What to Do if your Ice Machine Freezes up

Nothing can be more annoying for you and your customers than when the ice machine freezes up and doesn't work. Yes, ice can definitely damage your ice machine. If an ice maker freezes up and damages your ice machine, it can be very expensive to repair. Ice can production may get so so large that it destroys vital components of your machine. Fortunately, there are ways to identify if an ice machine has frozen up, so you can avoid any further damage to the machine.

How to fix my Ice Machine when it freezes up

Here are ways to fix your ice machine when it freezes up:

• Fix the Jam
• Reduce the amount of Scale in your machine
• Empty your Bins
• Fix your Bin control
• Ensure that your water lines are not freezing
• Make sure your water filter is intact

What Causes My Ice Maker to Freeze Up?

When an ice maker freezes up, it means there’s something wrong with the evaporator plate. As the water continues to flow over it, it continues to form until it becomes a huge block of ice. Continual freeze cycles may prevent your ice maker from producing ice or grow so large that it damages your evaporator plate, causing an expensive ice machine repair bill.

Here's what you can do when your ice machine freezes up:

Switch it Off

Before attempting to work at any appliance, ensure that all power (electric current) and utilities (water, gas, etc.) have been turned off and / or disconnected.

To start, locate the water supply for your ice maker and turn it off by turning the shut-off valve off. If there's any extra water left in the water supply line, you may want to have a container and towels on hand.

Reduce the amount of scale in your machine

What is scale?

Hard water in your ice maker results in scale. Magnesium and calcium form together and stick to surfaces where water constantly flows. If you live in a place where there is hard water, you may have seen scale forming around your sink or on your bathroom tile.

• An ice maker forms ice by flowing cold water over a freezing evaporating plate. As the water flows through the tube, it begins to freeze at the evaporator plate little bit by little until it forms an ice cube. 
• When the ice grows big enough, the machine increases the temperature of the evaporating plate so that the ice melts faster. Water helps to release the ice from the ice cube tray, so that it can fall into the storage bin.
• When scale covers your evaporation tray, ice has a much tougher time releasing. If an ice cube cannot be removed from the evaporator plate after repeated freeze cycles, the one ice cube can grow into a larger chunk of ice that can damage your ice maker.

How do I solve this problem?

• The best way to prevent this is by having routine professional cleanings to remove scale from your machine.
• If you live in a hard water area, a water softener may be able to help reduce the amount of scale on your machine.

Check your Bins

Ice bin controls monitor the amount of ice in ice bins. It shuts off the ice machine when it reaches its maximum storage capacity. If you don't have bin control, your ice maker will keep producing ice 24/7, and if there's a malfunction, that's exactly what will happen.

If the ice machine doesn't shut off, it will keep producing ice until it eventually fills up through the drop zone, then back into the ice machine. If the drop zone is plugged in, then ice can't deposit, and the machine will freeze up.

How do I solve this?

• If you notice that your ice machine is not turning off when the bin is full, turn off the machine manually and contact an ice machine technician as soon as you can.

Fix Your Float Switch Issues

If you own Hoshizaki ice machines, a float switch controls the amount of water used during a freeze cycle. Check out this article for more details!

If the float switch fails, it may cause the ice maker to produce larger than normal ice, making it harder for the machine to release the ice during the harvest cycle.

This can cause a freeze-up. If you notice larger chunks of ice in the storage bin, you should call a qualified techi­nician to check the machine's operability.

Ensure that your water lines are not freezing

How do I solve this?

It's not unusual for the water line between your refrigerator's water valve and the ice maker in your refrigerator to freeze up. This can happen for several reasons. You first need to check whether your water line is frozen.

• Check your freezer for any signs of a broken or frozen fill tube.
• If you discover that the water supply line for your fridge has frozen, first defrost the entire refrigerator.
• If you don’t feel like going through the hassle, use a hairdryer or blow dryer to carefully defrost the one frozen water line.
• It's a tricky process that requires careful planning and attention, but it can be accomplished. If you notice that you regularly freeze your water line, try raising the temperature of your freezer so that it doesn't freeze your water line.

Make sure your water filter is intact

How do I solve this?

If your water filter is clogged, it can easily stop your ice machine from making ice.

If it’ s clogged, this can create unwanted water pressure problems that could be causing freezing and jamming as water backs up into your freezer. But as complicated as it sounds, it’ s really just another simple problem with another easy solution.

Simply replace the water filter and clean the current mess.

Getting Ice Machine for Your Business?

Ice Equipment is crucial for operating any kitchen. Here at Culinary Depot, we are eager to help you find the right Ice Maker.

May it be:

• Air-Cooled Ice Machines
• Undercounter Ice Machines
• Water Cooled Ice Machines
• Combination Ice and Water Machines
• Remote Condenser Ice Machines

Visit our online store or contact us today for more information.

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