Health care for ice machines: How to care for your machines properly!

Again and again - and surprisingly often! - We experience customers who are completely stunned in front of us in the middle of the season: "Now I've had my ice cream machine for 15 years, I've never had to have anything done and now, suddenly, it's broken. How can that be? What am I going to do?!"

Actually, one would have to say quite honestly: It's your own fault!

Because hardly anyone would think of driving their car for 15 years or 450,000 km without having it serviced. Without checking and changing the tyres, brakes and engine oil. Without having the important components checked regularly to make sure they are in good working order. That goes without saying, doesn't it?

But strangely enough, that's what many expect from your ice cream machines, soft ice cream machines and pasteurisers. From the heart of your ice cream parlour. From the machines with which you earn your money.

Give your machines and equipment the same care that comes naturally to any car. Because it is neither difficult, nor time-consuming, nor disproportionately expensive to keep the machines "fit". So let's see how it's done.

Regular cleaning is the be-all and end-all

Let's first look at the simplest, but at the same time the very most important part of machine care: regular proper cleaning - and not just because of the Corona crisis of 2020. Yes, cleaning takes some time and is rarely really fun. But it is necessary.

Because especially with food production equipment, daily, correct and complete cleaning is of utmost importance. This not only ensures a maximum service life for your machines, but also produces your ice cream under the best hygienic conditions. You will find instructions for correct cleaning in the operating instructions for your machine. By the way, with every machine you buy from us, the correct cleaning will be explained to you in detail as part of your instruction.

One more simple but effective tip: It is especially important when lubricating rubber parts that you use food-safe special grease based on silicone. The often used (because it is minimally cheaper) lubricant Vaseline is based on water, which freezes at sub-zero temperatures. In this way, you achieve exactly the opposite of the desired effect: important parts of your ice cream maker freeze, become brittle and quickly break. So don't save a few cents in the wrong place.

Check the seals and replace them at an early stage

We continue to recommend that all rubber seals be checked every time they are cleaned, but at least every three months - and that broken seals be replaced immediately. The rubber O-rings are wearing parts and are exposed to constant pressure, movements and disinfectants. As a result, the rubber rings become brittle and leaky over time.

Depending on which rubber seal is damaged, this can have various negative effects - from leaks (e.g. at the outlet window) to damage to the motors (e.g. if ice mix runs into the agitator shafts via a defective seal). However, replacement is very simple and inexpensive. 

Carpigiani offers special Tune-Up Kits for all machines for this purpose. These kits contain all the wear parts needed for the respective machine - and you can see exactly which part belongs where. The Krä team will be happy to assist you in ordering the required Tune-Up Kits and, of course, in replacing the parts.

Ice machines: The scrapers are particularly stressed

A particularly important part of ice machines are the scrapers on the agitator, the so-called blades. These wear parts must be changed regularly.

If you do not do this, the performance of the machine suffers due to a considerably poorer cold transmission: The machine takes significantly longer for each production cycle. You (or your employees) need longer every day for production, the ice cream is less creamy due to lower air impact, and electricity and water consumption also go up. So the supposed "savings" (after all, you don't have to buy new blades) clearly backfire. And if the blades are too worn, the freezing cylinder of the machine will also be damaged - the only(!) part of the machine that cannot be replaced or repaired.

Save yourself this trouble and replace the blades regularly. You can easily check whether a scraper needs to be replaced by looking at the wear edge. If this is scraped off, as shown in the photo, it should be replaced as soon as possible.

Soft ice cream machines: Checking gears and agitators

In soft ice cream machines, the gear wheels in the pumps are the most important wearing parts. These drive the feed pumps that convey the soft ice cream mix from the storage container to the freezing cylinder. If they are worn, the delivery rate drops rapidly - the machine loses a lot of power and, in the worst case, can even freeze completely (if the pump delivers more slowly than the ice cream is tapped from the front). 

You can check the wear of the gear wheels in two ways: First, check the position of the gear wheels when the pump is open - if they are no longer tight and firm, but wobble or "clack", then they must be replaced. Or switch the machine to agitation and briefly pull the delivery tube out of the pump: If a powerful jet of mix shoots out of the pump, the gears are in order. If a poor trickle flows out, you should check the gears and replace them if necessary. 

The agitators are also important in a soft ice cream machine: they should be tightly seated in the freezing cylinders with almost no play. As soon as there is play here, either the agitator wipers or, in the case of models without wipers, the complete agitator should be replaced - depending on the agitator used. However, if used correctly, this is only the case after many thousands of portions.

Complete overhaul: Only after a few years - and best as a winter overhaul

Finally, let us answer another frequently asked question: How often should a machine go to the workshop for a complete overhaul?

If you take the above tips for looking after your machine(s) to heart, the machine will certainly not need to go to the workshop every winter for a complete overhaul or "service" - in general, the machines are extremely robust. We would recommend a complete check of the machine every five, maximum every 8, years. There, all parts of the machine are checked and any necessary repairs are carried out, both inside and out - just like the service on your car. 

Unfortunately, this cannot be done in your laboratory/location, but only in a well-equipped specialist workshop - just as the customer service on your car is not carried out in your garage, but in the workshop of the specialist company. 

We generally offer the option of a winter overhaul: We pick up your machines in autumn at the end of the season, make the machines fit over the winter and deliver them back to you freshly overhauled before the start of the season. And you also benefit from a 10% special discount for the winter overhaul.

Are you interested? Download our registration form right here and benefit from the special discounts!