Slush Machine Repair

To best maintain the integrity of your slush machine, the advised ingredients remain at: ice, water, and sugar-based flavourings or concentrates, such as syrup. This sugar-based content is necessary to keep your mixture from completely freezing. Dairy products, such as milk, can be added with coffee syrups for iced coffee, and likewise using fizzy drinks in your machine is also safe.

It is advised not to put liquor in the machine as it can lower the freezing temperature of the mixture – instead, for alcoholic slushies, add this ingredient in after the slush drink has been produced. In the same vein, chunks of fruit, or fruit juices with fruit particles, can also damage the machine or keep it from working at its optimum efficiency, so it’s best to stay clear of these.

Leaving slush in a machine can compromise the quality and taste of the machine, and raise hygiene issues, so it is best not to leave your slush in the machine for too long; 72 hours is the maximum the mixture can be left before it diminishes in quality.

When not in use - for instance, in between shifts or overnight - the slush machine must be put into overnight mode manually. Doing so allows the machines to rotate (as they are designed to do so), and keeps your mixture churning so it will not completely freeze up. 

Your slush machine should be cleaned every 1-2 weeks, depending on how much it is used. This can be done by turning off the machine and draining the contents, before refilling the machine with warm water and cleaning solution; leave for ten to fifteen minutes before draining.

A deep clean can be performed once a month, by repeating the above steps, and continuing to remove the tank and tank lids for wiping down; with the tanks removed you can access the internal parts of the machine – such as the mixing spindle, “O” ring, and soft seal of the drive shaft – which can also be removed and washed with warm water and cleaning solution. When replacing these, remember to lubricate first.

Another key element of slush machine maintenance is putting your machine into night mode between shifts or overnight. Slush machines are designed to rotate 24/7, preventing the mixture inside from freezing up (which can damage your machine). Putting your machine into night mode allows for the rotation to take place, at a slower pace. 

A slush machine servicing can also give you peace of mind that your machine is well maintained, or you can carry out your own slush machine troubleshooting in order to identify any potential problems.