Home -> Ice Machine Drain Pumps - Little Known Fact #34

posted January 31, 2012

Ice Machine Drain Pumps - Little Known Fact #34

Nearly all commercial ice machines purge water from the system after each ice-making cycle. It doesn't matter the size of the machine, the rate of ice production, or even what type of ice the machine makes. Commercial quality ice making processes simply freeze water on the evaporator plate (or within the auger cylinder in the case of flakers). The simple physics or chemistry of the process is that pure water, the water without any minerals, sediments, or other material suspended in the liquid, freezes "first". The other water typically cycles through the system again, often being captured in a reservoir below the evaporator plate before being pumped back up into the main reservoir to flow to the evaporator again. This cycle can vary in length of time and the amount of water circulating, but it is the standard process.

Eventually, the water that just doesn't freeze during that cycle of ice-making has to get dumped. The ice gets harvested when it is the right size, thickness, etc. And the extra water is not reused, since it is the water laden with all of the minerals and other stuff that you just don't want settling in your machine's system. So most manufacturers have included a purge process whereby that water is flushed out a drain.

Not only that purge water, but most ice storage bins are not refrigerated or freezers. The ice in the bins eventually melts. Every modular storage bin has a drain out for that melt water. Some manufacturers have set ups where the water from the purge process can flow through a line down through the bin and out at the same location as the bin's melt water. So there are two sources of water draining from your ice making system.

You need to be prepared for that drain and the amount of water that your particular model is releasing each cycle. Many restaurants and other foodservice establishments have planned ahead and utilize a floor drain built into the facility for just this kind of purpose. But other facilities and businesses may not have had the opportunity or foresight to anticipate the need for a drain in the floor for their ice making equipment. So how do these establishments have ice machines without puddles of water on their floors?

Enter the Drain Pump. For the most part, with Modular Ice Machines sitting on Ice Storage Bins, you will need some kind of external Condensate Pump. This can be a simple water catching pan/reservoir with a pump motor with a drain tube that can be hooked up to a sink drain or into a facility's plumbing. It is an extra expense and is not functionally tied into the processes of the ice machine. It is simply a matter of necessity.

The one danger with the external drain pump is that if your pump motor dies or the electrical system for the pump goes out and the ice machine is still getting power, making ice and purging water, that drain pump's pan will fill and overflow and you will have a mess on your hands.

But, lo and behold, manufacturers of ice machines have your business's welfare in mind. They have designed a few models of undercounter ice machines that utilize a drain pump that can be incorporated into the unit. It can be not only hooked up to the water drain so that the water can be pumped to an external drain or plumbing, but they are also typically wired into the ice maker's electrical system. Both the ice maker and drain pump are on or off at the same time. If one goes out the other will have also typically lost power as well. No overflows in that case.

Now most of these drain pumps need to be installed at the time of your ice machine's installation, regardless if it is an external condensate pump or a manufacturers drain pump suitable for your specific equipment. That means you not only need to schedule a professional for the ice maker's hookup and testing, you may need to hire an additional professional with electrical or plumbing expertise. All in all the drain pump might be just an extra hassle.

But Scotsman Ice has actually solved even this problem. They have two models of undercounter ice maker (the CU50 Gourmet cube ice maker and the NU130 Nugget Ice Maker) that have a BUILT-IN, FACTORY-INSTALLED drain pump, fully wired and plumbed into the ice maker's system. CU50PA and NU130PA have the pump built in, specifically designed and appropriate for the ice makers' volume of purge water and typical melt water. This means one less stress, one less professional to be scheduled, one less thing that might go wrong, one less COST to you when you make your ice machine purchase.

So if you are looking for an undercounter ice maker, either the crystal clear Gourmet Cube or the soft, chewable Nugget Ice, look no further than the Scotsman NU130PA and CU50PA. No matter what, like the water purged from the system, your troubles will go down the drain.

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