New Ice Maker Tips

Looking to purchase a new commercial ice machine?  Well, you've got your work cut out for you, because you have a lot of options.  The big 3 ice maker manufacturers will sell you on their own brands benefits, but I want to look at some factors to consider, no matter what brand you choose.

What do you need, not what you want.

Consider advice from the professionals, nothing beats local service and having a service company make a local recommendation.  You may pay a premium, but having a professional look at your specific application is a great way to make sure that the ice machine you spend your money on, will actually work for you.  Saving money up front by buying online may catch up to you when you need to purchase a replacement or lose out on warranty due to improper installation.

What kind of condenser?

Commercial ice machines come with 3 different flavors of condensers.  Each condenser comes with it's own benefits, but not all will work in any situation.  For example, air cooled ice machines put out a lot of heat, so if it doesn't have room to breathe, it will not produce the proper amount of ice and will not be working efficiently.  A water cooled ice machine is more reliable, but will absolutely destroy your water and sewage bill, unless you have it installed on a water loop.  A remote ice maker eliminates both concerns, but requires a higher level of expertise to install, because the condenser is moved outside of the cuber head install location.

Am I getting all my ice maker warranty?

Ice machine warranties can vary, depending on brand and model number.  However, the main manufacturers all share a common set of rules.  For starters, the warranty will start from the date your ice machine is installed, not the date the machine leaves the warehouse.  So it's important to fill out that Warranty Registration card that comes with your ice maker, to ensure you are getting the maximum amount of coverage.

Typically if no registration card is filed, the warranty on file at the factory is the date it shipped out.  However, because ice machines can set in inventory at dealers and distributors warehouses, it may be easy to rob yourself of months of warranty coverage.  Save your paper work and fill out those warranty registration cards.

So remember, no matter which manufacturer of ice machine you purchase, Hoshizaki, Scotsman, or Manitowoc, cover your bases and make sure you are purchasing what you need and not what you want.  Its better to have too much ice now, than not enough later.