How To Prepare Your Ice Machine For Those Hot MidSouth Summer Months - Memphis Ice

A dirty ice machine uses more energy to produce less ice. Slime and mineral deposits can wreak havoc on your machine’s system, causing all sorts of issues, like smaller than normal ice cubes, overheating, and reduced efficiency. Your machine already has to deal with the increased temperatures. 

Related blog: Increase The Lifespan Of Your Investments By Cleaning And Maintaining Your Equipment

To make sure your machine’s performing at the rate you need, inspect your ice machine and clean it regularly. If your ice machine has an air filter, clean it. Inspect the lines to triple-check for any wear and tear. Look in areas that you usually don’t see with casual use. Make sure your food safety basics are squared away. Depending on the task, you’ll have to do these things daily. Others, monthly. 

For an exhaustive deep clean of your machine, we recommend you contact a professional every six months.

Ice machines need temperate conditions to meet peak efficiency. Once you reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit and above, performance can decrease. If you hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit and above, then your ice machine is in danger. That’s why we recommend, if you are an outdoor ice machine kind of business, to find the appropriate space to move it indoors.

If you’ve yet to take the plunge and rent or invest in your own machine, make sure you have the room for proper airflow, storage, and function. Here are some of the worst environments for ice machines that you should avoid:

• Kitchens exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit
• Closets
• Small sheds or storage facilities 
• Outdoors in direct sunlight 
• Near appliances that produce significant heat, like ovens, heaters, or grills

Ambient Temperature Matters

When it comes to producing commercial volumes of ice, heat is the bad guy. Your ice machine needs a controlled environment to function at peak efficiency. Full stop. Not only does heat play a role, but humidity does too. That’s what we mean when we say “controlled environment”. 

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A dry, comfortable space for your ice machine to live is the best-case scenario here. For best performance, your ice machine needs temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Over 80 degrees results in decreased efficiency and increases the risk for damage.

Airflow Is Key

Your install space needs to have room for your ice machine and then some. Give your machine at least 8-12 inches of space all around for proper intake and airflow. All of that ice production generates heat. If the heat has nowhere to go, it stays in the machine, reducing the lifespan of your investment and decreasing ice production efficiency. 

One more tip here: don’t use your ice machine as storage. Yes, some machines are big enough to be used as storage on the top. Don’t. That’s used to transfer heat away from the ice-making process.