Commercial ice machines are underappreciated workhorses in your bar or restaurant. They ensure that each beverage a customer sips is cold and refreshing. As a rule of thumb, you need 1.5 pounds of ice per customer. When your ice machine inevitably needs to be repaired or replaced, you’ll want an experienced team of refrigeration professionals to handle the task.
At Camelback Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, we’ve been providing full refrigeration services to bars and restaurants for 30 years and carry a stellar reputation with our clients. We specialize in commercial ice machines and refrigeration, including maintenance, repairs, and installations. Our technicians are factory trained and EPA certified, and we’re on call 24/7/365.
Call Our Refrigeration Professionals at 480-525-8345
What to Know: Installing a Restaurant Ice Machine
There are many commercial ice makers to choose from:
- Hoshizaki
- Manitowoc
- Ice O Matic
- Scotsman
While evaluating your options, you’ll want to understand the type of ice you desire, a unit size that fits your establishment, and the best condenser to suit your needs.
Here are a few other factors we consider:
- Make sure you have the correct power supply.
- Verify that there is a water supply near your machine’s location.
- Double-check that you have a floor drain. Most commercial machines go through a “purge” cycle where they dispense water each cycle.
Since there are multiple factors to consider when you’re installing an ice machine in your bar or restaurant, it is wise to work with an HVAC professional.
Remote Units Versus Self-Contained Machines
If you choose a remote machine, its condenser is placed on the roof or outside of the building, to remove extra heat from the kitchen area. The most significant benefit of this approach is eliminating noise and heat from the area near the ice maker.
You may choose an air-cooled or water-cooled machine as well. Air-cooled units are exceptionally efficient. However, they require more clearance:
Factors that Affect Commercial Ice Makers Output
Several factors influence the output of your restaurant’s ice machine:
1. Air Temperature and Ventilation
The amount of ventilation around your ice maker and the air’s temperature affect ice output. High air temperature and poor ventilation will make your machine work harder and reduce your ice machine’s production.
2. Water Temperature
It is important to make sure that the water being used in your machine is not too warm. This will also make your ice machine work harder.
3. Water Quality
Because our hard water is known to deposit minerals on the inside components and water lines of your machine. This creates a slow flow, which negatively affects the efficiency of your machine. We advise you to have a water filter in place, which will vary with the size of your ice machine.
4. Commercial Ice Maker Repair Services
Your ice machines must work properly to keep each drink your customers enjoy is cold and refreshing. Thus, keeping up regular servicing, or quickly repairing any problems is critical.
Our experts are skilled at all types of ice machine repair services. We service some of the top brands, including Manitowoc, Hushasaki, Scottsman, and Ice-O-Matic.
Cleaning and Maintenance
We highly recommend cleaning and sanitizing your ice machine every three months and changing filters every six months. Performing routine maintenance and properly cleaning your ice machine will elongate its life and keep problems from developing. We will arrive regularly to check for problems, inspect and sanitize your unit, and replace your water filter when necessary. When your machine is maintained properly, your ice production will be maximized.
Common Problems with Restaurant Ice Machines
We see a few common issues that keep commercial ice makers from working correctly. When your machine has a problem, our team will arrive quickly and assess your machine. We’ll look at the most likely areas where problems occur:
- Loose/Cracked Wires
- Evaporation Problems. We will clean and sanitize all parts of your unit. Then, we will flush the system with fresh water
- Condenser Problems. We make sure that the condenser is free of dirt and debris.
- Cracked Hoses
Reasons to Work with Camelback Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
When your ice machine unit has problems, our professionally trained and EPA-certified technicians are on call 24/7/365 to resolve the issue. Our team at Camelback Air Conditioning & Refrigeration offers top-notch installation, maintenance, and repair services.
For more information or to enlist our expert refrigeration services, call us anytime at 480-525-8345.
