Anyone have an Ice Machine (free-standing)?

[Amethyst]

That is what I would think as well, but we had a repair person in, who said that it was working correctly. The machine was never silent because the ice inside was always melting. Maybe the mfr assumes everyone keeps their home at 68 degrees, but we are in Florida and 78-80 degrees is fine for us, and every other appliance too.

Plain old fridge noises, or occasional falls of ice, are not annoying sounds. Constant rrrRRRR-er! rrrRRRR-er! is maddening. Considering the house is built around a swimming pool, to be able to hear it in the back bedroom (where we can't even hear the doorbell) is intolerable. It was obvious the real estate agent kept it turned off, no doubt for that very reason.

For the period when we had it running, I didn't notice any big jump in our electric bill. The main electricity consumer is the central AC; next to that, the pool filter. The bill jumps from $150 to $350 a month during summer.

The noises it makes are variable. Most of the time it's a combination of a compressor hum and a recirculation pump hum. Not unlike a refrigerator. But when an ice slab is ready, it gets quieter for a minute, then you hear the ice slab slide down with a clunk, then the hiss of more water getting added to the reservoir, and the process repeats. If the bin gets full, the machine is completely silent. That lasts a while, but when the ice melts, it kicks on again. The drain has always been by gravity. If you (OP) have a drain pump always on, that would be weird because the amount of melt water should just be a few drips. Anyway, we got used to the sounds (like a chiming clock, it's unnoticed once you live with it a few days). I'm more concerned with consuming resources and not using the end product.

 

[audreyh1]

Fridge ice is fine and other than the occasional thunk, not noisy.

 

[Moemg]

For the period when we had it running, I didn't notice any big jump in our electric bill. The main electricity consumer is the central AC; next to that, the pool filter. The bill jumps from $150 to $350 a month during summer.

We also live in Florida just under 4,000 sq.feet , pool and we keep the air at 74 .Our electric never goes over $200.

 

[W2R]

I just have a conventional icemaker in my freezer (freezer-on-top refrigerator). It was a cheap add-on provided by Sears when I bought my frig, and it has been fine during the five years I have owned it. If it ever breaks, I'd just buy another cheap add-on icemaker, and replace it. It has been fine for us, although we don't entertain.

The ice tastes fine as long as I don't let it get too old. I toss the ice in the sink every couple of weeks so that it won't.

 

[jazz4cash]

Yes, in my rental properties, I remove all ice makers immediately if I can't buy the "stripped down" appliance. Ice makers are BY FAR the most frequent service calls for refrigerators.

Regarding the OP, I don't understand why, for a gravity drain, you have to drill a separate drain line all the way to the septic tank - can't you just tap into a nearby sink or dishwasher drain? Put a check-valve into the line if there is an concern about backups? Maybe I misunderstood.
In any event, we had a standalone ice maker at my former place of **rk and it was very quiet - don't remember the brand though (happily, it's been a while ).

I’m with you on this. Confused. Does the ice maker in question have a fresh water supply or does it rely on filling a reservoir? Don’t see why a drain line plumbed to under sink or other drain could not be accomplished but I guess it would waste water. Beats drilling the slab!

 

[Amethyst]

I am no plumber, but I can't imagine why the original builder would have put in a pump, if a gravity drain was available.

We really can't afford to make a mistake here. Getting a new ice machine affects not just the plumbing, but the new (custom) cabinetry as well.There's no plumbing hookup in the garage, so an ice machine couldn't go there, either.

I'd say phooey on the ice machine, except the kitchen is not big enough to accommodate a standalone freezer, freezer drawers etc, and an in-the-fridge door ice maker would take away valuable freezer space. Plus I hate them for all sorts of other reasons!

Yes, in my rental properties, I remove all ice makers immediately if I can't buy the "stripped down" appliance. Ice makers are BY FAR the most frequent service calls for refrigerators.

Regarding the OP, I don't understand why, for a gravity drain, you have to drill a separate drain line all the way to the septic tank - can't you just tap into a nearby sink or dishwasher drain? Put a check-valve into the line if there is an concern about backups? Maybe I misunderstood.
In any event, we had a standalone ice maker at my former place of **rk and it was very quiet - don't remember the brand though (happily, it's been a while ).

 

[jazz4cash]

Is the pump part of the ice maker or something the builder put in?
I think you mentioned the machine is installed in an island? It might need to be relocated to install a drain to toe into the sink. Does it have a water supply line or do you have to fill a reservoir?

 

[NavAir]

I’m with you on this. Confused. Does the ice maker in question have a fresh water supply or does it rely on filling a reservoir? Don’t see why a drain line plumbed to under sink or other drain could not be accomplished but I guess it would waste water. Beats drilling the slab!

The under counter units have a supply line, just like the freezer units. They require a drain line (which the freezer unit doesn't). The ice is clearer and tastes better because the water is circulated over a freezing plate until it reaches the required thickness, then the slab of ice is cut into cubes by a heating grid. The process of freezing flowing water leaves minerals and other impurities in the flowing water, and it eventually gets flushed out of the machine the next time it fills the water reservoir.

There is an electronic controller that sequences the fill, pump, freezing and cutting cycles automatically. They do need to be cleaned periodically, depending on how much they are used (I cleaned mine once in 12 years, and it didn't really need it).

 

[FI50]

DW can't stand the odor from the fridge, so we got a FirstBuild opal ice maker. The ice is pretty good. However, you do have to fill the water manually, which is a pain. The ice maker is pretty quiet unless you don't have adequate water in the tank.

They are coming out with a side tank that would allow you to see the water level and add water as needed...

 

[jazz4cash]

The under counter units have a supply line, just like the freezer units. They require a drain line (which the freezer unit doesn't). The ice is clearer and tastes better because the water is circulated over a freezing plate until it reaches the required thickness, then the slab of ice is cut into cubes by a heating grid. The process of freezing flowing water leaves minerals and other impurities in the flowing water, and it eventually gets flushed out of the machine the next time it fills the water reservoir.



There is an electronic controller that sequences the fill, pump, freezing and cutting cycles automatically. They do need to be cleaned periodically, depending on how much they are used (I cleaned mine once in 12 years, and it didn't really need it).

Ok I got a clearer picture now but OPs machine does not have drain line if I understand correctly. Are these the cylindrical “cubes” with a round hole in the center?

 

[NavAir]

I understand that hers has a drain line, but there is some type of "sump pump" to pump the drained water to a plumbed drain in her house.

Nope, square cubes about 5/8 of an inch square and about a half inch thick (you can vary the thickness from about 1/4 to 5/8 of an inch.

 

[Souschef]

I am reading all these discussions about pumps and drains, and I am confused. IMO, it looks like 2 kinds are being discussed. One is the large almost industrial one that is in many hotels. The other is a small self contained unit like the one I have.

We have a rectangular ice holder in our refrigerator freezer, that i refill from our ice maker. After I empty the ice from the ice maker, I refill it from a jug of water. That will make more ice than we need in a day.

 

[Sunset]

OP - I have to wonder how much ice do you use per day, as these machines seem like overkill.

You could get a in-the-fridge door ice maker which would take away valuable freezer space, BUT you could also get a small freezer and put it in the garage, and have more freezer space for less money, with less sound, and more space in the kitchen for something useful.

It will be a bit sad to hear you spend $2K for another noisy icemaker.

 

[Amethyst]

Could be a difference in house architecture, could be a lot of things...the a/c is only 4 years old and is serviced regularly.

We also live in Florida just under 4,000 sq.feet , pool and we keep the air at 74 .Our electric never goes over $200.

 

[Amethyst]

Well, the last thing I want is for you to be sad.

But this is not the problem I am trying to solve and I don't want to have to go out to the hot garage to get ice.

Incidentally, there are no small freezers to be had at this time, or so I have been informed.

OP - I have to wonder how much ice do you use per day, as these machines seem like overkill.

You could get a in-the-fridge door ice maker which would take away valuable freezer space, BUT you could also get a small freezer and put it in the garage, and have more freezer space for less money, with less sound, and more space in the kitchen for something useful.

It will be a bit sad to hear you spend $2K for another noisy icemaker.

 

[Amethyst]

Here is the current version of the machine we have (ours is DC-33A without the extra characters). It is installed under the island countertop, on the opposite side of the sink from the dishwasher.

It says: "This Scotsman DCE33A-1SSD undercounter ice machine operates with a gravity drain, so waste water flows into a floor drain by gravity. If a floor drain is unavailable at the installation location, a unit with a drain pump will be better for that establishment."

https://www.katom.com/044-DCE33A1SS...utm_content=Undercounter Ice Maker - Specific

 

[jazz4cash]

Ok it’s still fuzzy but I’m starting to better understand. Based on this statement:

If a floor drain is unavailable at the installation location, a unit with a drain pump will be better

....maybe a unit with the built in drain pump is quieter than the (builder installed?) drain pump you have. Maybe a quieter pump is an option or a condensate pump that only runs occasionally as required.

 

[splitwdw]

Do you use that much ice to justify a separate icemaker? Buy a larger frig/freezer and use space where icemaker was in island to replace lost space from larger frig.
Several homes I've rented at the shore had stand alone icemakers and they were noisy. These were new icemakers. Homes had been remodeled in 1 to 2 years. You could hear the water being added to the icemaker, the movement of the ice and almost constant sound of water running into the drain. This was in a open floor plan of kitchen/dining/living area. You could not hear it any where else in the houses, even the bedroom directly under the kitchen.

 

[cathy63]

I am no plumber, but I can't imagine why the original builder would have put in a pump, if a gravity drain was available.

We really can't afford to make a mistake here. Getting a new ice machine affects not just the plumbing, but the new (custom) cabinetry as well.There's no plumbing hookup in the garage, so an ice machine couldn't go there, either.

I'd say phooey on the ice machine, except the kitchen is not big enough to accommodate a standalone freezer, freezer drawers etc, and an in-the-fridge door ice maker would take away valuable freezer space. Plus I hate them for all sorts of other reasons!

It sounds like you really want the ice machine as long as it can be quieter. Since it's in the same island as a sink and dishwasher, there has to be a drain right there. The question in my mind is why you would need a pump for the ice water to reach an adjacent drain. Maybe the older model of ice maker that you have now didn't have a gravity option when it was built, or maybe the previous owner didn't go for the best option.

Anyway, my suggestion is to consult with the contractor and/or a plumber and have them look at the installation guide for the ice maker you want to buy and the existing plumbing. See if they can tell you whether the gravity feed option on the new ice maker will work in your configuration, and if not, why not. Maybe you just need to swap the positions of the dishwasher and ice maker or something like that.

 

[Sunset]

Here is the current version of the machine we have (ours is DC-33A without the extra characters). It is installed under the island countertop, on the opposite side of the sink from the dishwasher.

It says: "This Scotsman DCE33A-1SSD undercounter ice machine operates with a gravity drain, so waste water flows into a floor drain by gravity. If a floor drain is unavailable at the installation location, a unit with a drain pump will be better for that establishment."

https://www.katom.com/044-DCE33A1SS...utm_content=Undercounter Ice Maker - Specific

Really sounds like the install of the current one was poorly done.

If your island has a sink, not sure why a hose was not run over to join the drain pipe of the sink.

If no sink in island and you are on a slab, at worst, just drill a hole into the slab and let the water drain there.
If you have a basement or crawlspace, then drill a hole in the floor and connect to a drain pipe.

 

[Amethyst]

Right, the drain pump is the objectionable (because constant) noise. The other sounds are occasional/to be expected. The house is single story, open plan; this is the only appliance that can be heard elsewhere.

You could hear the water being added to the icemaker, the movement of the ice and almost constant sound of water running into the drain. This was in a open floor plan .

 

[Amethyst]

Cathy - The sink and dishwasher are in the island; one contractor did say it could be done, but was too vague on the explanation. So l couldn't trust it. I'll just ask your questions next chance. Thanks!

Anyway, my suggestion is to consult with the contractor and/or a plumber and have them look at the installation guide for the ice maker you want to buy and the existing plumbing. See if they can tell you whether the gravity feed option on the new ice maker will work in your configuration, and if not, why not. Maybe you just need to swap the positions of the dishwasher and ice maker or something like that.

 

[Amethyst]

We're on a slab, and your question is a good one; I'll ask it next chance. Maybe there was a good reason.

Our last house had a basement; now that I recall, the in-fridge ice maker had a copper pipe going through a hole in the floor, clearly to the main house drain.

Maybe the house drain is inadequate or something. What I know about plumbing, I could put in my tooth.

If your island has a sink, not sure why a hose was not run over to join the drain pipe of the sink.

 

[jazz4cash]

Here is a similar unit with built in pump. Maybe that would be quieter than an external pump setup the builder chose.

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/sc...hine-with-built-in-pump-65-lb/720CU50PA1.html

 

[f35phixer]

we had an ice maker under counter in townhome in our waterfront community. made sense to be able to make extra ice to bring onto boat... Well we never had a boat, removed and went with trash compactor, LOVE IT... DOESN'T MAKE ICE THOUGH ;-0