Why does my ice machine keep freezing up? Whether you believe it or not…
…ice can actually do damage to your ice maker. A frozen ice maker can be rather costly to repair if it ends up ruining your ice machine.
Ice can accumulate to the point that it destroys critical components. Fortunately, there are ways to determine whether an ice machine has frozen, allowing you to avoid further harm to the appliance. In this blog, we also have best commercial ice makers for home use that you might want to see.
What is a Freeze-Up of an Ice Maker?
When ice cannot be released from the evaporator plate, ice producers freeze. As water flows over the stuck ice, it continues to grow into a gigantic block of ice. A freeze-up might prohibit your ice maker from dumping ice or can develop large enough to destroy the evaporator plate, necessitating an expensive ice machine repair.
While identifying a freeze up is fairly straightforward, diagnosing the reason of a freeze up is not always straightforward. There are a few possible causes of an ice machine freezing up. Often, the underlying issue must be addressed in order to keep the ice maker from freezing up continuously.
Why Does My Ice Machine Keep Freezing Up
While freeze ups can occur for a variety of reasons, there are a few frequent causes that you should investigate first:
Scale
Scale is caused by the hardness of the water in your ice machine. Calcium and magnesium crystallizing and adhering to surfaces when water flows continually. If you live in a region with hard water, you’ve probably noticed scale building around your faucet or on the tiles in your shower. Ice producers generate ice by passing water through a freezing evaporator plate. As the water runs, it gradually begins to freeze to the evaporator plate, forming a cube. When the ice accumulates to a certain size, the machine harvests it by raising the temperature of the evaporator plate. Additionally, flowing water aids in the ice’s release by allowing it to fall into the storage bin.
When scale coats the evaporator plate, ice has a significantly more difficult time evaporating. If an ice cube is unable to release from the evaporator plate after repeated freeze cycles, it might grow into a massive piece of ice, causing damage to your ice machine. The easiest method to avoid this is to get your machine professionally cleaned on a regular basis to remove scale. If you live in a region with hard water, a water softener or phosphate filter can assist in reducing scale buildup in your machine.
Malfunctioning Bin Control
Bin controls keep an eye on the quantity of ice in ice bins. It automatically shuts down the ice machine when it reaches its maximum capacity. Without a bin control, your ice machine would continue to generate ice around the clock, which is exactly what happens when the bin control fails.
If the ice machine is unable to shut off, it will continue to manufacture ice until it accumulates in the drop zone and backs up into the ice machine. Once the drop zone is blocked, ice cannot deposit and the machine begins to freeze.
The easiest method to avoid this is to schedule at least two preventive maintenance visits per year for your ice machine from a skilled ice specialist. If you discover that your ice machine does not shut down automatically when the bin is full, physically shut down the unit and contact a professional ice machine technician immediately.
Issues with Float Switches
A float switch regulates the amount of water utilized during a freeze cycle in Hoshizaki ice machines. If the float switch fails, the machine may produce ice that is larger than normal, making it more difficult to remove off the evaporator plate during the harvest cycle. This can also result in a freeze-up. If you observe larger ice crystals in the storage bin, you should contact a certified technician to inspect the equipment.
Blockage of Water Lines
Your water line is in charge of supplying water to your ice machine. Water lines that are clogged with mineral deposits or are too small may be unable to deliver the necessary flow of water to your ice machine. Frozen water lines are one of the most typical ice maker difficulties produced by cold temperatures throughout the winter months.
Due to insufficient water flow, the ice machine will be unable to remove ice cubes from the evaporator plate. This results in deformed ice cubes, which finally freeze up. In these circumstances, you’ll almost certainly require the assistance of a plumber to resolve the issue. If you have frozen water lines, they will almost certainly need to be insulated to prevent the problem from recurring.
If you consider to buy a new ice maker, like kitchenaid undercounter ice maker and wondering how much does a commercial ice maker cost, you can find that answer in our blog too!
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