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How To Troubleshoot Your Ice-Maker

When it comes to being cool, nothing beats an ice machine. Unless it’s broken. That’s the definition of un-cool. The product experts at Pump Products troubleshoot broken ice machines all the time because, unlike refrigerators and other appliances that run on little more than electricity, ice-makers also require a constant flow of water.

While Manitwoc, Scottsman, Ice-O-Matic and every other top brand ice machine uses different control/sequence combos to make ice, the most common problems associated with ice production have to do with variations in water quantity and quality.

The good news is that most water-related problems are easy to solve. The next time you run into an ice-making glitch, don’t lose your cool. Troubleshoot the problem by running through this checklist. You may be able to save yourself a service call and fix it yourself.

• Small/Irregular Cubes – Check the water flow to your ice machine. In addition to producing undersized cubes, low water flow can freeze up the evaporator plate and halt ice production. Water should flow freely through the feeder tubing to the ice-maker. If you have an older model machine, or your water supply is mineral-rich, the tubing may be clogged with scaly build-up. If this is the case, replace the tubing. If the tubing looks clear, check the water filter. Most filters have the date of installation posted on the cartridge. If your filter cartridge hasn’t been replaced in more than a year, it could be slowing water flow and should be replaced.

• Slow Ice Production – Check the thermostat. High air temperatures can slow down ice production. At 95 degrees, many ice machines will stop producing ice altogether.

• Noisy Ice Production – Inspect the catch bin. Squealing or crunching sounds may be due to scaly build-up on the freezing cylinder. If the catch bin walls show mineral build-up, the ice maker should be cleaned with scale remover. Also, check for scale deposits on the evaporator plate. See next point.

• Ice Is Jammed – Inspect the evaporator plate for discoloration, mineral deposits or a large amount of copper bleed-through. Insufficient or irregular plating on the copper of the evaporator plate may prevent ice from dropping off like it is supposed to and an ice jam could result.

• No Ice Production – Check to see if someone accidentally cut off the water supply to the ice machine or kinked the line. If the water is flowing normally check the temperature. Water in excess of 90 degrees can trip an ice-maker’s freeze cycle timer and cause the unit to shut down. This problem is typically caused when hot water is misdirected into the cold water line.

These are five easy checkpoints you can inspect to troubleshoot your ice maker. If you have run through the list and your problem persists, you may need a new ice machine pump. The product experts at PumpProducts.com are standing by to help you select the ice machine pump best suited to your needs. Visit us at www.pumpproducts.com or call 1-800-429-0800.