Ice machine maintenance starts before installation, as choosing the proper location for your ice machine is important because clearance space can affect how it operates. Air-cooled units must breathe, so ensure all sides are given the appropriate clearance, indicated in your unit's manual. Remote condensers require space away from the machine for installation. Also, ensure you can provide the right utilities for your unit. Water-cooled units, for example, require massive amounts of water, which can run up utility bills.

Ice machines should be installed indoors in a controlled environment. When installing, maintaining, and servicing the unit, take care to protect the refrigeration circuit. To prevent injuries, your unit should be grounded and not installed near garbage or heat-generating equipment, such as ovens and grills. Ensure there is plenty of clearance for water, drain, and electrical connections, which will be located at the rear of the ice machine. Finally, verify your unit is on a level surface.

Your unit must be connected to a potable water supply, and to limit scale buildup and maintain water quality, a water filter should be installed on your machine's water line. Removing scale buildup is important to keeping your ice clean. In addition to a water filter, you should have an air filter installed on your unit. How often you change or clean your unit's filter depends on the conditions in which your unit is installed. Bakeries, pizzerias, and similar establishments have lots of debris and food particles in the air that can clog the filter, so it is recommended you check the filter at least once monthly.

 In addition to changing or cleaning the water and air filters, you should check the condenser coils for debris buildup. To prevent damage to your ice machine, you should never use sharp tools or objects to remove ice, frost, and debris. Also, do not use mechanical devices to force defrosting to go faster.

Regularly cleaning the ice machine is imperative to ensure ice remains clear. Your unit should be cleaned at least every six months, however, you may need to clean it more depending on its conditions. Consult your unit's manual to see what type of cleaning and sanitizing solutions you can apply to the machine. It must be taken apart for cleaning and sanitizing, and you may want to hire a service technician if you have a particularly dirty unit. Some units feature a cleaning mode, while others will need you to clean the unit with cleaner made specifically for an ice maker.

Cube Ice Machine Maintenance

Full- and half-size cube ice is produced by running water over a grid, freezing the water into the shape of the grid. Manufacturers use different grid styles, but the ice cubes all have the same basic square or rectangular shape.

Maintenance tip: Confirm your ice bridge is adjusted to the thickness you need for full- or half-cube ice.

Flake Ice Machine Requirements

 Like nugget ice, flake ice is soft and easy to chew. Flake ice can be molded and has a larger contact surface than other ice types, suiting it for cooling fish and produce. This malleability makes it useful in healthcare settings, as it is less of a choking hazard for hospital patients than larger ice types. Flake ice is produced by wrapping refrigeration coils around a hollow cylinder. Water then runs through this cylinder, freezing into thin sheets as it does. An auger with a blade spirals up it, scraping off ice, pushing it out of the cylinder and into the bin. 

Maintenance tip: The bearings, which support the auger to rotate and stay in the cylinder, should be inspected often to see if they need greasing or replacing.