Buy Manitowoc Ice Machine Parts on Ebay

Manitowoc Parts on eBay

Looking to buy parts for your Manitowoc or Kool-Aire commercial ice machine on eBay?  No problem, you can now buy OEM parts direct from Ice Maker Parts Shop through the eBay market place.

Buying on eBay allows you to review feedback, order multiple quantities, and be assured of fast and free shipping.  Like the original website, the IMPS Store on eBay carries the most common parts for a Manitowoc or Kool-Aire ice machine that anyone could change out.  If you can turn a screw driver, you can change out most of these parts.

There is also a line of water filters, designed specifically for commercial ice machines.  Limited to just the Cuno Ice120-S replacement cartridge now, the HF20-S will soon be expanded and a line of HF40-S, HF65-S, and HF90-S cartridges will become available.

For more information on buying Manitowoc parts on eBay, visit the Ice Maker Parts Shop Store.

New Water Inlet Valves Coming

Manitowoc has announced in a service bulletin, that they will be changing water inlet valve suppliers.  This change will affect all water inlet valve part numbers and physical looks of the valve.

This change is being done to streamline valve needs on a broad range of Manitowoc model numbers.  This should shrink the number of parts required to keep on a service truck, when servicing ice machines.

Below is a listing of the new Manitowoc water inlet valve part numbers.

000009120 - 115v Water Inlet Valve
000009121 - 208-230v Water Inlet Valve for S and Indigo model 1400-1800 lb machines
000009122 - 208-230v Water Inlet Valve
000009123 - 115v Water Inlet Valve
000009125 - 115v Water Inlet Valve
000009126 - 208-230v Water Inlet Valve

These valves will start becoming available once old stock has been depleted.  Once old water valves have been sold, they will no longer be available.

For more information please view the Manitowoc Service Bulletin MII-108.

Manitowoc Warns of Non-OEM Parts

Manitowoc Ice has announced that they have received complaints over the failure of non-OEM parts.  This is a very serious issue and has been addressed on how it can affect the performance and warranty coverage of your ice machine.

Failure to replace parts on your Manitowoc ice machine with OEM parts can result in the following:

• void any manufacturers warranty.
• can cause equipment malfunction and failure.
• significantly reduce the life expectancy and performance of your ice machine.
• create operator or food safety risks.
• void agency certifications.
• nullify insurance coverage.

Replacing solenoid valves with NON-OEM parts can cause shorts, which could potentially cause fires.  Consider the risks before the cost of a part and only purchase OEM ice maker parts.

Ice Maker Parts Shop is an Authorized Manitowoc Parts Dealer and only sells OEM ice machine parts.

Non-OEM Manitowoc Part Warning

Tis The Season For Price Increases

Like other industries, food service equipment manufacturers don't hesitate to take increases at the beginning of the year.  Manitowoc had an equipment price increase on December 1st, 2012 and will be having an ice maker parts price increase effective January 1st, 2013.

These Manitowoc price increases in the food service division are not a set percentage.  Instead, parts and equipment both vary on the increase amount, depending on the product.  It's important to stay up to date when quoting out long jobs and confirm with dealers how long their quotes are good for.

As for preparing for the upcoming parts price increase, it's recommended that you stock up on parts known to cause issue in the coming year.  For example, having a spare water inlet valve, dump valve, or ice thickness probe is good insurance for quick repairs.

For equipment preparation, I'm afraid that time has already passed, but there are still deals to be had.  Check with your vendor to see if they have any old inventory, to negotiate past the recent price increase.  Even a few percentage on a couple thousand dollar machine can mean big savings.

In closing, Merry Christmas from those of us at Commercial Ice Talk!  We look forward to working within the industry in the upcoming new year.

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 Recommended Truck Stock

Routinely Manitowoc will release a list of parts that they recommend all ice machine service companies maintain on their service vehicles.  These are typically the most common ice maker parts to fail, so will assist with fixing the problem on the first trip, as opposed to ordering and having to charge the customer a return fee.  Unfortunately, the truck stock list has a number of Indigo related parts, that  I would not normally recommend to people for stocking purposes or due to costs of keeping inventory.  Below is my recommended stocking list.

Water Inlet Valves
I would strongly recommend keeping 2 different ice machine water inlet valves in inventory.  The 115v, part number 000007965 and 208-230v, part number 000007966.  Both of these Manitowoc part numbers include the valve body and coil for a complete water valve change out.

http://icemakerpartsshop.com/000007965-manitowoc-115v-water-inlet-valve/ - $53.94
http://icemakerpartsshop.com/000007966-208-230v-manitowoc-water-inlet-valve/ - $53.94

Dump Valves
The dump valve on a Manitowoc ice machine can be problematic, as they tend to corrode and leak over time.  Typically this will lead to blown fuses and shut down the ice machine production.  Again, there are only 2 valves that I would recommend stocking, the 115 version, part number 000001767 and the 208-230v, part number 00001768.

http://icemakerpartsshop.com/000001767-manitowoc-115v-dump-valve/ - $53.13
http://icemakerpartsshop.com/000001768-manitowoc-208-230v-dump-valve/ - $53.13

Ice Thickness Probes
More often than not an ice thickness probe doesn't technically go bad.  Unless an ear is broken or the metal snapped, it's probably still good, just needs a thorough cleaning.  However, it's faster and usually cheaper to simply replace the dirty probe.  I'd recommend stocking the last 2 model Manitowoc ice machine thickness controls.  An ice thickness control for the S Series and Q Series and older, bother are single wire.

Please note that the ice thickness controls are not interchangeable, the S Series will not work in place of a Q Series or older and vice versa.  Also, please note that the latest Indigo ice thickness probe operates completely differently, relying on acoustic signals to initiate harvest.  As of now I would not recommend stocking one of these unless you own an Indigo machine.

Q Series Ice Thickness Control - $45.89
S Series Ice Thickness Control - $39.45

Magnetic Bin Switches
Lastly, the magnetic bin switch is a must have part on any refrigeration service man's truck.  Again, I can only recommend stocking two different types of bin switches, one for the Q Series and older and one for the S Series ice machine.  Please note that the part number has recently changed for the S Series, but are the same part.  Initially the S Series bin switch was a 2006819, but is now known as a 000007888.

23-0148-3 Bin Switch - $41.06
20-0681-9 Bin Switch - $21.74 (Also known as a Manitowoc part number 000007888.)

View the entire Manitowoc Recommended Truck Stock List, thanks to IceMakerPartsShop.com!

Nugget Ice May Not Be For You

Nugget Ice

Nugget ice is marketed as a soft, chewable pellet.  It's appeal comes from those who primarily like to eat their ice, instead of have it just cool a drink.  Possibly one of the more popular places to enjoy nugget ice is at Sonic chain restaurants.  It's popularity is real, but nugget ice may not be the best option for your business.

Consider this, nugget ice is a very wet ice and is produced much differently than conventional cubed ice.  A wet ice is more difficult to produce and requires a special evaporator, to extrude the ice.  This special evaporator is shaped like a spiral, forcing the water up through the evaporator, chilling it as it goes, and extruding it out enough to cut.

The ability to spiral ice requires a very strong motor and gear box assembly.  The evaporator is often times under enormous strain, compounded by being dirty and lack of maintenance.  It becomes problematic when the evaporator can no longer turn, eventually breaking some component within the ice machine.  Often times the motor and gearbox will break down, leaking oils and grease into the ice.

Most nugget ice machines require complete break down and cleanings at least once a quarter.  The cleanings are much more involved, compared to how to clean other ice machines.  Most of the time a professional technician is required, which is costly.  Failure to clean regularly will result in breakdowns.  Compared to traditional cube ice machines, which would simply shut down until cleaned.

Replacement parts for nugget ice machines can cost twice as much as their cuber counter parts.  A motor and gear box can easily reach $800 or more.  Nugget machines also cost more up front, require higher maintenance costs, more expensive replacement parts, and actually come with shorter warranties.

• Higher up front cost.
• Higher maintenance costs.
• More expensive replacement parts.
• Shorter warranties.

Please keep this in mind when deciding to purchase a nugget ice machine.  Unless you are in an industry that requires nugget ice, like the medical field, or as a luxury item, nugget ice may not be for you.

How To Look Up Manitowoc Parts Online

It's not always convenient to call the factory, be put on hold, or wait for a call back.  Thankfully, Manitowoc Ice has placed all of their parts breakdowns online in PDF format, so parts research can be done on your own.

All ice machines are listed directly on their website, no matter how old or what type.  This article will walk you through the steps of looking up your own ice maker parts, so that you can make an educated decision when ordering ice maker parts online.

1. First, point your browser to ManitowocIce.com

2. Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Here you will see in the center, a Literature Tab, with a Downloads label.

3. Here you will use the first drop down menu to select 'Parts/Catalog List'.

4. After selection the second drop down menu will become active, allowing you to select the model of Manitowoc Ice maker you are looking to do parts research on.

5. Last, after choosing your model number, the 3rd drop down menu will become active, where you can select the exact model number of the machine you are looking parts up for.

6. Finally, a download button will become active.  Clicking this will take you to the PDF document with a complete parts break down for your Manitowoc ice maker.

I would recommend viewing Manitowoc parts breakdowns with either Adobe Reader software or Foxit.  If you have any questions, our good friends at Ice Maker Parts Shop are happy to help with parts research.

Manitowoc Wins Overall Best In Class Award

Manitowoc Ice won the Overall Best In Class award from the Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine.  The award was based on the ice makers ability to adapt to current industry environments and reliability.  This is the 11th year in a row that Manitowoc Ice has taken the Overall Best In Class award.

The Manitowoc I Series ice machine was released in 2011, rolling out updated S Series throughout the year.  In March of 2011, the first 300lb and 400lb cubers were coming into local distributors and now, almost every Manitowoc ice maker is updated to the I Series model.  Currently, only the largest 48" ice makers remain in the previous S Model and are expected to be updated sometime in the 1st quarter of 2012.

Manitowoc I Series ice machines boast a number of updates to improve efficiency and reliability.  The Manitowoc control board has been updated to add new features like logging error codes, running in fail safe mode, and remote diagnosing.  In addition, features like a new ice thickness probe, that utilize sonar technology instead of continuity, set the I Series apart from it's predecessors.

2012 promises to be another successful year for the Manitowoc company and for Manitowoc Ice brand ice makers.  Look to IceMakerPartsShop.com for Manitowoc parts and service technician handbooks to help in repairing your ice maker.

Before You Buy A Dump Valve

Before you buy a dump valve for a Manitowoc ice machine, make sure to verify the voltage.  While model numbers are 99% effective at giving you the information you need to find out the voltage, some machines can be special ordered in non common voltages.

Did you know that you can order a 300lb Manitowoc cuber in 208-230v?  It would be very rare, but these machines do exist, so it never hurts to check your voltage before ordering.  This same rule would apply to components like water pumps and inlet valves.

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

Welcome To Commercial Ice Talk

This blog was crated to facilitate an open discussion and go-to location for commercial ice machine preventative maintenance, tips, diagnosis, and deals on replacement parts and equipment.  Most major brands will be covered at one time or another on this website, such as Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Hoshizaki but the primary focus will be on the market leader, Manitowoc.

Each week will have at least one new post and theme.  Comments will remain open so that a discussion can take place and answers can be addressed.  If pertinent questions are brought up, they will be added to the original post, to help with reading search engine awareness.

Please feel free to suggest topics or questions.