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Follett Ice Machine Troubleshooting

Picture - Follett Ice Machine Troubleshooting

When it comes to making ice, Follett is one of the best manufacturers on the planet. Their line of commercial ice machines is used in a wide variety of hospitals, hotels, cafeterias and foodservice establishments. While they're durable and built to withstand daily use, an issue can pop up over time. Fortunately, we have Follett ice machine troubleshooting tips to help you out. Below are issues and resolutions for Maestro, Symphony and Horizon Elite models like the 1010 series, 1400 series, 25 series and more.

General Follet Ice Machine Troubleshooting

This troubleshooting section applies to various Follett models and units.

Ice Machine Won’t Run

  • No power – See if the unit is plugged in or has a damaged power cord. If neither is the problem, make sure to check that the outlet has power. 
  • Circuit breaker tripped - Check to see if a fuse has blown or the circuit breaker has been tripped. 

Ice Machine Won’t Make Ice

When the ice machine is running but won't make ice, look for the following:

  • Dirty or clogged air filter – See if the air filter is clogged or dirty. Clean the filter or replace it if there is significant damage.
  • Dirty condenser coil – If the condenser coil is dirty, clean the coil.
  • Compressor won't pump or malfunctioning – When the compressor isn't working, have it replaced by an authorized technician.
  • Low refrigerant charge – Have an authorized technician check if the refrigerant charge is low. The technician will need to check for leaks, repair, remove and weigh in the correct charge.
  • Water not running - Check the water tubes or connections to make sure they are all intact and there is no build-up. 
  • Broken parts – The machine could have a broken compressor, start relay, run capacitor, start capacitor or main contactor. Have an authorized technician check each component and replace if broken.

Clogged & Not Making Ice

If the machine is not making ice due to a drain clog, look for the possible causes below:

  • Kinked or clogged drain hose – Either issue will cause water to back up. If the drain hose is clogged, clean out the obstruction. If kinked, unkink the hose to help the water flow properly.
  • Poor floor drain routing or pitch – If the floor drain routing is incorrect or there is pitch blocking the drain, water can back up. Make sure to reroute the floor drain.
  • External drain line needs a vent – Have a vent added to the drain line.

Water Leaking from Bottom of Evaporator

If you notice water leaking from the bottom of the evaporator, it could be due to a broken O-ring seal. If this is the case, have an authorized technician install a new O-ring.

Evaporator Making Noises

When noises come sporadically from the evaporator, there could be a buildup of mineral deposits on the evaporator's surface. It will need to be cleaned using liquid cleaner.

How to Reset a Follett Ice Machine

  • For units without a front panel screen, hold down the power button until the light turns off and then back on again.
  • For units with a front panel screen, remove the panels to access the control board. Press and hold the reset button until the screen turns off and on again. Replace the panels once you confirm the screen is back to normal.

Follett Horizon Elite Ice Machine Troubleshooting

High AMPS & Not Making Ice

When the "HI AMPS" light comes on and the machine isn't making ice, search these potential causes:

  • Jammed auger – Bad water quality could make the ice jam the auger. Clean the machine to help the flushing frequency.
  • Unplugged gear motor – Make sure to plug the gear motor.
  • Faulty shuttle mechanism – Contact an authorized technician to fix or replace the shuttle mechanism.
  • Sporadic drive output from PC board – This usually causes the evaporator to freeze, leading to a high AMPS error. An authorized technician will need to replace the PC board.

High Pressure & Not Making Ice

When the "HI PRESSURE" light comes on and the machine isn't making ice, check for the following issues:

  • Clogged air-cooled condenser – When the condenser is clogged, clean the condenser grille area.
  • No water flow through water-cooled condenser – Have an authorized technician restore water flow to the condenser.
  • High ambient temperatures – If the machine is in an area higher than 100°F, move the unit to an air conditioned space.
  • Bad air circulation or ventilation – Improve the ventilation and circulation by moving or repositioning machine. Make sure the unit is in a place where the exhaust won't recirculate.
  • Fan not working or no air flow – This can occur due to blocked fan blades, no fan output from the PC board or a faulty fan motor. To correct air flow, an authorized technician will need to remove blockages from the fan blades, replace the PC board or replace the fan motor.

Low Water & Not Making Ice

If the "LO Water" light comes on and the machine isn't making ice, see if there following problems exist:

  • Low water pressure – When water pressure is low, the machine will start when water reaches its proper levels.
  • Inadequate water supply – Check filters and restore water supply to the machine. If the evaporator is empty, you might need to press the reset button to restart the unit.
  • Broken water feed solenoid valve stuck in closed position – If the water feed solenoid valve is broken and stuck in the closed position, have it replaced by an authorized technician.
  • No water feed output – When there isn't water feed output from the PC board, the PC board will need to be replaced by an authorized technician.

"Time Delay" Without Full Bin

If the "TIME DELAY" light comes on and the bin isn't full, check for the issues below:

  • Ice jammed – The ice could be jammed if the transport tube was improperly installed. The transport tube will need to be correctly routed.
  • Shuttle caught in up position – When the shuttle is stuck in the up position, an authorized technician will need to fix or replace the shuttle mechanism.
  • Faulty or incorrectly installed thermostat – If the thermostat is broken or was incorrectly installed, have it corrected or replaced by an authorized technician.
  • Transport tube out of coupling – When the transport tube backs out of the coupling, have the coupling fixed by an authorized technician.

Excessive Water in Bin

When there is excessive water in the bin or coming into the bin through the transport tube, look for the following:

  • Obstructed reservoir vent – When something is blocking the reservoir vent, clean the vent tubes and the surrounding area. The tubes should be replaced if there is damage.
  • Broken water feed solenoid valve stuck in closed position – If the water feed solenoid valve is broken and stuck in the closed position, have it replaced by an authorized technician.
  • No water feed output – When there isn't water feed output from the PC board, the PC board will need to be replaced by an authorized technician.

Need more help? Check out our selection of Follett manuals for additional troubleshooting tips.

Please contact a local authorized service agent who can help with these specific units and all your commercial kitchen equipment needs.