Maintaining the Manitowoc Ice Machine Line of Products
Manitowoc ice machine makes some of the finest ice machines in the marketplace. All ice machines, including Manitowoc, require routine maintenance and service to keep them running correctly. Without well-designed cleaning and sanitizing services, the Manitowoc ice machine WILL eventually fail through no fault of the ice machine. This guide provides general tips and advice on maintaining your Manitowoc ice machine.
- Check the ice machine regularly for any signs of leaks or damage. Water can easily damage the ice machine and the building floors and walls. It is essential to keep an eye out for any signs of leaks. If you notice any leaks, immediately shut off the ice machine, turn off the water and contact a qualified technician to repair the machine.
- Make sure to clean the ice machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Have a qualified technician service the ice machine every few months to ensure it runs properly. The factory specifies cleaning and sanitizing the ice machine ‘as needed.’ Many technicians and owners hear this as “once or twice a year.” In other words, the ice machine needs to be serviced and sanitized whenever it needs it, not necessarily on a fixed schedule. Environmental conditions that are hot and humid raise the potential for mold and bioslime growth. Of note is that routine service could include descaling the evaporator(s), the water reservoir, and all the water hoses and components.
- Inspect the ice storage bin and door gaskets regularly to ensure they are clean and in good condition. The gaskets keep out contamination resulting from exposure to ambient air and food preparation ingredients such as yeast and flour.
- Always use clean, fresh water when filling the ice machine. Water filtration of varying degrees is a fact of life with ice machines, since scaling shortens the service life of the machinery. Descaling the ice machine every six months to prevent mineral buildup. Descaling can be done using a commercial descaling solution. Not every off the self descaler can be used. It is CRITICALLY important to use specified descaling solutions. Nickle safe machine cleaner is needed for specific models of ice machines. Carefully check the use and care manual before cleaning the ice machine. Experienced technicians routinely encounter nickel plated evaporators that have been damaged or completely ruined resulting from using unknowing technicians or owners cleaning their ice machine with the incorrect solution.
- Schedule regular maintenance checkups with a qualified technician. Regular maintenance helps to ensure that the ice machine is running properly and catch any potential problems before they become serious.
- Change the water filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Besides becoming less able to flow the required total volumes of water, the filtration efficiency also declines as water flows through the filter. Time also affects the ability of the filter to remain sanitary. Remember that ANY water filter is rated in both gallons/liters and TIME. If a Manitowoc (or any other brand) ice machine is used extensively, the filter gallonage could expire long before any timed rating or scheduled change.
- Keep the area around the ice machine clean and free of debris. Besides the health department standards and regulations that help maintain sanitary operations, the designed airflow through the ice machine heads needs to be maintained.
- If the ice machine is not going to be used for an extended period, it is essential to shut down the machine properly. Turning off the ice machine won’t protect it from freezing damage or rodent infestation.
It is always suggested that the technician and owner review the model-specific use and care guide for complete instructions. The Manitowoc brand has many models of ice machines with a wide variety of features. The use and care guide have the most up-to-date instructions for the model you own.
Refrigeration System
Technicians, especially HVAC (not refrigeration) technicians, have established a hard-to-break habit of connecting their refrigeration manifold gauges to the ice machine to (as they tell us) make sure the refrigeration system is running normally. This practice is a terrible idea and on a par with drilling a hole through the condenser.
Fact: Unitary ice machine heads are factory charged to precisely the correct charge for the model.
Fact: When the refrigeration manifold is connected, the refrigerant charge is no longer correct. This concept is called a critical charge. Please see this course description if you want to learn more about this concept. If it is clear that another technician has connected their refrigeration charging manifolds to the ice machine head, then assume the refrigerant charge is incorrect and conduct a production test to measure the output of the ice machine. The course above discusses and demonstrates a production test procedure and refers to the factory service manual usage that defines this procedure.
