Ice Machine Repair

Typically, an ice machine uses the same basic principles that household freezers use to make large amounts of ice for commercial use. This process works best when ambient temperatures are below the freezing point of water because the humidity within the freezer is higher than at any temperature above freezing.

The evaporator is the part of the ice machine that is responsible for removing heat from the freezer. It does this by first allowing ambient air to pass over its fins, which causes some of the heat to transfer via convection into the surrounding air, causing it to cool down slightly. After passing through the fins, the air enters the evaporator.

The air is no longer in contact with ambient air (because it has passed through the fins), so its temperature drops further, to 0 degrees Celsius. At this point, the moisture that was in the air begins to condense into droplets on whatever surface it reaches first - typically a series of rotating metal plates. These plates are rotating at a moderate speed (around 3 - 7 rotations per minute) and the humidity in the air is high, so there's plenty of contact between the relatively cold metal and warm air. This causes some of the water droplets on the plates to freeze. The frozen water accumulates as ice cubes until they reach the front of the evaporator and drop into a bin.

An ice machine service may be necessary if your machine is struggling with any of the steps above, or not outputting ice as expected.

This question depends on what type of commercial ice maker your catering kitchen uses.

For instance, larger, industrial machines can produce over 1000 kgs of ice per 24 hour period, while smaller machines – such as under-counter ice machines – can only produce up to 225 kgs of ice a day.

It is important to note that larger machines mean higher energy costs since they will need more electricity or power than smaller ones. For more detailed information, see here.

Determine how much ice your commercial catering business will use, before deciding which ice machine you will need, and whether purchasing an ice storage bin (for preserving pre-made ice) is a preferable option. 

Again, this depends on the type of ice machine – most ice machines will not keep ice frozen, but make ice with the intention of immediate use.

This includes portable and countertop ice machines, as well as larger units. Whilst portable and countertop ice machines usually have a bin to catch the ice, and subsequently to hold melted ice, larger units have a drain line installed to drain away any water.

Ice left in the storage bin of an ice machine will typically last a few hours before melting, however this depends on the room temperature, size of bin and amount of ice held, and the insulation of the bin.

There are some models of ice makers available which have built in freezers as part of the unit, however they are not as common; separate coolers, or the smaller ice bucket alternative, and even attaching a freezer compartment to your icemaker is a more efficient way of storing ice.