No Water In Water Trough January 08 2015, 3 Comments

For a Manitowoc ice machine to make ice, it needs water.  No water in a water trough can be caused by a number of issues and I’ll cover the most common issues in this guide.  Although some of these solutions may seem simple, it’s important to start with the basics, to ensure your commercial ice machine is working optimally.

Start with ensuring you have water supply to the machine.  Just because you have a water line hooked up, does not mean that water is always available.  It’s possible that another piece of equipment has been added to the line, that robs the ice machine of water.  Another reason could be that the lines are clogged with debris, due to a line breakage.

Manitowoc Control Board Lights November 25 2014, 23 Comments

The lights on the Manitowoc control board can tell you a lot about what's going on with your ice machine.  Depending on which lights are lit or which lights are out can help you diagnose the problematic ice maker.  Although there are a number of different control boards, most function similarly, so I'll be discussing only the basics in this article.

Clean Light

The clean light should be lit anytime the ice machine toggle switch has been moved to the clean cycle.  This light will remain illuminated throughout the entire clean cycle.  The ice machine will not produce ice while the clean light is on.

Bin Switch Light

Most Manitowoc control boards will have a light labeled bin switch or left bin, right bin.  This light indicates when the water curtain magnet is making contact with the bin switch.  This will tell the ice machine when it is full or should terminate the harvest cycle.  If you open the water curtain or damper door, the light should go out.  Anytime that light is on, the bin switch should be satisfied and the unit should be producing ice.

How To Clean An Ice Machine Air Condenser October 27 2014, 0 Comments

Ice machines come in 3 main flavors, water-cooled, remote, and air-cooled.  The types refer to their condenser type, with air-cooled being the most prone to having a dirty condenser, which in turns hurts the efficiency of the ice machine and in some cases stops it from operating at all.  Because the air condenser is so important, Manitowoc and Koolaire recommend you clean it at least once every six months.

To properly clean the air condenser on a Manitowoc or Koolaire ice machine, follow these steps.

1. Shine a flashlight through the condenser to check for dirt between the fins.
2. Blow compressed air or rinse with water from the inside out(opposite direction of airflow).
3. If dirt still remains call a service agent to clean the condenser(they will have chemical to treat the condenser without damaging the fins).

Manitowoc S Series Ice Machine Parts October 13 2014, 0 Comments

Manitowoc S Series ice machines are the previous generation models by the leading manufacturer of commercial ice makers.  The S Series boasted ease of maintenance, smooth design, and a focus on efficiency.  These improvements over the previous Q series, allowed Manitowoc to dominate the market.  Features made the S series ice maker one of the easiest machines for an owner to work on themselves.

Because of it’s design, most common components can be removed and changed with nothing more than a screw driver.  By removing two screws on the front of the machine, parts like the water curtain, water pump, ice thickness control, water level probe, and distribution tube can all be changed without any other tools.  The parts are easily accessible and can be changed by ice machine owners with little experience.

Koolaire and Manitowoc Float Parts September 23 2014, 0 Comments

Manitowoc float valves are not the same as Koolaire float switches.  The terminology can sometimes be confusing, but there is a difference and they are not interchangeable.  The biggest difference is that Manitowoc will use a float valve, where Koolaire uses a float switch.  This means that water does not actually pass through the Koolaire float, it will only read the level in the water trough.

Float valves are also typically only used on older ice machines or undercounter models.  Modular units and modern Manitowoc ice machines rely on a separate water inlet valve, that provides a higher rate of water flow.  Because they can bring in more water and operate on cycles, they are more energy efficient.  A water float valve will simply let water in, anytime the float drops, wasting water.  The Koolaire ice machine uses a combination of the two technologies.