Commercial Ice Makers have snot too...

Water snot? Say what! Ok that sounds great but the cold; not so, hard facts are that if you own a commercial ice machine you will develop cold-water algae. The algae will build up on corners and on top of water distribution tubes, drains, drip lines and even in the water sumps. The algae are clear, slick and disgusting organisms that most people don’t want to think about, but they are there.  The best way to make sure you don’t have this cold-water algae growing in your ice machine is to get your local service agent to clean your machine at least twice per year.  The owner’s manual that your machine came with shows you how to clean the machine, and usually recommends what type of cleaning solution to use; if that information is not available in the owners manual (or you threw it away shortly after purchase) then you should call the service hotline at the manufacturer and they can provide you with it.  In order to clean the ice machine it will need to be taken apart, providing access into the water system of your machine.  The ice machine will have a cleaning sequence; some are computer controlled and some have a toggle switch that will toggle between ON (make ice), OFF (don’t make ice), and CLEAN.  Now let’s get back to the first part of this… Call your service agent; I have seen folks try to do this and loose parts or not secure the distribution tubes properly and they have a mess on their hands.  Some of my customers have watched me clean their machine and the next time it needs to be done they do it themselves.  For now what I will suggest is to call the service agent and while he/she is cleaning the machine watch the process, see what they get out of your machine and this will help you decide how often to clean and if you want to try it yourself.  At JES we offer a complete line of commercial ice machines, commercial ice machine water filters, cleaning solutions and even technicians that will clean your ice machine; so the next time you are at your favorite restaurant PLEASE try not to think about how many times the ice machine has been cleaned this year. If you own a commercial ice machine please clean the water system at least twice per year to prevent water snot build up.

Thanks for reading!
Eric Smith
Owner J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment PM & Repair

We have a great selection of Hoshizaki Commercial Refrigeration here at J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment.