Energy consumption per 100 lbs.
Water cooled ice machine water consumption.
Quantity of ice machines to be purchased.
This means water cooled commercial ice machines actually can use up to 20x the amount of water that an air cooled machines will use.
Because of water shortages through out the years the usage of water cooled machines are lowering a lot.
In most cases the additional warm air does not present a problem and the additional energy consumption is minimal.
If your building has a recirculating water system with a cooling tower then you can use that system to re use all that cooling water.
Some cool ways to save money on ice.
Though many air cooled ice machines are energy efficient and have gained the energy star rating.
This heated water is then dumped out the secondary drain of the machine.
Water cooled machines typically need 5 times more water than an air cooled machine to product the same quantity of ice.
A water cooled condenser makes use of water coils to handover the heat from the condenser coils.
But a water cooled ice machine requires over 100 gallons of water for every 100 lbs of ice it produces and the excess water has to be dumped into a drain.
For air cooled ice machines air runs through the condenser coils and is expelled out of the vents on the side or back of the machine.
Air cooled ice machines use an electric fan to transfer heat out of the machine while water cooled ice machines use water to rid itself of the heat.
A waterline discrete from the water used to make ice transports the water into the cabinet.
Because of this the cost of having a water cooled machine high and in many states it is illegal to operate water cooled equipment without the use of a water tower.
Air cooled condenser is most definitely the way to go.
They utilize water to make the ice and also for cooling purposes.
Ice harvest rate lbs.
Water cooled ice machines are designed for use in very specific environments and are commonly used where air cooled machines cannot properly operate.
You can also select a unit with an ice production output.
However with substantially higher levels of water consumption water cooled ice machines may increase operational costs.
An air cooled machine will also emit more heat into the room where it is located.
Replacing water cooled ice machines with air cooled machines will increase energy use but decrease water use.
If you run an establishment with ambient air temperatures greater than eighty degrees fahrenheit or you own a restaurant where the air contains high levels of contaminants then a water cooled.
