Thursday, June 30, 2011

Ice Machine Maintenance and Sanitation

You can order ice makers and dispensers with automatic cleaning features, such as air filters and self-rinsing ice contact surfaces, or you can do it the old-fashioned way. Either way, ice that is dirty, melts too quickly, or lacks uniformity usually signals a dirty or malfunctioning machine. Here are the most common problems and ways to prevent them: Dirty ice. Clean and sanitize the machine regularly to remove algae, slime, and mineral deposits from the water. Bin walls can be washed with a neutral cleanser as long as you are sure to rinse them thoroughly. Always remove ice with clean hands and a sanitized plastic scoop, and never use the bin as a convenient place to stash foods or beverages. Check the air filter on air-cooled models at least twice a month, and wash it whenever it is dirty. Small, cloudy, or broken cubes.

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This usually signals a problem with the water filtration system. Perhaps the water is not entering the machine at sufficient pounds per square inch because it's being partially blocked. Try replacing the water filter by turning off the water first, then slowly opening the filtration cartridge or canister. Blocks of ice stuck to bottom of bin. Keep the ice machine level and the drain unclogged to prevent melting ice from puddling at the bottom of the bin and refreezing to form blocks. Lack of ice. First, confirm that the electric circuit breakers (for both the machine and the condenser) are on.

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If it's a self-cleaning machine, be sure it is set to make ice instead of clean; the switch may have been tripped to the wrong position. Check the sensor inside the bin; tighten it if it seems loose. Finally, inspect the water supply. A partially closed valve or insufficient water pressure can interrupt or reduce the ice-making cycle. Melting cubes. The fins on the condenser become clogged when they are dirty, which can interrupt the freezing process or make partial cubes instead of full ones. The fins should be clean enough to see through to allow the refrigerant to reach the right temperature to finish the freezing process. Inspect and clean fins at least every three months.

If your machine has a condenser, it should also be cleaned regularly with a brush or vacuum cleaner. These few problems are easily handled by your staff, but there are times it's probably best to call the factory-authorized service person: when the ice-making cycle takes far too long, or when ice is not made even though the water supply seems fine. By health code standards, ice is a food. A mandatory part of employee training should include handling ice so that it remains safe and sanitary for human consumption.

This means: use dedicated containers for ice. Don't use containers that have also been used to store food. Store ice containers by hanging them upside down, far from the floor. Don't nest them in stacks, which is unsanitary. Clean and sanitize every ice scoop regularly. Have plenty of scoops, and store them by hanging them outside the machine-not sitting in the ice. Employees must wash their hands before they scoop or bag the ice; and technically, they're not supposed to touch it at all without using clean disposable gloves.

No one can eat, drink, or smoke around the ice machines. Filtering water before it enters the machine will improve ice quality as well as protect your machine from lime scaling, chlorine buildup, and slime. (Slime, incidentally, has a scientific name: biofilm.) One popular manufacturer, Manitowoc Ice of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, now uses an antimicrobial chemical to make all plastic parts that come intocontact with water or ice. This retards, but does not completely eliminate, biofilm growth. Today's ice machines can be programmed to clean themselves automatically during the hours they are not in use, a process which takes about half an hour. Cleaning is recommended weekly.

Ice Machine Maintenance and Sanitation

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1 comments:

Alex moner said...

Check the air filter on air-cooled models at least twice a month, and wash it whenever it is dirty. Small, cloudy, or broken cubes.dishwasher repair

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