Storage bins
A modular head has nowhere to keep its ice, so it sits on a bin. Ice-O-Matic lists ten bins here, holding 110 kg to 460 kg, in two families.
- B series: B25 at 110 kg, B40 at 156 kg, B42 at 160 kg, B55 at 232 kg and B110 at 388 kg. They stand on 152 mm adjustable legs, and some models have built in scoop holders. Dimensions are not published for these five.
- ICB series: ICB110SC at 110 kg, ICB180SC at 180 kg, ICB230SC at 230 kg, ICB242SC at 242 kg and ICB460 at 460 kg. Each comes with a scoop, drain hose and clips, on 150 mm adjustable legs.
The ICB listings publish sizes, and the widths line up with the CIM heads. The ICB110SC is 563 mm wide, close to the 565 mm heads. The ICB180SC and ICB230SC are both 764 mm wide, near the 765 to 768 mm heads, and differ only in height at 1,120 mm and 1,275 mm. The ICB242SC and ICB460 are 1,230 mm and 1,226 mm wide for the largest heads. At 860 mm the ICB242SC is the lowest of them, useful where a big head would otherwise run into the ceiling.
Matching widths on paper is a start, not a guarantee. Sam checks that the head and bin are listed to fit each other before anything is ordered.
Sizing a bin
A bin is your buffer. Work out how much ice goes out in the busiest few hours of trade and choose a bin that holds that with room to spare, since the head refills it slowly. A larger bin also gives you breathing space if the head ever stops, so a Saturday night is not lost to one fault.
CD cube dispensers
A dispenser hands out ice at the push of a button, so nobody scoops from an open bin with a glass or bare hands. That suits hotels, aged care, offices and staff rooms. Ice-O-Matic lists four, all 1,353 mm high with 102 mm of foam insulation:
- CD40522 and CD40522JF: 55 kg, 559 mm wide.
- CD40530 and CD40530JF: 81 kg, 762 mm wide.
The JF versions are listed as designed for filling 5 L Willow jugs and are 910 mm deep, against 851 mm for the plain versions. Pick the JF if staff fill jugs for tables or wards. Ask Sam which ice maker suits the dispenser you choose, as storage and supply have to be planned together.
Before it arrives
- Drain. Bins and dispensers both drain melt water, so a waste needs to be close and lower than the outlet.
- Floor and legs. Adjustable legs take up small dips, but the floor still has to carry a full bin. The ICB460 alone weighs 90 kg empty.
- Access. Check that doorways and corridors on the way in take the width and depth listed.
Install, cleaning and repairs
Sam positions and levels the bin or dispenser, runs the drain, mounts and seals any head on top, and checks that ice drops and dispenses properly before he goes. Ask Sam about taking away the old unit, or have the new one sent by courier if you already have a plumber. Bins, scoops, chutes and dispenser hoppers all touch ice, so they need regular sanitising along with the machine feeding them. Servicing costs $75 + GST to attend and $180 + GST an hour plus parts. See Ice-O-Matic servicing and repairs, ice machine cleaning or the rest of the Ice-O-Matic range.
