Why is filtration important on an Ice Machine?

Why is filtration important on an Ice Machine?

An ice machine takes a raw material and manufacturers a consumable product. The quality of the product depends on the quality of the water supplied to the unit.

  • Good water quality will produce a crystal clear, hard cube that provides excellent cooling capacity and last a long time.
  • Poor quality water will produce poor quality ice that can be soft and cloudy and will result in less BTU cooling capacity and/or ice bridging in the storage container.

Not only will a filter provide good water quality, it will also prevent the buildup of sediment and scale within the machine. Scale buildup will restrict water flow and reduce heat transfer in an ice machine. This buildup will affect unit efficiency and usually causes service concerns.

With a water filtration manifold, incoming water undergoes reverse osmosis to remove small particles of contaminants as it flows through the filter. Once the water has been filtered, it then passes into the machine to create ice. With a manifold in place, only the filter needs to be changed between 6-12 months depending on water quality and machine production.

Filtered water prevents the build up of scale, iron, and calcium on the inside of the machine. This build up can cause:

  • Oddly shaped ice
  • Foggy ice
  • Odd tasting ice
  • Increased ice production cycles
  • Stoppage of ice production entirely

Filtered water keeps the ice looking crystal clear and tasting fresh.