Choosing the Right Bin Adapter for your Manitowoc Ice Machine

Buying a Manitowoc head unit and ice bin separately affords you the ability to customize an ice maker setup for your specific needs. You may opt to pair a smaller head with a large bin if you only use your unit a few times a week. Or, for more steady traffic, you might choose a smaller bin with a high-production head unit.

If you do opt to buy your head unit separately from your ice bin, you must be sure that the two are compatible. Some combinations are ready to pair out of the box, with no need for additional accessories. Others require an adapter plate between the two units to ensure a proper fit. Still, other combinations can’t be paired at all, so it pays to do your research.

Adapter plates ensure that the head unit fits safely and snugly on the bin. This guarantees that no air escapes around the base of the production unit, ensuring the equipment runs efficiently. A poor fit is also a sanitation issue; you don’t want to leave room for dirt and pests to get inside the ice bin. An ill-fitting connection can even cost you points on your health score when the inspector comes around.

Luckily, Manitowoc has provided a table that details which head units can be paired with which bins, which ones need adapter plates, and which ones can’t be paired at all. Head/bin pairings that require an adapter plate will have the model number of the adapter kit printed in their square. Combinations that require no kit will have a blank square, and "N/A" designates that those two units can’t be paired at all.