Commercial Ice Machine: How important is water filtration?

Ice is Food

The average human eats nearly 2 pounds of ice a day. As with every other food, safe ice handling and proper preparation are the only ways to guarantee a healthy, tasty product. Installing an inline filtration system on your commercial ice machine’s water supply assures that residual bacteria, accumulated minerals and other contaminants are removed from the water.

Which Filtration System to Buy

Commercial water filtration systems use one to three filters to totally clean your incoming water. The number you need depends on the size of your commercial ice machine.

	Cube Ice Machines	Flake and Nugget Ice Machines
1 Filter	Up to 650 lbs	Up to 1200
2 Filters	650 – 1300 lbs	Over 1200 lbs
3 Filters	Over 1300 lbs

When to Change

Ice filters need to be changed every 6 months. Failure to change the filter will cause your machine to work harder and wear it out faster.

Ice Contaminants

Ice is subject to a variety of contaminants. The most common occur when a machine is poorly maintained or the water supply has dissolved minerals or residual chlorine.

• Mineral Deposits:

Municipal water companies only remove contaminants that are harmful to human health. Many dissolved minerals are not harmful, therefore are not removed. Mineral laden water results in ice that appears cloudy and can make a drink smell and taste unappealing.

• Slime Build-Up:

Slime build-up can result from a poorly maintained ice machine. Ice made from a slimy machine will appear cloudy with a slight yellow, green or red tint and can cause illness, especially in those with weakened immune systems.

• Chlorination:

Chlorination is the process of adding chlorine to water in order to treat it and kill harmful germs. Residual chlorine remains in the water supply giving the water an unappealing taste.

If you have any repair service, would like to set up a professional planned maintenance on your ice machine, or you are interested in water filter systems for your ice machine please contact us at 800-252-5892.  We work on every major brand and can also supply replacement parts.

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St 

Decatur, IL 62526

Phone: 800-252-5892 

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure 

Peoria, IL 61603 

Phone: 800-252-5892 

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St 

Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: 800-252-5892  

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What is the best kind of ice for your restaurant?

As any restaurant or hotel owner knows, ice is a big part of serving great beverages and keeping patrons happy. This means having the right type of ice to do the job. If you don’t have the right ice machine to suit your needs however, you will find that you waste time, energy and ultimately money. No one wants to crush cubed ice down so that it can be used to cool a bucket of beer and customers won’t appreciate it if the ice is so large that it doesn’t cool the beer in the first place. This is only one example of how using the wrong type of ice can impact your business.
So, which type of ice machine do you need? Perhaps the truth is that you need more than one. Understanding what each type of ice is best will tell you whether you need to change the type of ice machine you have or even add another type of ice to your arsenal.

Cubes are best for Drinks

If cold drinks are the primary reason you use ice, a cubed machine is going to offer the best option. Cubed ice melts the slowest and won’t water down a drink in a hurry. They also take up more room in the glass per piece which means that you need fewer cubes per glass. This makes it easier for a bartender or drink maker to prepare. Rather than working off methods like half full with ice, you can define how many actual cubes you need. This means a higher level of drink consistency.

Flakes keep things Coolest

If you are putting anything on ice from beverages to a salad bar, flakes offer the best base. Unlike cubes, flakes are smaller and easier to work through with cans or bottles. They also offer a better surface area on which to place bowls or platters. Flaked ice machines can also produce more ice because the require cooling time for a flake is less than a cube. If you have a cold food display or want to serve beverages out of a bucket, it makes sense to have a flaking ice machine on site.

Nuggets are a two way Street

The last type of ice machine you can buy is a nugget ice machine. Nuggets offer a best of both worlds scenario, but aren’t the best for either operation. Because nuggets are just smaller cubes they can be used for drinks and cold food tables alike. In fact, they are actually better for carbonated beverages than either flakes or cubes. These versatile ice chunks are great for businesses that offer both adult and child drink choices.
It’s clear that the type of ice machine you choose should be based on what you want to do with it. You may decide that you need a second ice machine to fulfill all the needs of your business. On the other hand, you may realize that you’ve simply been using the wrong type of ice. Whatever the case, using the right type of ice is going to have a positive impact on your business.
  
Other great articles on restaurant equipment such as this one can be found at the following link http://www.pricemykitchen.com