Winterizing ice maker

S

Slowboat

New Member
Jun 30, 2019
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Boat Info
2000 340 sundancer
Engines
7.4 MPI mercruiser/ V drives
I have a 2000 340 and would like some direction on winterizing the ice maker.
 
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In addtion to doing a good job of cleaning it up, you need to pump potable antifreeze through it. Once you have pink in the freeze tray, turn everything off, wipe things down, take the gasket off the door and use a block of wood in the door to prevent it from closing and tape it in position so it stays that way. This way things will dry out and not grow a bunch of mold. In the spring, clean up the gasket and any mildew in the unit and make 20-30pounds of heavily chlorinated ice that you will throw away. Once your water system is sanitized, make another 20 pounds of ice that you throw awyy before you start using it for iced beverages.
 
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I have a U-line ice maker and the instructions say to disconnect the water line, which I do down below in the E/R where there is a valve that can be closed to shut off the water to the unit. Then allow the unit to operate for several ice making cycles which purges the unit of water. That’s it. Has worked for me.
When I purchased the boat, the ice maker mold was in rough shape. According to a friend that is in the appliance business, and an avid boater, it’s the pink A/F that screws up the ice mold. He got me a new ice making unit for the ice maker which still looks new.
So the first 2 posts here are in direct conflict with each other so looks like you need more responses and/or need to look in your owners manual. Good luck.
 
my3sons said:
I have a U-line ice maker and the instructions say to disconnect the water line, which I do down below in the E/R where there is a valve that can be closed to shut off the water to the unit. Then allow the unit to operate for several ice making cycles which purges the unit of water. That’s it. Has worked for me.
When I purchased the boat, the ice maker mold was in rough shape. According to a friend that is in the appliance business, and an avid boater, it’s the pink A/F that screws up the ice mold. He got me a new ice making unit for the ice maker which still looks new.
So the first 2 posts here are in direct conflict with each other so looks like you need more responses and/or need to look in your owners manual. Good luck.
Click to expand...
To your point I don't pink the ice maker or anything else. I blow the water out with a compressor. The ice maker I spray down with water and vacuum out.
We use our fresh water tank all summer for drinking and ice... Bleach it, sterilize it and use it... You will be fine
 
Thank you for the information. Greatly appreciated.
 
I always run mine with pink in the water tank to make sure it gets through the ice maker and the check valves and all passages. I run till I get a batch of pink slush while I do some other pre-winter clean up. Once it is done I do the rest of the water systems.. Have not had any issues.
 
Not good input. This is an ice maker, it's not supposed to freeze. It makes ice. And the antifreeze is bad for the ice maker. Cut off the water supply let the ice maker run until nothing comes out in your done. No antifreeze
 
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midexp said:
Not good input. This is an ice maker, it's not supposed to freeze. It makes ice. And the antifreeze is bad for the ice maker. Cut off the water supply let the ice maker run until nothing comes out in your done. No antifreeze
Click to expand...
The water line to the ice maker will freeze if you turn it off and do nothing more. You need to insure that line has no water in it or has pink filling it or it will burst.
 
The directions on mine say to disconnect the internal water line connector so it can drain (it's hose thread), THEN run the unit for an hour, then prop the door open.

Raritan Icerette 84.
 
midexp said:
Not good input. This is an ice maker, it's not supposed to freeze. It makes ice. And the antifreeze is bad for the ice maker. Cut off the water supply let the ice maker run until nothing comes out in your done. No antifreeze
Click to expand...

I don't think the disconnected line will purge the water as there is no pump, just a valve. And the problem on my boat is that in order to access the water valve to allow compressed air to blow through properly, I have to remove the icemaker from its hole (the valve is at the back of the unit). I don't think that compressed air will blow past the water valve (if it did, it would potentially damage the valve??) so I don't want to go that route. I have winterized with non-toxic pink for the past 9 years and my icemaker still works perfectly, so that will continue to be my routine.

(legal disclaimers - not endorsing any method of winterization, your results may vary, I disclaim any responsibility for damage that anyone following my method may incur, do not taunt happy fun ball, etc etc etc)
 
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Blueone said:
To your point I don't pink the ice maker or anything else. I blow the water out with a compressor. The ice maker I spray down with water and vacuum out.
We use our fresh water tank all summer for drinking and ice... Bleach it, sterilize it and use it... You will be fine
Click to expand...

Thats what I do and I do it through the dockside water inlet. But just to be safe, after bypassing the water heater, I dump a gallon or two of pink in the tank and run it through the system just to make sure the pump and lines at the pump are protected.
The pink is overkill but I recapture what I put in the tank and flush it through the heads.
 
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