Ice Maker Troubleshooting Help

Looking for help in troubleshooting your ice machine?  Ice Maker Parts Shop has just launched a new forum where anyone can register, ask questions, and provide feedback on anything ice machine related.

The ice maker help forums are designed for people to assist with people looking to self service their ice machines.  However, having 10+ years of experience in the industry, Ice Maker Parts Shop can help answer even the harder service side questions.  Keep in mind, this forum is not just for Manitowoc machines, but also for Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic, Hoshizaki, and other off brands.

Sign up is free, no purchase necessary to become a member today and start getting help on troubleshooting your ice machine.

Ice Machine Help Forum - http://icemakerpartsshop.com/help-forum/

Manitowoc Ice Machine Technician Factory Service School Info

Did you know that Manitowoc provides training at the factory, to properly diagnose and repair their ice machines?  These schools are for service technicians who are already trained in refrigeration and maintain an EPA card, amateurs need not apply.

The service school is a week long event, where technicians are provided with all the information necessary to improve the speed and completion of their ice machine maintenance.  Manitowoc provides literature, tools, and ice machines that they can simulate problems with.  This allows the technician to learn in a controlled environment, guided by Manitowoc factory service reps.

Tuition for attending the school is $795, which would include lodging.  Please see the registration form below for more information.

Manitowoc Ice Machines Manuals for Service Techs

There are many different Manitowoc ice makers on the market and even more different methods to diagnose and repair.  It’s impossible to remember everything, that’s why professional service technicians use the help of a book, known as a Service Tech Handbook.  The manual is treated just like any other tool, like a screw driver, this book should be on you anytime you work on an ice machine.

Unlike the information found in an installation use and care manual, Service Tech Handbooks go into detailed maintenance information.  In addition to covering proper installation techniques, details on line sizes, temperature requirements, and operation details are included.  Each technician handbook comes with all the information you need to properly diagnose an ice maker.  These same books are the same ones used in house by Manitowoc service reps, to help diagnose machines over the phone.

Many of the most common problems associated with faulty ice makers can be solved with simple flow charts.  These charts, included inside each handbook, provide step by step processes to follow.  By filling in the information asked, the chart points you to the problematic ice maker part.

Just looking for refrigeration pressures or even basic cycle times?  Manitowoc service manuals provide all the details you need, covering varying temperature statistics, wiring diagrams, and sequence of operations.  All of the information included in the manual was written and designed by Manitowoc Ice.  The information is guaranteed to be accurate and relevant to the ice maker series you purchased.

Most Manitowoc ice maker boards provide simple safety limit codes, to help in the diagnosis.  However, the codes are not always readily explained, these Service Tech Handbooks solve that problem.  Each handbook covers what the safety limit means, what could have caused it, and ways to fix it.

Ultimately, a Service Tech Handbook is the secret weapon of the foodservice repair industry.  Professionals that would charge upwards of $80 or more per hour to repair your ice maker, turn to the help of a Manitowoc Service Manual.  Whether you have a water, electrical, or refrigeration related problem, these manuals will help you get your ice maker back to peak performance.

Find Manitowoc Ice Machines Manuals for just $10 each at IceMakerPartsShop.com.

Download free KoolAire Service Technician Handbooks from Ice Maker Parts Shop.

Ice Maker Service Warning #1

Never, ever use anything to pry ice off of the evaporator!

If your ice machine is having trouble harvesting and you must remove the ice to diagnose, use warm water.  In most cases you should simply shut the machine down and wait for the ice to melt off.

To properly diagnose a Manitowoc ice maker it is important to monitor each individual cycle.  Depending on the time the ice machine takes to freeze and whether or not the harvest cycle is initiated is very important.  But remember, never force the ice off ocf the evaporator or you may damage the freezing plates.  If the plates become scratched or damaged the ice maker may never harvest properly.

Diagnosing A Safety Limit

Manitowoc ice machines are programmed to shut down under situations that could potentially damage the machine, these are called Safety Limits.  Depending on the model of ice machine that you have, it could contain 2 to 4 different safety limits.  However, all safety limits can generally be broken down into 2 categories.

The first type of safety limit shuts the ice maker down when it's been in the freeze cycle too long and the second is when it stays in the harvest cycle too long.  If either limit is reached, it's an indication that the ice machine is not working properly and needs to be locked out.  It will remain shut down until someone resets the maker, either through the toggle switch or by resetting the power.

Why would a Manitowoc Ice Machine shut down on a long harvest safety limit?

The #1 reason a Manitowoc will shut down on a harvest safety limit is because it's dirty.  A dirty evaporator will hold onto the ice, making it slowly melt away until there is no ice to break the bin switch.  Which leads to the second most common reason for a failed harvest safety limit, bad bin switch.

When Ice falls from the evaporator it opens the water curtain, which breaks the proximity of the bin switch.  If the switch is bad it will not read that the ice has fallen, thus terminating the harvest cycle.  Typically, after 3 consecutive cycles of long harvests, the machine will lock out.

Why would a Manitowoc Ice Machine shut down on a long freeze cycle?

This safety limit is a little more difficult to diagnose than a long harvest, however is most commonly associated with a water problem.  If there is not enough water in the trough or able to be pumped over the evaporator, then it cannot make contact with the ice thickness probe.  The ice thickness probe is what would terminate the freeze cycle and initiate a harvest.

Places to look would be a faulty water inlet valve or a dump valve that is stuck open, causing the ice maker to lose all it's water down the drain, before it can freeze.  However, never underestimate a good cleaning, clogged distributor holes or a clogged up pump can also lead to a long freeze time, thus shutting down your Manitowoc ice machine.  In addition, make sure your water level probe is not dirty, causing it to misread, scale build up on the probe will tell the board that it's full of water.

Most common parts replaced on a Manitowoc Ice Machine:

Ice Thickness Probe
Water Level Probe

Manitowoc Water Pump Problems

Manitowoc water pumps are another commonly replaced item on an ice machine.  Over time they can either lock up or, as hard as it is to believe, gain strength.  What can happen is the pump will eventually increase in power, forcing water too fast through the distribution tube.

When water comes out of the distribution tube too fast, it does not allow the water to cascade down the evaporator, instead splashes over the water curtain. Ice will not form properly or efficiently when this happens, luckily there are 2 ways to fix this issue.

The first fix is to simply apply a clamp to the molded tubing running from the water pump to the distribution tube. This will slow the water flow and allow the water to exit the distribution tube properly. Another option is to simply replace the water pump.

Most Q Series Manitowoc ice makers and older use only 2 different pumps. There is a 115v water pump and a 208-230v water pump, that will work in most cases. If you have an S Series Manitowoc ice maker then your water pump will be different, depending on which model number you have. You can purchase both pumps for just $222.18 from IceMakerPartsShop.com


115v Water Pump - $222.18
208-230v Water Pump - $222.18