Are your ice cubes shrinking? Have you noticed smaller cubes coming out of your Hoshizaki ice maker? If your Hoshizaki commercial ice maker is producing smaller ice cubes, there is likely an underlying issue. The Ice Machine Experts at Easy Ice are here to help! We specialize in Hoshizaki ice machine service and want to share some of our knowledge with you.
Let’s walk through why you’re experiencing Hoshizaki ice cube production issues.
What Issues Cause a Hoshizaki to Produce Smaller Ice Cubes?
There are a few common reasons your Hoshizaki ice machine is producing smaller than normal ice cubes. They include:
- Not enough water flowing to your automatic ice machine.
- There is enough water at the start, but the water is leaking out of the ice cube maker in some way other than as an ice cube.
- The measurement device (the float switch) is adjusted to the wrong setting.
Some of these issues are due to plumbing and will require a plumber to solve. Others will require an experienced ice machine technician to fix.
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Hoshizaki Producing Smaller Ice Cubes Due to Low Water Flow
The float switch is an ice machine component that helps tell a Hoshizaki ice machine to stop freezing water. As the machine’s reservoir fills, the float switch helps to monitor the amount of water in the reservoir.
Whether you have a large ice cube maker or a small ice machine, during ice harvest, the reservoir begins to fill with water. If it does, it should fill to the point where there is enough water in the reservoir for a full batch of normal sized Hoshizaki KM cubes. If it doesn’t fill, check the incoming water supply. A plugged external filter or inlet water valve screen could be the problem. If this is the case, you’ll need to call an ice machine technician.
Low water pressure or an improper inlet water line size is also a possibility. If this is the case, you’ll need to call an experienced plumber to solve the issue.
Hoshizaki Producing Smaller Ice Cubes Due to Leaks
If the reservoir filled properly during harvest, the water had to go somewhere, right? In this case, check for leak by at the pump-out check valve. Leaks can be caused by dirt, scale, or a weak spring.
A missing displacement cap or o-ring for the drain standpipe can also cause this issue. A water trail caused by shipping tape, an out of position ice chute guide, or algae can cause water to splash or run into the commercial ice bin.
There is also the remote possibility of a leaking reservoir. Search until you find the missing water culprit and correct it, and your ice cube size should return to normal.
If you’re experiencing issues like this and need someone to help diagnose your problem, give our helpful Ice Machine Experts a call. We can help you solve your industrial ice machine problem. If there is damage to the ice machine, like corrosion from an internal leak, it may be time for a new ice machine. Our ice machine subscription program can get your business a steady flow of ice from a new machine for little to no capital upfront.
Hoshizaki Producing Smaller Ice Cubes Due to Float Switch Issues
Finally, when looking at the float switch, you will see that it can be adjusted. The higher you adjust the switch, the smaller the cubes will become because the switch will tell the machine to stop freezing sooner. If you move the switch lower, the cubes will be larger because the switch will tell it to stop freezing later.
Be careful playing with this adjustment because if you make the cubes too large, they may bridge (i.e. start freezing to one another) which will give you all kinds of trouble with harvesting, freeze-ups, etc.
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Preventive Maintenance Can Help Prevent Small Ice Cubes
The best way to stop a Hoshizaki ice machine from producing small ice cubes is to keep up with preventive maintenance. During a preventive maintenance call, an ice machine technician will optimize the ice machine and replace any faulty parts. They will also perform any ice machine repairs that will get the machine up and running again.
Are you looking for a new ice machine?
At Easy Ice, our team of experienced ice machine technicians perform regular preventive maintenance and identify potential issues before they become major problems. Our ice machine subscriptions come with the best Hoshizaki ice machines on the market. We also include 2 preventive maintenance and professional Hoshizaki ice machine cleaning visits a year. Contact us today!
For more information on Hoshizaki ice machines, visit our Hoshizaki Ice Machine Troubleshooting Guide.