Scotsman distributor says cleaning, servicing and airflow are key to an icy Xmas
Now’s the time to make sure that ice machines are fit for Christmas. It’s an incredibly busy time and ice will be in demand throughout the festive season: the last thing any bar wants is an icemaker breakdown. Cleaning the machine regularly – typically at least once a week – will help to keep it in top condition. Hubbard Systems, which distributes the Scotsman range in the UK, has a series of helpful PDFs, available from the downloads and resources section at hubbardsystems.co.uk, which can guide staff through the process.
The Hubbard Systems ice experts highlight one area to check pre-Christmas, and that’s the airflow to the machine. A constant airflow is essential for keeping an icemaker running at full capacity – which will certainly be required for the party season. Keep all vents clear and unblocked, and clean the air filter to prevent it from getting clogged up with dust. If the machine has self-diagnostics and shows an alarm, or if a warning light shows, act on it quickly.
Even if the machine seems to be functioning well, it’s a good idea to get the service engineer in for a pre-Christmas health check, so they can nip any potential issues in the bud.
Any bar thinking of replacing their machine with a new one will need to factor in one key piece of information – how big is the hole it’s got to fit in? Getting the right size is, of course, critical. Having said that, bear in mind that many manufacturers produce models of a similar size, so if you want to upgrade, let your supplier know what make and model you are replacing and they should be able to offer you a choice of alternatives.
Replacing an icemaker is often a distress purchase – it’s done because the old one is kaput, which means the ideal delivery time is yesterday. That’s why Hubbard has a large stock of Scotsman machines ready for next day delivery to most of the UK mainland.