Ice makers are wonderful items to have in your home. Whenever you want a cold beverage, simply fill your glass with ready-to-go ice. Your refrigerator may have a small ice maker that works well for you or maybe it has a larger ice maker that keeps the glasses of all family members full at all times. In order to ensure your ice is fresh and tastes great, you want to have the right type of ice maker filter in place.
And it’s not just homes that need ice machines to provide the beverage drinkers with cold drinks. Many businesses, such as restaurants, bars, and grocery stores, need ice machines on hand to prepare ice for cold drinks for their customers. Therefore, you want clean water for the ice.
As you might imagine, there are many ice machines, so it stands to reason there are a wide variety of ice cube filters for sale. These specific filters are constructed to serve many needs and fit within a variety of ice machine types.
Before you start using your ice machine, you should make sure you have the right type of ice machine filter in place.
Why You Need an Ice Maker Filter
You might think that ice machines naturally put out clean, fresh-tasting ice, but that’s not always the case. You need to keep your ice machine clean and ensure the cubes coming out of the ice maker are right for your beverage. An ice maker filter makes this possible. It helps with ice cubes and may even help with refrigerator water, too.
This type of ice machine tool is the right water filter for your ice machine. You’ll have better-tasting ice thanks to a water filter added to your ice machine. Great ice isn’t automatic. You have to take a few steps to ensure the ice your machine makes is the best it can be. You don’t want it to have a chlorine taste or any debris in it. You want ice cubes that are crystal clear and taste great!
When you add a filter to your ice machine, you’re giving the ice maker some help in the clean, fresh ice department. Ice machine filters get rid of any scale, dirt, or mineral contaminants that get through the machine so the water tastes good in the ice cubes. By filtering out these elements, you’re able to enjoy great-tasting ice that’s healthy to consume also. After all, you don’t want these unfavorable items contaminating your ice cubes. Without a filter, your ice maker will put out ice cubes that may contain dirt, scale, and minerals you don’t want in your beverage.
Fortunately, there are plenty of filter products on the consumer market these days. From sediment filters to phosphate filters, you can find the right type of ice maker filter for your machine.
Types of Ice Maker Filters
Before you order any type of filter for machine installation, you should learn about the different options. When you uncover the different aspects of each filter, you can pick the filter that’s best for your ice machine and your individual needs. Here are some of the main types of ice maker filters:
Sediment Ice Maker Filters
A sediment filter is a general ice maker filter. This type of filter keeps the common types of dirt and other particles out of your ice cubes. This is an important safeguard as these elements can make your ice cubes taste less than satisfactory. And when you add ice cubes to your cold drinks, you want the end result to be a refreshing, flavorful beverage.
When you select the right sediment filter for your ice maker, make sure you take note of the micron rating and flow rate. The micron rating relates to the size of the particles passing through the filter. If you look at the micron rating, if the size of the particle is smaller than that rating number the particle will pass through the filter. If the particle size number is larger than the micron rating the filter will catch that particle.
The flow rate is the amount of water a filter can run through it. You have to make sure the flow rate of the filter is compatible with the ice maker so the ice cubes form correctly and the ice machine works as it should.
In general, sediment filters should be replaced every six months. However, consult your ice machine manual to see what the company recommends for your particular ice machine.
Carbon Filters
Another type of ice maker filter is the carbon filter. The carbon option is a type of filter that’s been around for a long time. This ice machine filter variety is still used today for various ice machines. The way in which carbon filters work is that they absorb the particles that shouldn’t head into your water and trap them in the filter. The end result is clean, fresh water with which to make your ice cubes.
In addition to trapping harmful particles, carbon filters can also trap chlorine, which other filters cannot do. If you choose a carbon filter, make sure you change it every six months so it works as well as possible for creating refreshing, clean ice cubes.
Phosphate Ice Machine Filters
The phosphate filter is another option with regard to ice machine filters. This filter is best for ice machines that make a lot of ice and work well with water that has a lot of minerals in it. With a phosphate filter in your high-volume ice machine, you can eliminate scale buildup. Scale is the result of minerals bonding together, such as magnesium and calcium. Scale clogs other filters and makes them less likely to work well. An abundance of scale can also damage ice machine parts and give your ice maker a difficult time when it comes to making ice.
The phosphate molecules from this type of filter will work with the water supply to ensure scale doesn’t occur. Phosphate filters should only be used with standard commercial ice machines that make the basic square or crescent-shaped ice cubes. Phosphate is not good for consumption, so this type of filter shouldn’t be used with ice makers that put out flake or cubelet chewable ice cubes. With the latter type of ice maker, the phosphate doesn’t get filtered out of the cubes as it does with the basic square ice cubes.
You shouldn’t use phosphate filters with a combination water/ice cube dispenser either as the phosphate will get into the water which is not good for consumption.
Why Flow Rate is Important
As mentioned above, the flow rate is one factor you must keep in mind when choosing an ice-making filter. This concept is extremely important. By choosing the right flow rate, you ensure the water gets through the filter in the right way. If you don’t have a compatible flow rate, the water may cause damage to your ice maker.
The best way to determine the necessary flow rate for your filter is to look at the ice maker manufacturer’s recommendations. Your specific ice maker model will work with a certain flow rate. When you choose your ice-making filter, make sure the flow rate is the one suggested by the ice machine company. If you select the wrong one, your ice cubes may not form the right way. On a more serious note, if you don’t choose the right flow rate, you could cause damage to the ice machine. And this could be a costly mistake!
Tips for Picking the Best Ice Maker Filter
Before you order a filter for your ice maker, you want to be sure you get the right one. If you don’t have the proper filter, your ice could taste bad or you might even cause damage to your ice machine. Here are some tips for picking the best ice machine filter:
Look at Your Ice Maker Recommendations
As you consider the filter for your ice machine, see what your ice maker manufacturer’s recommendations are first. When you look at the manufacturer documents, you can see which filter is best for your specific ice machine. This will help you choose the right option and not risk damaging the machine. If you don’t still have your ice maker paperwork, you can likely find the information online via the manufacturer website.
Select Your Filter Preference
You may be able to use more than one type of filter for your ice maker. If this is the case, choose the ice machine filter that best works for your needs. You can determine what type of filter will produce the cleanest, freshest tasting ice possible. And make sure the filter works with a water dispenser as well if you’re buying a filter for your refrigerator ice maker.
Consider the Type of Ice
As mentioned above, there are certain types of ice machine filters that shouldn’t be used when you’re producing specific types of ice. For example, the phosphate filter should only be used with basic square ice, not the soft chewable ice. So, when you buy a filter for your ice maker, make sure the filter is compatible with the type of ice your machine makes.
Look at Micron Rating
When you check out the filter options, see what the micron rating is. If you’re still unsure what type of micron rating you should get, look at what the ice machine manufacturer recommends. Remember, you want to have a micron rating at such a level that it doesn’t let too many particles through that will make the ice taste bad and not be good for you.
Consider the Flow Rate
In order to ensure that neither too much nor too little water gets through, consider the flow rate of the filter. Again, the ice machine manufacturer and even the filter manufacturer may list what type of flow rate is acceptable for your specific ice maker.
Cost of the Ice Maker Filter
Ice machine filters come in all price ranges. In general, these items are not too expensive, especially since you have to replace them every six months or so. But, if you’re on a budget and want to find affordable types of filters, you should be able to do so. Just keep your desired budget in mind as you shop. You may even find that buying your ice machine filters in bulk yields the best price.
Buy an Ice Maker Filter Today
If you want to produce the best-tasting ice cubes through your ice machine, make sure you have an ice machine filter that works well and does the filtration job it’s made to do. As you set out to buy a new ice machine filter for your ice maker, keep the following steps in mind:
- Note what type of ice machine you’re buying a filter to use.
- Consider what type of ice cube machine filter is compatible and best for your ice machine.
- Choose your desired ice cube filter as it works best for your needs.
- Make sure the ice filter offers super easy installation. Most filters are easy to install, but you should check this fact out ahead of time so you’re not surprised when the time comes to install a new filter.
- Check out filter ratings. Aim for a filter that has 5 stars as a rating, if possible.
- Buy your ice cube filters so you can be well on your way to having fresh ice ready for all your cold beverages any time you want them.
- Don’t wait to buy a replacement filter once you run out of new ones. Make sure you constantly have water filters in your cabinet so you’re ready to easily replace old ones when the time comes.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to pick the best ice maker replacement filter for the ice machine in your home or business!