Ice Maker Maintenance | Cool Air Conditioning Pty Ltd

You rely on your ice maker to provide ice for your customers and clients. Ice machines must be cleaned and maintained regularly to ensure the ice tastes great and is healthy. Read on to learn more about common problems and health hazards ice machines can pose if you skip important maintenance.

Ice machines are full of moisture and condensation. That makes it an ideal spot for certain problems. Just because the area is cold doesn't mean your machine will have fewer problems. You still need to be as diligent in your ice machine maintenance as you would with any other refrigeration equipment. Here are some common problems lack of maintenance can cause a commercial ice machine.

If you have a mostly stainless steel system and bin, you will likely have little or no mould growth. However, mould can still grow on other surfaces, like the inside of hoses. It can also grow on spilled food and other debris inside your bin. Mould combined with bacteria can create a slime that will contaminate your ice.

Salmonella and E. Coli can infect your ice maker in various ways. For example, airborne food particles can get into the machine. Contaminants can enter the machine through the water. Unlike mould, bacteria can sometimes grow on stainless steel and even remain present for several days if not cleaned.

If you have an air-cooled unit with a fan, then you could draw in dust and dirt from the outside. While filters help, they can't stop all contamination, especially if the fans are not well maintained. Eventually, they end up on or in your ice. Dirt and dust accumulation can also make your fan less effective and cause early wear and tear.

Added moisture and heat around the machine's mechanisms, combined with any potential food source, is attractive to pests. If they decide to live in or under your ice machine, you could risk ice contamination or a potential health violation.

All ice makers need regular maintenance. Your machine may need more maintenance than other units if you have high usage. Exact maintenance varies based on the model, but many benefit from the procedures listed below.

Not only can mould slime and bacteria accumulate on hoses, pests sometimes use them as an access point. Do a visual inspection of your hoses regularly and clean them at least twice a year with the other equipment.

Change your filters each time you or your maintenance company cleans the machine. If your ice tastes strange, then you may need to change them more often.

If you have hard water problems, you may need to descale your bin in addition to cleaning it. Scale builds up where hard water accumulates, especially on some types of metal. Failure to remove scale may cause problems in the distribution lines as well as evaporator problems.

Thoroughly clean all nozzles and distribution lines. Bacteria and mould build up in these places and can contaminate the ice.

After you or the maintenance company cleans and descales the machine, make sure to sanitise the surfaces. Be sure to use the correct sanitiser for your machine, even if you only use it to wipe it down. For example, bleach-based cleaners are not good for stainless steel.

We at Cool Air Conditioning Pty Ltd know that maintenance and cleaning take up a lot of your business time. We can help you keep your ice machine clean and in workable condition. A working ice machine is important during warmer months when demand is high. We can also help maintain your other commercial refrigeration systems. Contact us and see how we can help your business.