Poor ice quality is one of the most common calls we get on commercial ice machines, and most of the time it is not a failed part. Here is a recent one on a Manitowoc, the brand we are certified on.
The call. A Union City kitchen’s Manitowoc Indigo ice machine, Model ID0322A, was making cloudy, soft cubes and its production had dropped off. On a busy service that means running out of ice at the worst time.
What we found. We started with our $75 diagnostic (waived with a repair). This is an air-cooled Indigo running R404A, so we put the manifold gauges on it and read the refrigeration side while we walked the machine. Two things stood out, both maintenance. The air-cooled condenser was packed with dust and grease, so it could not reject heat properly, which pulls down ice quality and production. And the water filter had not been changed in a long time, letting minerals and scale through to the ice, which is what makes cubes cloudy and soft.
What we did. We cleaned the condenser so the machine could reject heat again, and we flagged the water filter as overdue and set the customer up with the right replacement cartridge on a schedule. We did not swap the filter on this visit, but getting it back on a change schedule is the other half of clear, hard ice. Refrigerant and sealed-system work we handle is licensed under CSLB #1136642.
If your commercial ice machine is making bad ice or running short in the Bay Area, we will give you a straight diagnosis first. We are Manitowoc-certified on these units, and we service every other ice machine brand too.
