What it means to clean
Cleaning your ice machine is an important part of keeping it functioning at a high level. To many people cleaning an ice machine means taking off the cover and switching the control to clean. Or maybe they wipe away some of the mold inside the bin. Well cleaning an ice machine takes a little mechanical knowledge and time that most business owners don’t have. There are lots of small and big parts that need to be disassembled, cleaned and re-assembled during the cleaning process. If the parts are put back wrong the machine will not work correctly. In addition certain specific chemicals are used in while cleaning the ice maker that most people do not have on hand. Therefore I highly recommend hiring a professional like Marathon Air to do the cleaning of your ice machine. Your ice machine should be cleaned at least one time per year or twice depending on the envrionment it is in.
Hint
If you really want to clean the machine yourself there are usually some directions on the inside of the front panel of the ice machine. This is where the manufacturer explains how they want the machine cleaned. They usually do not tell you to clean the condenser coil. This is the coil in the condenser section. If you use the wrong cleaner it can damage the evaporator plate and you will most likely need a new ice machine. Just another reason to have the ice machine professionally cleaned. Sometimes the ice machine will just turn off or have low production. Maybe it needs to be repair or maybe it just needs to be serviced.
Why Clean The Ice Machine
Two reasons 1) Remove bacteria 2) Remove scale buildup. The inside of an ice maker is dark, cool, and damp. Perfect environment for mold to grow. Then if you own a bakery, subshop, or pizza restaurant you are adding yeast to the mix and now you have the factors for the perfect storm. Cleaning the mold is a matter of taking all removable parts off and washing them. Once back in place everthing should be wiped down with a clorox wipe. The mold will start growing almost the second the cover is back and the machine is turned on. If you have the bakery type environment you must clean for mold every three months.
Scale buildup is another matter. The surrounding air does not affect scale buildup. As the water in the ice maker freezes to the evaporator plate minerals in the water drop out. These minerals are of the composition of lime. One of the reasons Hoshizaki recommends using Lima-away as a cleaner for the evaporator section. One way of recducing scale buildup is to put a water filter on the water line going into the machine. It must be a special filter for removing scale and also sized properly for the amount of ice the ice machine makes. These filters typically need to be changed every six months. The scale is removed from the evaporator by putting the cleaner in the water trough and running the pump to circulate the water therby removing the scale. Other parts that come into contact with water will buildup scale and these parts need to be handwashed with the cleaner to remove scale.
The bin should be cleaned. The main area cleaning is up near the top and inside the ice machine bin. Mold is what you are loioking for to clean here. Use bleach to sanitze after cleaning. The machine should be turned off for a day before cleaning to lower the ice to empty. This way the bin can be cleaned very good.
Last clean the condenser coil. This can be done with a brush or if in a greasy environment us condenser coil cleaner. Make sure to rinse well the cleaning solution if using one or the coils may get leaks in them. Most ice machines have air filters that should be cleaned once a month. This will help keep the condenser coil clean.
Manufacturers estimate a ice maker will last about ten years. It will help last longer if you use water filters and clean the machine on a regular schedule. Or we at Marathon Air can set up a service contract for your business and ice maker. In the end Ice Machine Cleaning is good for your business.