20

May

Commercial Ice Maker Installation: What To Know?

If you’re a restaurant or commercial food business, then one of the things you need in your kitchen is a reliable ice machine. But, to use it, you need to know how to install it in the first place. It must be installed by ice dispenser repair and installation services. However, if you’re interested to know what to consider and know before and during the installation, follow below.

Commercial Ice Machine Installation Guide

Get The Right Type Of Ice Maker

Before even thinking about installing an ice maker in your commercial kitchen, you need to figure out which type you need. There is not a one-size-fits-all policy with commercial ice makers. You need to evaluate what type of ice maker is the best for you.

There are three types of ice makers available based on the condenser that you can choose from:

Air-Cooled Condensers

Probably the most common type of commercial ice machines available, the air-cooled condenser uses air as a cooling agent for the refrigerant in the evaporator coils. The gust of circulated air cools the refrigerant so that it proceeds with the refrigeration process. The only downside is that a circulation system for the cool air is necessary for installation.

Water-Cooled Condensers

A water-cooled condenser uses water, instead of air, to circulate the cool the refrigerant. These condensers are a bit bigger than your average air-cooled condensers and they need a lot of space with water storage systems too, so that can be a problem.

Remote Condensers

Remote condenser ice machines aren’t as noisy as the first two options even though it also uses air to cool the coils. Why? Because the condenser is installed separately from the rest of the assembly kind of like an AC system. It is the most expensive one from the lot, but it’s amazing if you want something that will last you a long time.

How Much Ice Do You Need?

Now that the figuring out of the ice maker is out of the way, you can move on to the next step and that is to know how much ice you need daily. Every commercial kitchen is different, so you’ll have a specific quantity of ice that you need to keep the kitchen going. This is calculated and then you can get the right capacity for your ice maker.

It’s better to get down with these numbers as soon as possible, otherwise, you might invest in too small or too big of an ice maker and that’s not smart.

Do You Have The Space?

The next order of importance is the availability of space. Sure, a commercial kitchen is much bigger than a household kitchen, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take dimensions seriously.

You need to measure the space where your ice maker will be installed and match that up with the size and dimensions of the ice machine you want to get. You should choose the right type and size. It should be a perfect fit. The last thing you need is to make your kitchen cramped with an ice maker that won’t fit.

So, take some time out and get the measurements right from the get-go and you won’t have to suffer the consequences later. An ice maker is a huge investment for your kitchen, so might as well get it right.

Check The Water Supply

You know this already but let’s have it one more time. An ice maker works on the mechanism of freezing water in no time and making ice cubes or slabs in less time than it would take a normal freezer. So, for an ice maker to work, you need to put in water.

An ice maker is attached to a water supply system for uninterrupted water supply so that you can get ice on demand. If you don’t have a foolproof water system already, then it might be time to upgrade it to something that will help the ice maker run smoothly.

Figure Out A Drainage System

Drainage of excess water is also important when using an ice maker. So, before you install the main assembly, you need to ensure that there is a proper drain pipe for the water to safely discharge. There shouldn’t be any leaks or puddles of water near the ice maker assembly because that’s like an accident waiting to happen.

If you don’t have a designated drainage spot already, then you might need to get one made or install the ice maker somewhere near an existing drain. So, think this through before you install the ice machine.

Electrical Connections

An ice maker works on electricity. That’s a no-brainer, but what’s not is the fact that you need to have a safe and robust connection that will allow the smooth operation of the assembly. Ice makers use a lot of electricity, so if the present electrical connections are a bit worse for wear, then you might want to get them fixed and ready for the load of an ice machine in every sense of the word.

The last thing you need is your ice maker breaking down on you because of a bad electrical supply or damaged outlets. So, make sure that it isn’t an issue.

Level It Up

You can’t just fit an ice maker anywhere and call it a day. There is a lot of leveling and stabilizing that goes into the installation of an ice maker that’s crucial for its efficient performance. Since the ice maker will stay put wherever it’s installed for a long time, you need to make sure that you’re leveling it right.

If the assembly is crooked, then it might cause water to leak out, the functions to work haphazardly and ultimately the assembly can malfunction. So, to avoid this train wreck, take some time out and level the assembly correctly. Start by making sure that the floor is not uneven.

Test Run

You’ve finally installed the behemoth of an ice maker in your kitchen, but before you can dust your hands off and call it a night, it’s time to give the assembly a test run to ensure that everything is working properly and that there aren’t any leaks, loose fixtures, or connections that need a look over.

Fill the assembly slot with water and turn the ice maker on. You want to check the electrical connections, the drainage, and the overall performance of the ice maker during this time. If all is good, then you can use it like normal as many times as you want.

Maintain, Maintain, Maintain

Installing the ice machine isn’t the only tedious thing. You also need to make it a priority to maintain it well. Always keep an eye on the condenser to ensure that it’s running smoothly. Check the frost of the system as well and thaw it out, if it is hindering the performance of the machine.

Plus, check the electrical connections and voltage from time to time, just for your peace of mind. Moreover, make sure to clean it regularly including the external parts of the unit. Looking after these things now will pay off in the future.

Conclusion

Getting solid ice cubes in a matter of minutes! A commercial ice maker is truly a godsend in the kitchen because you need ice for a lot of things. But a proper installation and regular maintenance is required to ensure it doesn’t breakdown on you. For that, consult a commercial ice maker repair Springfield expert.