Ice is food. The machine that makes it grows scale, slime and mold if it isn't cleaned, and a dirty machine also makes less ice and works harder.
The short answer
Most manufacturers call for cleaning and sanitizing at least every six months. Kitchens with hard water, heavy flour or grease in the air, or a machine near the cook line often need it every three to four months.
Signs it's overdue
- Pink, black or slimy buildup in the bin or on the curtain
- White scale on the evaporator
- Smaller, cloudy or hollow cubes
- Production dropping off
- Ice that smells or tastes off
- Machine going into cleaning or error mode
What a proper cleaning includes
- Empty and shut down. Remove all ice and turn the machine to its clean cycle.
- Descale. Run a manufacturer-approved scale remover through the water system.
- Sanitize. Sanitize the evaporator, trough, tubes, curtain and bin.
- Condenser and filter. Clean the condenser coil and change the water filter if due.
- Verify. Confirm freeze and harvest cycles and check ice quality.
Ice machine cleaning is one of the most common items on our Kitchen Care Plan schedule, so it gets done without anyone having to remember it.
Written by the Ace Mechanical team. We've been fixing heating, cooling, refrigeration and plumbing across Hampton Roads for more than 30 years. Questions about your own system? Call (757) 495-7782.
