A Guide to Office Ice Makers
Offices need water and ice dispensers to help their employees get through busy workdays. Ice keeps employees hydrated and refreshed all day long. Ice machines need to be reliable so that when lunch times rolls around, there’s plenty of ice ready to go. To help you pick the right office ice maker for your office in Kansas or Missouri, check out our guide below.
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Choosing the Best Office Ice Maker
Whatever you may need for your office space in Kansas or Missouri, there’s an ice machine that’s right for you. Smaller models make great office ice machines in breakrooms and waiting rooms while large ice makers are best for office cafeterias. Here are a few types of ice makers that work best for office settings:
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Commercial Ice Dispensers
Commercial ice dispensers are used frequently in breakrooms and waiting rooms. Customers and employees can get their own ice with touchless or push-button dispensers. These units produce between 500-800 lbs. of ice a day depending on size. You can even get models that dispense water in addition to ice, giving your customers a sanitary self-serve station.
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Modular Ice Machines
If you need a lot of ice for your business, consider a modular ice machine that can provide up to 1900-lbs of ice a day. If you pick a modular ice machine for your office in Kansas or Missouri, you’ll also need to select a compatible ice bin or dispenser to store your ice supply. This allows you to customize your equipment to fit your exact needs.
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Countertop Ice Makers
If you don’t have much space to spare for an ice machine, a countertop ice maker might be a good solution. These models come with an attached dispenser so your customers and staff can safely serve themselves. If you need more ice than a small countertop unit provides, they can be fitted with a modular ice maker for greater output production.
Types of Ice Offices
To keep employees hydrated throughout the day, you’ll need a dependable water and ice dispenser. Not only that, but you’ll need to pick the type of ice best suited for your needs. By picking a slow melting ice cube, your employees can have drinks that stay cold throughout the day. If you pick a slender cube, they can fit more ice into their water bottles. These are a few ice cubes that are popular in office settings in the Kansas City area.
Office Ice Maker Installation Requirements
Before installation, you need to make sure your business can provide the necessities that ice machines need to run. Adequate draining, electricity, water and space is needed before a technician will install your ice maker.
Drainage
As stored ice melts in the bin, the excess water needs somewhere to go. Most ice machines require a floor drain, but some machines can use a wall drain. Per health code requirements, there needs to be an air gap between the drain and the bottom of the ice bin. Check your local health codes for your city’s specific drainage requirements.
Electrical
Office ice makers require either 115v or 220v to run, depending on size. Small commercial ice machines only need 115v to run efficiently. Large ice makers will need a 220v outlet. If your business doesn’t have an outlet with the correct voltage, you’ll need to call an electrician to install a 220v outlet.
Water
It’s obvious that for an office ice maker to run properly, it needs an adequate supply of water. Ice cubes will be misshapen and small if there isn’t enough water running through the machine. Most commercial ice machines require between 3-5 gallons of water a minute. If your flow rate isn’t enough for an ice machine, call a plumber to fix the issue.
Space
Air cooled ice machines (the most common type) need plenty of space to run. If these units don’t have enough space, the hot air will re-enter the machine and overheat it. Not only does hot air lead to lower ice production, but it causes hefty repairs and an invoice to match. It’s recommended that all commercial ice machines have at least 1-foot of space on all six sides, however, the more space you can provide the better.
We’ve serviced ice machines across Kansas and Missouri. No matter the challenge, we know exactly how to keep your ice machine running smoothly. Our pre-installation checklist shows you what you need to provide to install an ice machine in your office. If you have a challenging environment, give us a call, and we’ll help you find a solution.
What Size Office Ice Maker Do I Need?
For offices, ice is usually only used by staff throughout the day but when accounting for total daily usage, it’s important to keep in mind how many other people might be using the ice machine, too. This could include customers, vendors, patients or visitors and if you forget to include them in the total usage, you could be left without any ice. To get a better understanding of how much ice your Kansas or Missouri office might use in a day, check out our Ice Machine Estimator. Here are some of the things you’ll need to consider when sizing the best ice maker for your office.
How Many Employees
Do You Have?
Do You Have?
To make sure you pick the right sized ice machine for lunchrooms and breakrooms, its important that you account for the total number of employees that need ice every day. Larger companies with corporate campuses might want to consider higher-capacity ice machine for cafeterias so employees can re-hydrate on their lunch break. For smaller breakrooms and lobbies, it might be best to look for water and ice dispensers that aren’t quite as large but provide everybody access to safe, sanitary ice.
How Many Visitors
Do You See?
Do You See?
If your business sees a lot of visitors in a day, you’ll need to take that into consideration as well. Office waiting rooms and medical clinics often have ice and water dispensers for patients and visitors to use that don’t need to be quite as large as other ice machines. Small office ice makers like countertop units are a great choice for waiting rooms because it keeps the machine out of the way while still allowing guests to serve themselves.
What About Break
Time/Lunch Hours?
Time/Lunch Hours?
Accounting for breaks and lunches is crucial when sizing an office ice machine. Ice machines see the highest traffic from employees during this time so there needs to be ice on hand that’s ready to go. Keep in mind, it takes an ice machine 24 hours to produce a full batch of ice, so you’ll want to pick a machine that provides enough ice between cycles. These peak hours are the busiest time for your ice machine so if your base your usage off that, you’re less likely to run out of ice when you need it most.
How Do I Keep My Office Ice Maker Clean and Sanitary?
To reduce the growth of mold, slime and scale buildup in your ice maker, routine ice machine cleaning is a must. Not only should you thoroughly clean and disinfect your ice machine weekly, but you should also schedule professional cleanings with an ice machine technician. They can clean parts of the unit that you can’t reach, including vital internal components.
Routine Ice Machine Cleaning
Manufacturers recommend that commercial ice machines are professionally cleaned twice a year. But your ice machine should be cleaned by employees or cleaning staff every week or so. With a diluted bleach solution, clean the exterior of your ice machine to reduce the chance of accidental contamination. If you need help organizing a cleaning routine, consider looking at our suggested ice machine cleaning schedule.
Preventing Mold and Slime
As particles move through the air, mold and slime feed off them and start growing faster. Since they like dark, moist areas your ice machine and bin are the perfect places for them to grow. If you have excess mold and slime, it will make your ice machine unusable. Make sure the ice machine is cleaned regularly to reduce mold and slime buildup.
Don't Forget About Ice Bin Cleaning
If you choose an ice machine with a bin, you need to make sure the bin is clean as well. Your ice bin is dark, wet, and attracts microorganisms that can harm staff and make them sick. Cleaning your ice bin is just as important as cleaning the machine itself.
What’s the Best Type of Ice Machine Condenser?
An ice machine condenser plays a crucial role in keeping internal components cool. Each type of condenser works best for different needs, but they all work by moving heat away from the machine for consistent ice production.There are three main types of ice machine condensers.
Air Cooled Ice Machines
Air cooled ice machines are the most cost-effective condenser which makes them a popular choice among business owners. A fan is used to cool condenser coils and push hot air out of the machine into the area around it. Air cooled ice makers require plenty of space so that the hot air can travel away from the machine. If the hot air re-enters the machine, it can lead to overheating and expensive repairs.
What is the Cost of an Office Ice Maker?
Size and price go hand in hand when selecting an ice machine. Small office ice makers start as low as $1,500. For larger, high-volume machines, they can cost as much as $10,000. In addition to the machine, some units like modular and stackable machines will need an ice bin or dispenser as well. Here are a couple more hidden costs that aren’t including the initial price:
Preventive Maintenance
Each preventative maintenance visit for your ice machine will cost you around $250. With two recommended visits per year, it’s smart to budget at least $500 a year for maintenance. During visits, an ice machine technician will check your machine for any problems and make sure it’s running in top condition. Preventative maintenance allows a technician to catch potential problems early, saving you time and money on repairs.
Water Filters
Water filters are important for your ice machine to produce quality, usable ice. A standard filter ranges anywhere from $15-$100, depending on the type and brand. Clogged water filters leave you with small, malformed ice cubes. Replacing an Ice machine water filter every few months is important. Ice machines in challenging environments with hard water, like Kansas City, may need additional filtration and more frequent filter replacements.
Breakdowns
Office Ice machine repairs can cost thousands of dollars, depending on how bad the damage is and what component is affected. Here are a few examples of common office ice machine repairs throughout the Kansas City area and how much it might cost:
- Hot Gas Valve Replacement - $600
- Expansion Valve - $600
- Compressor Repair - $1500
- Evaporator Repair - $2500
A broken ice machine means you’ll likely have to supply extra ice for staff. A twenty-pound bag of ice will cost around $4.50.
All-Inclusive Program for Your Office Ice Machine
Ice-Masters commercial ice machine rental program includes either a Hoshizaki or Manitowoc office ice machine, two of the best ice machine brands in the industry.
Your staff deserves a dependable ice machine to keep them hydrated throughout the workday. We provide you with all necessary commercial ice equipment, twice-yearly preventative maintenance repairs and cleanings for one low cost every month. We keep track of maintenance so that your ice machine is always in the best condition possible. We even cover backup ice for your office if your ice machine is ever down for repairs.
With our all-inclusive ice machine program we cover all repairs at any time of the day. If you ever have an issue with your ice machine give us a call on our 24/7 customer support line.
There’s a lot to take into consideration when choosing an ice machine for your office, and we are here to help! Our Ice Machine Experts are happy to help you determine the best office ice maker for your business.
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