Tag: Ice machines

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Everpure ScaleKleen Ice Machine Sanitizing Instructions

Even though ice machines ensure the daily delivery of a clean food product in millions of foodservice facilities around the world, too often they are left out of a business’s preventive maintenance plans. Developing and sticking to a consistent cleaning process for your ice machine not only helps guarantee your customers a clean food product time and time again, but it also enables you to reap the most from your investment for many years to come.

Your ice machine should be emptied and thoroughly sanitized at a  minimum every six months and Filter Pure recommends Pentair Everpure ScaleKleen, the smart, environmentally safe way to delime your water-using appliances. It removes limescale buildup and scale quickly and easily. It’s FDA approved to be used around food grade material, it is completely non-toxic and is safe to pour down the drain after use.

SCALEKLEEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR ICE MACHINES;

1. Turn off the ice machine, and drain the sump. 2.  Mix one 7-ounce packet of ScaleKleen in one quart of hot water and pour the solution into the ice machine sump. 3.  Allow the sump to fill so that the pump is not starved of water. NOTE: Do not turn on, the “REFRIGERATE” cycle. ScaleKleen works most effectively when mixed with hot water. The colder the water; the longer it takes to dissolve the scale. 4.  Turn the switch to the “PUMP” mode and allow water to recirculate with ScaleKleen for 20 minutes. 5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 if scale deposits are still visible. 6.  Drain and rinse the sump thoroughly with clean water to remove any remaining traces of ScaleKleen. 7.  Check the pH of the water in the sump. If it is within one pH unit of the influent tap water; then the ScaleKleen has been sufficiently rinsed out. (NOTE: an inexpensive pH test kit is available from your Everpure dealer). 8.  Turn the ice machine on to the “ICE” mode and place it back in service Cleaning times and frequencies can vary depending on the water quality and conditions of where the unit is installed. (Special care must be taken when bread or foods containing yeast are being prepared in the vicinity of the ice machine, since yeast-type bacteria could impact the machine’s operation.) Typical between-clean times average 30, 60, or 90 days (consult the user’s manual) to ensure the unit runs at its highest operating efficiency — the ultimate goal of any preventive maintenance program. By taking the time to clean your machine and change the filters you can greatly increase the life of your machine and drastically decrease the cost of owning an ice machine over time. Are you having problems with your water filtration or the quality of your water? Please do not hesitate to call us. We are trained professionals dedicated to solving all your water quality issues. Call us at 800-942-7873 or click the link below to ask a question.

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Don’t Forget About the O-Ring!

First, what is an O-ring? An O-ring is a doughnut, or torus shaped seal typically used to prevent the passing of air or fluid. O-rings are used to keep fluid or air IN or OUT of a defined space. This device helps to keep the water tight or air tight integrity of a filter housing or filter application. O-rings come in a wide variety of sizes and different types of materials; Types of Material

  • Buna-N®
  • Ethylene, Propylene
  • Silicon Encapsulated with FEP, an FDA-approved material
  • Silicone (Solid)
  • Teflon® (Solid)
  • Teflon® Encapsulated with FEP
  • Viton® (Solid)

    To extend the o-ring’s effectiveness there are some things you can do: Remove and inspect the o-ring at every filter change or every time the housing is opened, as well as applying the manufacturer’s approved lubricant. The protectant/gel, usually made of silicon is inexpensive and is easy to apply. If there are signs of any wear or improper form of the o-ring, the o-ring must be replaced immediately prior to restarting the filter system.    The life of an o-ring varies based on how you take care of it and what it is made of. It is very important to your operation to make sure you have the proper o-ring for your filtration application. If you have any questions on changing out your o-rings or whether you are using the proper o-ring for your system, I invite you to submit a question below or call our team at 1-800-942-7873. Click here to ask us a question!

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How Often Do I Change My Water Filter?

One of the most common questions we hear from our customers is in regards to how frequently a water filter cartridge should be changed. Whether it’s a standard sediment or carbon filter, every customer has one key priority in mind: How Long Will I Have Dependably Clean, Great Tasting Water? In other words, how can I be sure that my filter is still reducing the impurities that can impact the flavor of my water? Our standard answer: It depends. The frequency of filter changes depends upon your water quality and your water usage. For example, if there are a lot of sediment particulates in your water, then you will have to change your filters more frequently than someone with little to no sediment. If you are a large restaurant consuming large amounts of water a minute or a hospital with large ice machines, then your usage will demand more frequent filter changes. Having said that, we suggest replacement schedules that are generally as follows: Everpure High Flow CRS Quad MC2 System The most common Everpure Filtration System, mainly seen in the back of the house of restaurants should be changed every 6 months, or every 36,000 gallons. The EC210 prefilter, to the left of the MC2 filters, should be changed more frequently to extend the life of the MC2 filters. We recommend every 3-4 months.       Insurice Triple PF i4000(2) System w/ 20″ Prefilter For water filtration on ice machines, sometimes it can be difficult knowing when to change the filters, especially if you see no difference in the ice. But even if the ice is fine, deep inside the machine inches of scale can be forming and ruining your machine. That’s why it is important to keep a filter change out schedule. We recommend every 6 months or however many gallons are specified on the water filters. For the system pictured to the left, the Insurice Triple PF i4000(2), change those filters every 36,000 gallons of use. Again, changing the prefilter will give your primary cartridges longer life. You should also replace your water filters whenever you notice a decline in performance, whether it is a drop in flow rate and/or pressure, or an unusual taste in the water. You should also, per the CDC, replace your water filter after any boil water advisory alert is lifted in your area. Remember: taste and odor may tip you off to the presence of chlorine in your water, but most contaminants are tasteless and odorless. For the benefit of our customers, we have set-up automatic electronic reminders that are sent when we see that their filters are due to be replaced, based on order history.  We can even set-up Auto-Ship for customers that know they will need water filters by a certain date, but may not remember to place an order. If you have a water filter or filter model not included in the list above, and have a question regarding how often you should replace your filter, I invite you to submit a question below or call our team at 1-800-942-7873. Click here to ask us a question!

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Legionella: The Silent Killer!

In the last year, over 400 people have been infected by a water born bacteria called Legionella.  Over 30 of those infected died. What’s more shocking than those numbers is the fact that those outbreaks took place in hospitals, retirement communities, theme parks, and hotels.   An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year in the U.S. How can so many people be infected by this bacteria, especially in places where you think you would be safe from any deadly bacteria? Being exposed to any water system can be a source of disease if the water in it is subjected to conditions that promote growth of the organism. 

 In Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY, multiple people developed Legionnaires disease; case investigation and environmental culture surveillance found that the Legionella bacteria came from the ice machine. One 66-year old patient, who was making a slow recovery from cancer, died from the outbreak due to inhalation of the aerosols released from the ice chips he was consuming. 

So how do you kill Legionella?

First, is preventing it! Killing the bacteria before it reaches any water system. Traditional oxidizing agents such as chlorine have been proven very effective in controlling Legionella. Using continuous chlorination at low free residual levels can be effective in controlling Legionella. That’s why many hospitals are using Everpure’s 7SI cartridges on their ice machines to help prevent the Legionella bacteria from forming in their water.

7SI Cartridge

  • Specializes in slime and bacteria growth prevention
  • Reduces particulates down to 0.5 micron
  • Utilizes depth filtration and Fiberdyne™ media for superior dirt holding capability
  • Leaves chlorine and chloramines within water that is supplied to equipment which helps to reduce slime and bacteria growth in applications
  • Reduces system maintenance, service costs and buildup. Scale and slime, as well as, bacteria growth can result in clogging of distribution lines, malfunction of probes, floats, pumps, solenoids and valves, and higher energy consumption
  • Sanitary cartridge replacement is simple, quick and clean. Internal filter parts are never exposed to handling or contamination
  • Can be used on Insurice® and Hybrid Manifold Systems
  • NSF® Certified under NSF / ANSI Standards 42 and 53

Features:

  • Cyst Reduction
  • Particulate Reduction
  • Capacity: 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters)
  • Maximum Flow: 3.5 gpm (13.25 lpm)
  • Qty. per Case: 0
  • Working Pressure: 10 – 125 psi (0.7 – 8.6 bar), non-shock
  • Max. Temp: 35 – 100ºF (2 – 38ºC)
  • H: 20.75″ D: 3.25″ Certifications: NSF42 NSF53
Contact us for more information on the 7SI cartridge and how to stop Legionella.
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The Insurice Family!

Everpure’s Insurice family is ideal for ice filtration applications. Not only does it filter your water, but it also maintains your ice machine equipment. That’s important when 70% of all restaurant service calls are water related. This line of filters by Everpure reduces:

  • Abrasion and clogging
  • Scale buildup and corrosion
  • Harmful cysts and other contaminants
  • Off-tastes and odors
  • Particles that result in cloudy ice

It also provides great benefits:

  • Best quality ice possible
  • Less equipment downtime
  • Lower maintenance costs
  • Lower total cost of ownership
  • Satisfied customers and increased profits

New and improved Micro-Pure II media with AgION antimicrobrial protection inhibits any potential bacterial growth. Each cartridge reduces dirt particles up to 1/2 micron in size. That means harmful contaminants, such as asbestos fibers, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia cysts won’t be hanging around in your ice. Sanitary cartridge replacement is simple, quick, and clean. Internal filter parts are never exposed to handling or contamination. The Insurice family is NSF Certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53. The i2000 (P/N#9612-22) has a gallon capacity of 9,000 gallons (34,068L). It’s overall dimension is 20.75″H x 3.25″Diameter. Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). And the i4000 (P/N#9612-32) has a gallon capacity of 12,000 gallons (45,425L). It’s overall dimension is 25″H x 3.25″Diameter. Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). Filter Pure stocks all Insurice systems, ready to ship out to you today! Call for more information on how we deliver premium quality water for ice applications!