Water Treatment for Ice Machines

Expensive repairs, reduced production and poor ice quality are often due to water-related problems that can be avoided with the right filtration.

Water filters work a lot like the oil and air filter in your car to help keep the engine clean, reduce wear on parts and improve mileage. Most of us replace these filters on a routine basis to avoid expensive maintenance and to make sure our car keeps running well for as long as possible before having to replace it. OptiPure filtration technologies provide the same kind of protection and benefits for your ice machine.

Let’s look at four types of contaminants that can be problematic and the water treatment technologies used to deal with them:

1. Dirt & Sediment
Dirt, rust and other debris affect the taste and appearance of ice and can ruin beverages. Sediment causes wear on parts, can damage solenoids and valves, and contributes to scale build-up. OptiPure Filtration systems utilize gradient density-depth filtration. The larger dirt particles are trapped in the outer layers of the filter while smaller particles are trapped in the deeper layers as the gradient becomes denser. This gives OptiPure filters high dirt-load capacity and longer life without compromising water pressure and flow to equipment.

2. Chlorine, Taste & Odor
Chlorine, commonly used as a disinfectant, presents two problems for an ice machine. First, it can make ice taste and smell bad. Second, it can cause pitting and corrosion on machine surfaces. Off-taste and odor can come from a wide range of contaminants in addition to chlorine. OptiPure filtration systems include high quality activated carbon to reduce chlorine. The rating (gallons/liters) for OptiPure NSF Certified Systems indicates their “capacity” for chlorine reduction. OptiPure’s filter media is made of fine fibers coated with high quality powdered-activated carbon that filters out chlorine and off-taste and odor.

3. Hardness (Scale)
The formation and accumulation of scale from hardness minerals is responsible for up to 70% of ice maker service calls. Scale build-up on machine surfaces reduces energy efficiency and ice production, interferes with beverage quality, and is the number-one cause of machine failure and service interruption.

4. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
TDS is made up of an array of contaminants (primarily minerals) that are dissolved in water. Hardness minerals are a common part of TDS along with others such as sodium and chlorides. The type and amount of dissolved solids affects ice quality and water-related equipment problems.

There are two fundamental ways to deal with Water Hardness and TDS.

First, OptiPure can REDUCE the scaling tendency by inhibiting problematic minerals.
IsoNet®, OptiPure’s patented Scale Inhibitor, protects equipment against scale. IsoNet technology interferes with the formation of mineral compounds, effectively inhibiting the formation of scale. What makes IsoNet® unique is its patented design that allows for consistent delivery of media and greater capacity. IsoNet® also helps protect equipment against corrosion.

Second, OptiPure can effectively ELIMINATE problematic minerals by removing them.
AMS (Advanced Membrane Separation) technologies are specially designed reverse osmosis systems that remove problematic minerals. Recommended for problem water or extreme hardness, OptiPure BWS models allow precise blending of pure water with specially filtered water. OPW and LP models utilize mineral addition filters to achieve the desired TDS and mineral balance for an application.

The system that you select must meet your equipment and usage requirements.
To enjoy the benefits of water treatment with your ice machine it is essential that the capacity (in gallons/liters) and flow rate (gallons/liters per minute) of the filtration system meets your real-world water usage requirements. OptiPure offers a range of filtration systems with different performance characteristics to meet the demands of any commercial ice machine.

The ‘rated capacity’ of a filtration system is typically based on its ability to reduce chlorine, taste and odor. OptiPure systems for ice machines are designed with the right ‘balance’ of filtration technologies. This means that, along with chlorine reduction, the integrated scale inhibitor technology is engineered to perform for the rated capacity of the system as well; assuring complete protection for the period between filter changes.

For a detailed guide to understanding water-related problems with ice machines and how to select the best system for your application, click here and request OptiPure’s ‘Ice Maker Water Filtration Application Guide’

The OptiPure System Application Guide & Product Catalog provides more information about OptiPure Water Treatment Technologies and an easy-to-use system selection guide. (click on image to download)

 Ice Maker Filter Sizing Guides are also available below for a variety of ice machine brands.