leak.

If the leak is coming from in front of the shutoff valve, it’s likely due to the ice machine. In these cases, you should first shut the unit off and then call an ice machine technician. Feel free to give us a call at 773-975-2005, and we’ll send one of our expert technicians ASAP.