What's Not Covered Under Ice Machine Warranty

If you've purchased a new ice machine, chances are that brand comes with a new warranty as well.  Currently, the commercial ice machine landscape has competitive warranties.  For example, Manitowoc Ice offers 3 years parts and labor on the entire machine, along with an additional 2 years parts warranty on the compressor and a total of 5 years parts and labor on the evaporator.  But that doesn't mean every problem you experience with your ice maker is covered under warranty.

The warranty information, found in the Installation Use and Care Manual of an ice machine, states that normal maintenance is not covered under warranty.  Unfortunately, most ice machine problems arise from failure to do normal routine maintenance.

Cleanliness is the #1 reason ice machines fail or break.  Dirty probes cause the board to misread, leading to a failure to produce ice.  A call to your local service company will fix the problem, but this is not an issue covered under warranty.

If a dirty ice maker is the #1 reason for failure, installation issues would rank as #2.  For example, an ice machine installed with water lines that are too small.  If an ice maker is starving for water it will not produce ice properly and eventually shut down on a safety limit.  Or, if an air-cooled ice maker is installed in a location with poor air flow, the ice maker will shut down on high head pressure.  These are not things covered by warranty and should have been addressed by the person installing the ice machine.

Things to check before placing a service call under the assumption that it will be covered under warranty:

• Is it dirty? Inspect all sensors for scale build up or mold on the plastic and metal parts.
• Was the unit installed properly?  Make sure the ice maker has proper air flow and has a constant water supply.
• Ask the dealer you purchased the machine from if it would be covered.  Most ice maker equipment dealers will be happy to answer questions about the warranty on your new ice machine.
• Check your warranty.  Time flies when you are having fun and so does the warranty on your ice machine.  Some manufacturers provide online tracking of your warranty, look it up before calling for service.

Check the status of your Manitowoc ice machine warranty: http://manitowocice.com/?xhtml=xhtml/mii/us/en/minisite/warranty/warrantyverification.html&xsl=minisite.xsl

By providing the service company or manufacturer with your model and serial number you can verify the warranty on your ice machine.  But be warned, warranties vary from company to company, along with install location.  Most home installs have a shorter warranty period than commercial installs, even if the ice makers are the same models.