Advantages of Filtering the Water Used for Your Ice Machine

One of the best things you can do at your restaurant or foodservice operation to improve the quality of your offerings and avoid having to call for frequent repairs is filtering the water you use in your ice machine.

This might seem like an overstatement, but it’s true—using a water filter in conjunction with your ice machine provides cleaner, better-tasting water and will make it less likely that you’ll need to call in for ice machine repair in Eugene, OR.

Here’s an overview of how filtered water makes a difference.

The benefits of water filtering

Many restaurant owners are under the impression that, if their restaurant is connected to a municipal water system, they don’t have to worry about doing any filtering, because the municipality in charge of that water is already doing everything it can to clear it and make it safe for drinking.

However, even after the water in a municipal system has gone through these processes, there will still be some tiny particles of mineral deposits that, while they may not be harmful to drink, can be potentially problematic in your plumbing fixtures and your commercial ice machine. These particles simply cannot be filtered out by the treatment plant. Considering your ice machine will probably handle thousands of gallons of water throughout the course of its lifespan, these deposits can build up on the interior of the system and potentially wreak havoc on its mechanics.

As they build up inside your ice machine, they will form scale. As that scale starts to dislodge itself in small chunks, it can then cram into some more sensitive parts of your ice equipment, which can necessitate repairs or even shut down the machine entirely. This is actually the cause for more than half of all service calls to ice machine repair specialists.

Of course, the benefits of filtering the water that goes to your ice machine go beyond just the mechanical reasons. Scale that wanders through the system can result in cloudy-looking ice and an unusual taste. Again, while this isn’t necessarily unsafe, you probably don’t want to create a negative impression on your guests.

What can be unsafe is the fungus, algae, and bacteria that can form in a system that has been affected by a buildup of these deposits that does not get cleared. So while a little bit of those deposits won’t do any harm, an accumulation of deposits could potentially cause illness.

Therefore, it simply makes sense for your business to invest in a water filtration system. This will reduce the number of particles in the water that run over your ice machine’s evaporator plate, leading to a cleaner system, better-tasting and better-looking ice for your customers and a longer-lasting ice maker.