The Manitowoc Indigo Ice Machine is one of the most versatile and reliable ice machines on the market. It allows you to create your own custom blend of crushed and cubed ice for all your different drinks—ice cubes, slushy drinks, and a host of beverages that require crushed ice like margaritas, and for every occasion.
The summer days are without a doubt one of the most relaxing times of the year, but when you want to enjoy some cold drinks, it can get even more frustrating when your iced beverage machine is stuck in off mode. Fortunately, you can troubleshoot why your ice maker isn’t working properly and learn how to fix this issue for good.
Before we get into fixing, let’s take a look at what could be causing the same.
What Causes the Manitowoc Indigo to Get Stuck in Off Mode?
If your ice maker is stuck in off mode, then it’s safe to assume that one of the following is causing the problem.
High Temperature
The Manitowoc ice machine is likely to get stuck in off mode if the water and air temperatures are too high. What is too high, you may ask? Anything exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit is what you’re looking at.
Another thing worth noting is that the temperature of the water should not be more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Should this happen, you might have to deal with a malfunctioning ice maker. The high temperatures make it hard for some components of the machine to do their work.
What can you do to fix this? All you have to do is check the ambient temperature, and if it exceeds what is ideal, you want to switch your ice maker off. Wait for it to cool and get to a normal temperature.
Low Temperature
You’re probably thinking that only high temperatures are bad for your ice machine. However, as it turns out, low temperatures are not good either. You are looking at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and under for the air temperature. As for the water, anything lower than 45 degrees Fahrenheit is likely to cause problems.
The thing with low temperature is that it facilitates the accumulation of ice in the machine, as well as freezing in the evaporator and its coils. As you can imagine, the ice accumulation is disastrous. As the temperature lowers, the machine malfunctions, and in an effort to redeem itself, it goes off or into safe mode.
So, should the temperature be the same for both air and water? No, because the ice maker will stay off and remain that way until temperatures are ideal.
To correct this and get the machine out of off mode, you want to open the door and melt the ice buildup. Switch off the ice maker and wait for it to get out of the off mode.
Problems with Ventilation
Ventilation is vital for most if not all appliances, and it is not any different with the Manitowoc Indigo ice machine. When there is a problem with ventilation, the machine’s cooling function will be affected since it will derive the wrong temperature from the air.
If your machine is stuck in off mode, you may want to facilitate proper ventilation by doing things like placing it away from the wall, in an airy space without too much humidity.
Poor ventilation to this machine or any other that functions similarly is detrimental. By ensuring that it is in a well-ventilated area, you can be sure that it will begin functioning normally again on its own.
You could also reset the ice maker to get it out of off mode. Do this using the power button.
Water Flow
All ice makers require water. Without it, there is no ice. It comes from supply lines and the condenser. The water coming from the supply lines is what is converted to ice and if there isn’t any, no ice will be produced. Guess what that does? Indirectly, the temperature will be affected, and this will cause the machine to turn itself off. The problem is that it will stay in that mode.
Now, when the water flow fails to work, the Manitowoc’s water lines clog. Hence, water will leak but not enter the ice maker. As such, you want to repair the leakages and reset the machine to get it out of off mode.
How to Fix Manitowoc Ice Machine Not Making Ice
Sometimes, the problem is not that your ice maker is stuck in off mode. It could be that it is not making ice at all. That’s when you realize that having ice ready is a luxury that most people take for granted. Anyway, you first need to find out why your machine is not producing ice.
The most common cause is often a blockage somewhere in the supply line.
If this is the case, you want to unplug your refrigerator to avoid electric shock. Next, you want to identify the shut-off valve which is usually located behind the fridge or under the sink.
Once you find it, turn it off and use a turkey baster to pour warm water on your machine’s water line. If you find this too cumbersome, you can use a hair dryer to warm up the water line or simply unplug the fridge and let it stay that way for a few hours.
Once you have done that, you want to plug the machine back in and listen to confirm that the water supply is filling the ice mold.
You may need to enlist the services of a professional if the clog is not translucent.
Another cause may be that your ice maker’s filter is blocked. To fix this, you need to find and replace the filter. Usually, ice maker filters are placed inside the fridge to prevent them from freezing.
Another method you can use to get your ice maker functioning properly again is to reset it. Simply turn off the machine by unplugging it from the power source. Wait about 10 minutes before plugging it back in. Once you do that, press the ‘on’ button and if there’s a blue light, your reset was successful.