Access Manitowoc Indigo History April 29 2015, 6 Comments

One of the most frustrating things about diagnosing an ice machine, is catching the problem when it happens.  A lot of time can be wrapped up in simply watching an ice machine make ice, hoping to catch the exact moment an ice machine part fails.  That’s why Manitowoc included data logging in the Indigo, which allows a technician to read through data history.

To access data history on an Indigo ice machine, press the Checkmark with Data History highlighted.  There is a lot of history stored, so to access all the information be sure to use the Down arrow to scroll through all available dates.  For each date listed, the following information will become available.

SY0454A Ice Machine Parts January 29 2015, 0 Comments

Manitowoc S Series ice machines are the model of ice makers produced before the current Indigo series.  S model ice machines were an extremely popular series, because of their longevity, ease of cleaning and servicing.  Anyone who owns an S model ice machine, compared to other commercial ice machines, has saved money due to their low maintenance costs.  The SY0454A is one of the more popular models among the S Series and this article covers the most commonly replaced parts.

What makes the SY0454A so popular is how easy it is to repair, clean, and change parts.  The ice machine was designed to allow owners to do a lot of work themselves, saving on expensive service technician visits.  Manitowoc even provides free service literature, to help with diagnostics, and part replacement information.

We have identified 5 of the most common parts to be replaced on an SY0454A.

Diagnosing A Manitowoc Water Pump January 22 2015, 4 Comments

Every commercial ice machine has a water pump, so Manitowoc ice makers are no different.  The water pump works by taking the water from the water trough, pushing up through the tubing, out and over the evaporator through the distribution tube.  It’s important for the water pump to be strong enough to push an even flow of water, but not too strong to cause the stream of water to miss cascading down the evaporator.  To troubleshoot a Manitowoc water pump, follow this guide for signs you may need a new ice machine part.

Water pumps consist of 2 main components, the motor and the impeller.  The motor turns, spinning the impeller, and sucking water out of the trough.  The force then pushes water to the top of the ice machine, which allows Manitowoc to make ice with a vertical evaporator.

Proper voltage must be supplied to the water pump for it to work efficiently.  If too low of voltage is supplied, the motor will not be strong enough to pump the water.  However, too high of voltage could cause the motor to burn up.  Checking to make sure you have the proper voltage at the ice machine is important for not only the water pump, but all electrical ice maker parts.

Indigo Control Board Navigation January 21 2015, 1 Comment

One of the coolest new features of the Manitowoc Indigo ice machine is it’s control board or display board.  Within that little LCD screen is a plethora of information, just at your finger tips.  The problem, is that you need to know how to find it.  This guide will show you how to navigate the some of the menu’s inside the Indigo display.

To start, let’s look at what the actual control functions are on the board.  There are a number of buttons that do different things, including power and clean, besides just navigation.  To access some of these buttons, you may need to remove the front panel, unless the board with the buttons has been left open for access.

Indigo Ice Machine Location Requirements January 20 2015, 0 Comments

Manitowoc Indigo ice machines are a commercial grade piece of equipment, that requires consideration for location.  Air flow, temperature, water supply and more can affect the performance of the ice maker.  All of these factors can affect 24 hour ice production or even cause the ice machine to shut down on safety limits.  This article will cover the location requirements for Indigo ice machines, but can also be used as a guide for most other brand commercial ice makers.

• The location must be clean and free of contaminants.  Having an exceptionally dirty environment will create bad conditions in the food zone or clog an air-cooled condenser.
• For air-cooled and water-cooled ice machines, make sure the air temperature is at least 35 degrees fahrenheit, but not more than 110 degrees fahrenheit. If the temperature is too low, then the ice machine will have trouble harvesting.  If the ambient temperature is too high, then it will have trouble freezing.