Commercial Ice Machine Repair in Tampa Bay
- Free service callwith any repair — $99 only if you decide not to repair
- 4 real jobs on this pageHoshizaki, Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic and Manitowoc, $566 to $795 invoiced
- 90-day warrantyon parts and labor
Licensed, insured and background-checked technicians
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Commercial Ice Machine Not Making Ice? Start Here
When a commercial ice machine stops, scale is the first suspect. In all four jobs on this page the parts that touch water were coated: the circulation pump, the water valve, the level sensors, the bin sensor or the evaporator. In three of them a part of the water system was the fault. The fourth, a Manitowoc, had a blockage in the sealed refrigerant system. The invoiced totals were $566 to $795, parts and labor.
We repair commercial ice machines for restaurants, bars, hotels, shops, offices and rental companies in Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Bradenton. Ice is food, so a dirty machine is a food-safety question as well as a repair.
- Water runs but there is no ice
- Not a supply problem. On the Hoshizaki the water was circulating and the machine still made no ice and no cold. Note whether you hear the compressor start.
- It starts and stops again and again
- Switch it off and call. On the Hoshizaki a scaled bin sensor kept switching the machine off and on, and the repeated starting most likely burned the contacts of the compressor start relay.
- Check what touches water
- Scale on the sensors, the gaskets and the spray nozzles, a crust on the pump or the valve. A water filter helps but does not replace cleaning: the Scotsman had one and the pump still locked.
- Hums, lights on, no cooling
- Possible blockage in the sealed system. On the Manitowoc the refrigerant reached the evaporator and covered only about 5 percent of it.
- When you call
- Have the brand, the model from the nameplate, whether water circulates, whether the bin is full and what the machine does. It lets us bring the likely part.
Four Commercial Ice Machines From Our Records
A meat market, a car rental company, a restaurant and a Manitowoc at a private home. Parts, visits and totals as invoiced.
Hoshizaki KML-631MAH, Tampa meat market: water circulating, no ice
| Machine | Hoshizaki KML-631MAH commercial ice machine |
|---|---|
| Business | Meat market, Tampa: fresh meat and fish go on new ice every day |
| Complaint | No ice and no cooling; water circulating |
| What failed | Full-bin sensor, compressor start relay and circulation pump |
| Parts (3) | $545 |
| Labor and maintenance cleaning | $250 |
| Visits | 2: parts ordered, back after two days |
| Total (parts and labor) | $795 |
What the owner saw. The ice machine had stopped. Water circulated, but there was no cooling and no ice. The market lays fresh meat and fish on new ice every day and clears it every evening, so it runs through ice daily.
What we found. Three faults, linked. The magnetic full-bin sensor was coated in scale and slightly deformed, so it lost contact and kept switching the machine on and off. All that starting and stopping most likely burned the contacts in the compressor start relay, and the compressor stopped starting. The circulation pump was clogged with scale too and no longer moved enough water over the evaporator. The owner had cleaned the surface and the coil, but not the water system.
The repair. The technician had part of the kit on the truck but not the start relay. He ordered the parts urgently and came back two days later. He replaced the full-bin sensor, the start relay and the circulation pump and did a full maintenance cleaning of the bin, the water bin, the coil and every sensor. The machine has made ice since.
Scotsman CU0415MAX-1A, Tampa car rental company: a pump locked by scale
| Machine | Scotsman CU0415MAX-1A, small freestanding ice machine |
|---|---|
| Business | Car rental company, Tampa |
| Complaint | No ice |
| What failed | Circulation pump, blocked by scale and burned out |
| Parts | $389 |
| Labor and cleaning | $300 |
| Visits | 2: pump ordered, arrived after three days |
| Total (parts and labor) | $689 |
What the owner saw. A small freestanding Scotsman, the bar-type machine many offices and counters use, had stopped making ice.
What it was. The circulation pump was locked solid by scale from the water and had burned out. The machine had a water filter, but it had not been cleaned for a long time, and pieces of scale reached the pump and jammed it. It is a typical fault when an ice machine has no regular maintenance.
The repair. The pump had to be ordered and arrived three days later. We came back, replaced it and gave the machine a full maintenance: connections, seals, sensors, the coil and the whole water system, spray included. Then we checked that the new pump delivered water. Back in service.
Koolaire ice machine on an Ice-O-Matic bin, Clearwater restaurant: no water, no ice
| Machine | Commercial ice machine on an Ice-O-Matic bin; the nameplate reads Koolaire KYT0300A |
|---|---|
| Business | Restaurant, Clearwater |
| Complaint | Nothing happened when switched on: no water, no ice |
| What failed | Water inlet valve and two water-level sensors |
| Parts | $316 |
| Labor | $250 |
| Visits | 1, same day |
| Total (parts and labor) | $566 |
What the owner saw. The ice machine did not make ice when it was switched on.
What it was. Water was not reaching the machine. The technician checked for voltage at the water valve and checked the level sensors that control how much water goes into the water bin. The valve had power and would not open: scale had grown over it completely. The two water-level sensors, the minimum and the maximum, were also in poor shape and were not sending anything to the control board.
The repair. The parts were on the truck, so it was done the same day. He replaced the water valve and both sensors, then cleaned the other sensors, the coil, the circulation pump and the water bin. The machine started and made ice.
Manitowoc UY0140A, St. Petersburg: hums and lights up, but never freezes
| Machine | Manitowoc UY0140A-161B commercial ice machine |
|---|---|
| Where | A private home in St. Petersburg: a commercial machine, domestic use |
| Complaint | Hums, light on, water circulates, no cooling and no ice |
| What failed | A restriction in the sealed refrigerant system |
| Invoiced as one total | Refrigerant, shaft piercing, nitrogen, deep cleaning and labor |
| Visits | 1, same day |
| Total | $585 |
What the owner saw. The machine hummed, the light was on and water circulated, but it did not cool and made no ice.
What it was. A restriction in the sealed system: a blockage that stopped the refrigerant from circulating. The refrigerant reached the evaporator and covered only about 5 percent of it, at the top, and went no further.
The repair. It was done the same day. The technician recovered the refrigerant, cleared the system, pulled a vacuum and recharged it with new refrigerant. The evaporator froze evenly across and ice began to form.
The machine itself. It was in a bad way. Scale covered the sensors, the gaskets, the evaporator and the spray nozzles, everything the water touches. The spray nozzles must put water evenly over the whole evaporator, not run on one side. We deep-cleaned it with ice machine cleaner; even so the plastic and gaskets stayed yellow from the scale. It is a good example of what happens when nobody looks under an ice machine.
Customer Reviews
Ice machine down at your restaurant, bar, hotel or shop? Tell us the brand and what it is doing
We call back within 15 minutes – 8 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week
Hard Water, Heat and Tourist Season
Commercial ice works hardest where Tampa Bay is busiest.
Our technicians see the same thing across Tampa Bay: scale from the water. It builds up on everything the water touches, a filter slows it but does not stop it, and in every job above it was behind the fault or sitting on the part that failed. An ice machine that makes a lot of ice runs a lot of water through itself, so it builds up faster.
- Food on ice
- The Tampa meat market puts fresh meat and fish on new ice every day. When the machine stops, the display stops with it.
- Bars, restaurants and hotels
- Ice goes into every drink and every cooler. A machine that fails on a busy night costs more than the repair.
- Game days and event weekends
- The Lightning play at Amalie Arena, the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium and the Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. Bowl games come to Raymond James Stadium and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg runs in spring.
- Tournaments and tourists
- The Tampa Bay Sports Commission counted 99 youth and amateur events across 28 sports in 2022–2023, which filled more than 250,000 hotel rooms. Visit St. Pete-Clearwater reported 132 athletic contests in fiscal year 2024 with a direct economic impact of $111.35 million.
- Offices and rental companies
- A small Scotsman on a stand at a car rental company is easy to forget until it stops. It is still an ice machine that needs cleaning.
Scheduled Maintenance for Restaurants, Bars and Hotels
Scale was behind every one of the four jobs. We service commercial ice machines on a schedule: every 3 months where ice is used heavily, every 6 months where use is lighter, on terms agreed with each business.
- Every 3 or 6 months
- Every 3 months for heavy ice use, every 6 months for lighter use. The day, the machines and the price are agreed with you, so the work happens outside your rush.
- The water system
- Circulation pump, spray nozzles, water bin, valve and filter, cleaned before scale locks them. A pump locked by scale was the fault on the Scotsman.
- Sensors
- The full-bin sensor and the water-level sensors are checked and cleaned. A coated bin sensor is what started the chain on the Hoshizaki.
- Coil, bin and gaskets
- Cleaned and inspected, with scale removed from the plastic and the seals.
- Start relay and compressor
- We check the machine starts cleanly and does not cycle on and off, the fault that burned the relay on the Hoshizaki.
- A record for your inspector
- After each visit you know what we checked and what we found.
Between visits you call the same number. When we have the part on the truck, the repair is finished on the same visit, as on the Clearwater restaurant job. When a part has to be ordered, you hear the wait before we start; it was two and three days on the Hoshizaki and the Scotsman.
Brands We See Most
- Hoshizaki
- 15 of the 35 ice machine jobs with a brand recorded in the 12 months to August 31, 2026. Our technician’s view: among the best commercial machines, long-lived and forgiving of poor care, until scale finally stops them.
- Manitowoc
- 12 of those 35 jobs. Simple, reliable machines that, in our technician’s experience, run for decades when they are maintained.
- Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic and Koolaire
- On this page: a small Scotsman on a stand and a Koolaire machine on an Ice-O-Matic bin. The same scale story.
What Commercial Ice Machine Repair Costs
- Hoshizaki, Tampa meat market
- $795: three parts for $545 and $250 labor with maintenance cleaning, two visits.
- Scotsman, Tampa car rental company
- $689: a $389 circulation pump and $300 labor with cleaning, two visits.
- Koolaire on an Ice-O-Matic bin, Clearwater restaurant
- $566: a water valve and two sensors for $316 and $250 labor, one same-day visit.
- Manitowoc, St. Petersburg home
- $585 as one total for the sealed-system repair and deep cleaning, one same-day visit.
- The visit itself
- Free when you go ahead with the repair. The $99 commercial service call is charged only if you hear the diagnosis and the price and decide not to proceed.
- Scheduled maintenance
- Priced per business and per number of machines. We agree it with you before the first visit.
Andrew Teodor 
Nataliya Teodor 
Sem Green 
John Goldin Ice machine down right now?
We take calls across Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Bradenton, 8 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week.
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Commercial Ice Machine Repair: Questions We Get
How much does commercial ice machine repair cost in Tampa Bay?
Our four jobs on this page came to $795, $689, $566 and $585, parts and labor. The cheapest was a water valve and two sensors with a same-day visit; the dearest was three parts on a Hoshizaki with a two-day wait. You hear the price before any work begins, and the service call is free when you go ahead with the repair.
Why is my commercial ice machine not making ice?
In our jobs it was scale on the parts that touch water: a circulation pump locked up on the Scotsman, a water valve that would not open and two level sensors on the Clearwater restaurant machine, a coated full-bin sensor, a burned start relay and a clogged pump on the Hoshizaki. The Manitowoc had a blockage in the sealed system. A diagnosis separates them.
Does a water filter stop scale?
It slows it down but does not replace cleaning. The Scotsman had a water filter and its pump still locked from scale that had built up over a long time without cleaning.
How often should a commercial ice machine be serviced?
We recommend maintenance every 3 months where ice is used heavily, such as a bar, a restaurant or a market that puts food on ice every day, and every 6 months where use is lighter. The water system, sensors, coil and bin are cleaned each time, and the schedule is agreed with you.
Do you offer scheduled service for restaurants and hotels?
Yes. The day, the machines covered and the price are agreed with each business before the first visit.
Can you repair a commercial ice machine the same day?
When the part is on the truck, yes: the Clearwater restaurant machine and the Manitowoc were done on the first visit. When a part has to be ordered it took two days on the Hoshizaki and three on the Scotsman, and you hear that before we start.
What is a restriction in the sealed system?
A blockage in the refrigerant circuit that stops refrigerant circulating. On the Manitowoc the machine hummed and water circulated, but the refrigerant covered only about 5 percent of the evaporator. The fix was to recover the refrigerant, clear the system, pull a vacuum and recharge it, which was done the same day.
Which ice machine brands do you repair?
The jobs on this page were a Hoshizaki, a Scotsman, a Koolaire on an Ice-O-Matic bin and a Manitowoc. Hoshizaki and Manitowoc are the brands recorded most often in our records. Call with the brand and the model from the nameplate for any other.
What warranty do you give?
90 days on parts and labor.
Which areas do you cover?
Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Bradenton, 8 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week. For ice makers in home refrigerators see our fridge ice maker guide, and for commercial refrigeration our commercial refrigerator repair page.
Andrew Teodor — Owner of Teodor Appliance Repair with 10+ years of experience, with offices in Tampa, Bradenton, Clearwater, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. The jobs on this page come from our own service records.