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Author Topic: Ice Machine - Pounds Per Day Requirements? Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-09-2003 03:38 PM                        As we begin to look for the remaining items to finish out the concessions area of our theatre, we're totally lost when it comes to deciding how big of an ice machine to purchase. All of the machines we've looked at are rated with a "pounds per day capacity". How much ice are some of you going through in a night, and how big of a machine do you have? We've seen names like, Scotsman, Manitowoc, etc... is one brand any beter than the another... if so why?  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-09-2003 04:17 PM                        Barry, Hoshizaki is the best ice machine out from what I've heard. If you'd like, I can get you in touch with a local dealer here in Myrtle Beach that sells Hoshi's acorss the country. From what I gather he has prices better than some of the reps can quote, due, in part, to volume sales. Let me know.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-09-2003 04:28 PM                        Ours is a Manitowoc. We got the version where the condenser unit is separate and mounted on the roof. That reduces the heat load in the building and seems to make the ice machine more efficient (read "fast"). I'll check, but it seems ours has something like a 600 lb bin. The machine fills it from empty within about 20 hours. Other versions are available that have dual stackable units, if you really need the extra horsepower.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-09-2003 06:47 PM                        Manitowoc is to ice machines as Christie is to platters. Good stuff. That said, we have had a Scotsman for approx. 8 years and have had no problems except having to replace the pump motor last year, about a $120 bill. Now here might be an interesting debate....do you go with "cube" ice or "shaved" ice? The Pepsi guys told me that cubed ice makes for better tasting soda, because it doesn't melt as fast. On the other hand, kids tend to throw the cubes at each other...and on yet another hand, shaved ice shoots great through straws. So after thinking it over, I decided to go with "better quality soda" and we got a cuber. They are also less breakdown-prone, I'm told...no moving parts in ours, except the afore-mentioned pump.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-09-2003 10:20 PM                        Never had a problem with a Manitowoc. Just make sure you have, like with any ice machine, a water filter installed on the water line feeding the machine. Most dealers should be able to tell you the size of machine you need based on the number of drinks per hour you plan to sell.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-10-2003 04:19 AM                     I don't think you could go wrong with either one Manitowoc or Scotsman machines. As far as capacity is concerned, that can be a tough call. A 600-pound head might be OK for a 5 or 6 plex (as it was for us) but in some areas, it may not be. Follow Daryl's advice, add some more poundage to it for a safety cushion, and you should be OK. Whatever you do, make absolutely certain you use water filters on them. Without filters, the evaporator plates won't last more that 5 to 10 years before they are ruined. Air-cooled machines are becoming quite popular, as long as they are not placed in the candy storage room. Seems like water-cooled machines are not as popular as they used to be - because water rates are going higher and higher. [ 01-10-2003, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Paul G. Thompson ]  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-10-2003 06:01 PM                        quote: Air-cooled machines are becoming quite popular, as long as they are not placed in the candy storage room. Seems like water-cooled machines are not as popular as they used to be... No kidding! Some brain trust decided to install our original Frigidaire sheet-cuber in our candy room. Before we installed A/C in the place, it got up to 80 degrees before noon. By evening, the heat from the sun was just coming through the other side of the concrete blocks. Add to that the heat load provided by all the other refrigeration equipment in there & we had three major problems on our hands... One was that all our chocolate had to be put in the cooler at night... two was that our ice machine only managed a couple of inches new ice for a whole day's work... and three was the cranky people in our building... staff and customers! Putting in the new Manitowoc flat ended our ice problems (yes, we did install it OUTSIDE the candy room!). We have hit bottom only once, and I could have prevented that by icing up the fountain heads earlier. Otherwise, this thing is an ice making monster... and it puts no heat in the building... something our new a/c system really likes!  |  IP: Logged Justin West Master Film Handler Posts: 271 From: Peoria, IL, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 01-10-2003 06:21 PM                     What about the economics of commercially-sold bagged ice versus the investment and wear and tear of an ice machine? Does an ice machine make sense for every drive-in theatre?  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-10-2003 06:36 PM                        In a word, yes! In more words... buying an appropriately sized machine makes economical sense. Add up all the time spent going somewhere to buy ice everyday, plus the cost of the ice itself. Then the cost of running out of ice -- some people won't buy fountain pop without ice in it. Some drive-ins may do fine with a countertop ice dispenser, others will need a much larger machine if they are busy throughout the week.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-10-2003 06:47 PM                        Tip o' the day: be careful where you install the ice machine. A flooded manager's office is not a pretty sight. (Yes, I've seen it happen. The machine was old and had not been well maintained.) Note, also, that some types of soda machines have built-in ice dispensers and that these usually require that they have ice in them at all times to keep the syrup cold, so you will need extra ice in addition to whatever you will be using for drinks at the concession stand.  |  IP: Logged Timothy Eiler Expert Film Handler Posts: 126 From: Litchfield , Minnesota, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-10-2003 07:25 PM                        While I am not sure of pounds per day my scotsman puts out I have learned it is better to have one that is too big. We have a large undercounter ice bin we keep filled in addition the the pop machine that needs ice to keep the pop cold. Then there is the large bin under the ice machine approx waist high. I have never run out of ice even when the 20 year old scotsman quits working for what ever reason and it take me a few day to get to the theatre and another few to get parts. The one i have has water cooled compresser (well water not city) The discharged water goes out the backdoor and keep our frog/salamander population happy Tim Starlite Drive-In  |  IP: Logged Bill Carter Expert Film Handler Posts: 162 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-10-2003 08:08 PM                     I've just been through the "ice machine shopping" process. Jason mentioned the Hoshizaki. They are good machines, but there are no replacement parts or experienced service people for that brand in my area. Consider that same factor even in making the decision between Manitowoc or Scotsman. Your local dealer may or may not stock parts for both. The comments about cubes vs. flakes are very true. Flakers will need more service over time than the cubers. I replaced a 15-year old Scotsman flaker with a new 750 lb. water-cooled Scotsman cuber for our 5-plex. We've got ice to spare.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-10-2003 08:33 PM                     Any water-cooled head is fine, but they can be very expensive to operate because of the cooling water used. It just simply goes down the drain. However, if you don't have a suitable place to install an air-cooled machine, then the water-cooled machine is the way to go. The air-cooled machines need lots of air to breath, and if they are left to operate in a small room with no adequate air exchange, they could go into high pressure overload and shut themselves down. Or, they can simply become very inefficient.  |  IP: Logged Bill Carter Expert Film Handler Posts: 162 From: Minneapolis, Minnesota Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-10-2003 08:41 PM                     We were limited to a very confined space, and needed the water cooling.  |  IP: Logged Jerry D. Cox Film Handler Posts: 35 From: Nashville, TN, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-10-2003 11:39 PM                     Barry Get A Manitowoc It is the best out now,An get A new one,Air cooled will work good just make sure you don't put it to close to A wall,Barry give me A call an I will give you some info on the one that I have,You will only need A 600lb.bin with A 600lb.turn over in about 20 to 24hrs.also make sure you put in A dran were you want the mch. to set.  |  IP: Logged

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