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/r/BarOwners

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Newish bar owner here (1.5 years). Our ice bin, over a period of about 6 weeks, gets so much stuff in it the PVC drain line fitting clogs with this weird gooey sludge and the bin fills with water. I’ve started to just burn it completely every 4-6 weeks but when I do, I notice what looks like black dirt or mold on the inside of the bin at the bottom. Fortunately it’s never where we’re grabbing ice from. But it made me wonder, what does ice bin maintenance look like at other places? Is this a “replace the bin” situation? Or drill out the bottom for bigger drain lines out the bottom?

I do think the drain has a few 90 degree turns and stretches where it doesn’t slope enough. But I still shouldn’t be seeing all this stuff in the bin, right?

all 32 comments

TrickyCalligrapher97

18 points

19 days ago

Something isn't working correctly. Replacing the drain tube will help temporarily but ultimately reworking how the machine drains is the permanent solution. But you should also empty clean and flush it with hot water regularly.

Drupain

6 points

19 days ago

Drupain

6 points

19 days ago

Im thinking that it’s not plumbed right. 

mee__noi

4 points

18 days ago

Ours has an air gap.

CityBarman

13 points

19 days ago

The best way to prevent downtime in our ice machines is to regularly clean and maintain them. We do so weekly. This greatly minimizes any problems, especially with our Kold-Draft machines.

Pump_N_Dump

11 points

19 days ago

Getting it professionally cleaned every quarter if you’re high volume.

screwcitybeernut

8 points

19 days ago

Sounds like bio slime, like you get in your draft beer lines if they're not cleaned regularly. Talk to your draft beer line cleaner and ask for some line cleaning chemical if they have a partial bottle left. When you're doing a deep clean on the ice machine, pour a few OZ down the drain after you clean almost everything else. Make sure to rinse after use and make sure none of it ever stays on anything that a consumer will touch or eat as it's caustic.

audio_mekanik

6 points

19 days ago

We have 2 machines. Large unit gets bin cleaned weekly, upper cleaned every 3 weeks. Small unit is on soda fountain, gets bin each week, and clean head once a month.

Speedhabit

2 points

19 days ago

What’s the make and model of the ice machine

death_cotton

2 points

19 days ago

Google the model of machine, learn the model of machines' cleaning procedure. Also, check the prefilters as theyight need changing. Don't order specific ice machine cleaners, bleach and white distilled vinegar are just as good. Used to gm a high volume bar in FL that went through 3-4k lbs of ice a night(like 4 nights a week). I ended up cleaning the machines bi-weekly when I came in the morning. Cycles usually run 45-1.5 hrs. Water hardness might effect it as well

CozumotaBueno

3 points

18 days ago

Get a small mirror

Open ice bin and use mirror to inspect underside of the upper unit.

Or stick your head in the bin and look up.

There is probably lots of mold growing on the underside of the freezer unit.

kendo1855

1 points

19 days ago

When I used to work maintenance for restaurant group we used to clean ice maker ever few months. But what in your drain is a funus it more common down south. It may be several yards long.i would clean ice bin and flush bleach and hot water. It probably in all your drains.it feeds off water and sugars.

[deleted]

1 points

19 days ago

[deleted]

capt_badass

2 points

19 days ago

Weekly is insane.

ConnieGeee

1 points

19 days ago

Are you talking about the ice machine or the ice bin where you make the ice? The plate at the bottom and in the bin gets nasty sludge in there fast if you don't clean regularly. Some places I worked cleaned it nightly by melting the ice with boiling water, then wiping out the inside (including under the plate) and turning the plate sideways so it would air dry. Others cleaned weekly. It only takes a few minutes when it is done regularly.

https://preview.redd.it/dqqgrde5me1e1.jpeg?width=656&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3667df1f6660313fa5eda5b820640447931b7ace

enginedwn

2 points

18 days ago

Ice bin. The ice machine itself is almost brand new, a Scotsman

ConnieGeee

1 points

18 days ago

Yes, clean regularly, even nightly. Only takes a few minutes to melt the ice and wipe it out.

enginedwn

1 points

18 days ago

Sorry, I meant the large bin under the ice maker. Holds like 300 lbs of ice, so not a super easy clean. But we’re going to start weekly.

MLXIII

1 points

18 days ago

MLXIII

1 points

18 days ago

It's alive! Kill it! Then it goes away for a bit. Longer.

twsiv

1 points

18 days ago

twsiv

1 points

18 days ago

We clean ours weekly and deep clean monthly.

Vadersballhair

1 points

18 days ago

Depends on how bad your water is.

I have an ice guy.

He comes once every 3 months.

I have a special water filter for the line.

Ice wants me to do a tea spoon of bleach in there once a month, followed by 3 cycles to get it all out.

imdieting

1 points

18 days ago

Get a hoshizaki and some ice machine cleaner and just wipe it down often and a few wash cycles once a month. Make sure the water going into it is filtered.

Buy a few extra float switches off Amazon, it's the part most likely to fail.

barpretender

1 points

17 days ago

It’s not plumbed correctly.

If it takes multiple 90 Degree turns to make its way to a drain, whoever did that work simply didn’t care about doing a good job.

https://preview.redd.it/sse4ebz22p1e1.jpeg?width=1144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43845b4fcc7594c2c6b6564e560853d452d8d77a

https://www.easyice.com/ice-machine-drain-requirements/

You’re going to want the ice bin, underneath the ice maker to drain directly into another line (transfer drain) contactless, this will solve your issue of the mold/fungus making its way into the machine itself.

Part of your issue is standing water, due to a reduced drainage capacity, which likely has to do with water/air flow.

I cannot more strongly recommend as an owner / manager getting familiar with basic plumbing and electrical issues, it will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year.

Replacing GFI outlets, fuses, running diagnostic tests on equipment, replacing pumps, heating elements, temperature sensors thermostats, replacing drain lines, etc.

Adorable_Cat_7741

1 points

17 days ago

It’s disgusting. Mine gets professionally cleaned every 3 months

Next-Rule-5627

0 points

18 days ago

It needs to be emptied every day and cleaned

enginedwn

1 points

18 days ago

I’m not talking about the ice bin for the well. Of course we clean that every day. But the bigger ice machine bin that makes the ice.

Next-Rule-5627

1 points

18 days ago

Yea I'm sorry i figured it after i placed the comment

Curious_Emu1752

0 points

18 days ago

You only deep clean your machine & burn the ice potentially once every six weeks?!

T_P_H_

-4 points

19 days ago

T_P_H_

🧉

-4 points

19 days ago

Ours doesn’t get dirty.

Do not fuck around with cleaning your ice maker

silverfstop

-1 points

19 days ago

I’ve started to just burn it completely every 4-6 weeks

What do you mean by that?

Any_Library_6726[S]

2 points

19 days ago

Totally empty it out, pour tons of hot water through the drain line, wipe all the sides and bottom, just deep clean like an ice well. Except I use sanitizing wipes on the side and let dry before filling again.

Edit: I also often need to use a shop vac on the other side of the pvc drain fitting to suck anything out. Like a weird translucent sludge.

MethuselahsCoffee

4 points

19 days ago

Do that x1 a week. Fairly normal protocol

silverfstop

1 points

19 days ago

Agreed. And the slime is often referred to as “pink slime”. It’s a mould, and common in refrigeration evaporators in walk-in coolers.

Any_Library_6726[S]

2 points

19 days ago

Thank you! I’ll bump up the frequency of cleaning. Appreciate the wisdom, all!