Ice Machine Bridge Adjustment by Manufacturer

Commercial ice machines are made to provide the best possible service to your business, and sometimes that requires adjusting them. Minor adjustments in the machinery can change the thickness of the ice produced, which can alter the time it takes to generate enough ice and the final quality of the ice. Thicker ice takes longer to freeze and longer to melt, so it can keep your customers' drinks cold before watering them down, which might be especially valuable in warm locales. If you make the bridge of the ice too thick, it won't break apart when harvested. If you make it too thin, the ice may shatter completely upon harvest. For all bridge adjustments, you should let the machine run a few cycles with the new thickness before adjusting it further.

What exactly is an ice bridge?

The bridge on your ice is the frozen portion that connects each cube to another as they freeze on the ice grid. Each ice machine has a sensor that detects when the ice has fully frozen. The distance between the ice grid and the sensor determines the height and thickness of the ice produced. Moving the sensor further away from the grid creates thicker ice, while moving it closer creates thinner ice. Be careful, though, as making the ice too thin can cause it to shatter before it can be used, while too thick of a bridge can produce sheets of ice that won't break apart.

Can I Adjust an Ice Machine Bridge by Myself?

Fiddling around with the components of your ice machine can be intimidating, and indeed many manufacturers don't want you to adjust the bridge yourself. Amateur servicing of an ice machine can do more harm than good, and with many manufacturers, you risk voiding your warranty by going inside the machine. However, if your warranty is expired or you really, really want to adjust your bridge yourself, we'll provide general instructions on how to adjust your ice machine sensor, as well as links to the companies' manuals. We'll answer this question for each of our major manufacturers as we go over their specific instructions for adjusting your ice bridge.

Changing Ice Thickness by Manufacturer:

Manitowoc

Cleaning, maintenance, and adjustments aren't covered by the warranty. If you adjust your bridge yourself, Manitowoc may inspect the changes before approving any warranty claims.
Most Manitowoc ice machines utilize an adjustable screw to control the ice machine bridge. After opening your machine, you should see the ice thickness sensor attached by a single screw.
Adjust this screw one quarter-turn counterclockwise for a smaller bridge and thinner ice.
Adjust this screw one quarter-turn clockwise for a bigger bridge and thicker ice.
Don't adjust the screw more than one quarter-turn at a time. Let the machine run two cycles of ice before adjusting it any further.
The actual Manitowoc ice thickness sensor service guide can be found here on page 8.

Scotsman

Scotsman actually provides an electronic bridge adjustment button on the control panel of the CU0415, CU0715, and CU0920 undercounter models.
To adjust the bridge on a model with an adjustment button, simply open the machine to the control panel and press the + or - sign to adjust the thickness of your ice.
These instructions can be found on page 9 of the Scotsman manual.
On Scotsman Prodigy models, you'll find an adjustment screw. Place a standardized ⁷⁄₃₂-inch drill bit between the sensor and ice grid to determine the starting point. Turn the adjustment screw until the bridge touches the ⁷⁄₃₂-inch gauge.
Turn the adjustment screw until the bridge is in the desired location, either closer for a smaller bridge or further away for a thicker bridge.
Restart the machine and let it run a few cycles, paying attention to the thickness of the ice.
Adjust again as needed.

Hoshizaki

Hoshizaki doesn't specify the warranty status of adjusting ice thickness, so consult your specific warranty before opening up your ice machine.
Rather than a sensor hovering over the ice grid, Hoshizaki utilizes a float switch to determine when ice should be harvested. The float switch moves based on how much water is left in the reservoir, and altering its location changes the amount of water used before a harvest cycle.
After opening your Hoshizaki ice maker, locate the float – a white, cylindrical piece of plastic connected to the water reservoir.
Two screws connect the float to the machine. After loosening these screws, you can move the float up for smaller ice cubes or down for larger ones.
Tighten the screws in the desired position and let the machine run another few cycles to see if the ice is the desired thickness.
Adjust again as necessary.
You can find a picture of the float switch on page 31 of the Hoshizaki manual.

Ice-O-Matic

Like most manufacturers, Ice-O-Matic requires service to be performed by a licensed technician. Check the warranty of your specific machine to see whether you risk voiding your warranty by adjusting the ice bridge thickness.
Ice-O-Matic has one of the easiest-to-adjust ice bridge controls. Behind the sump and splash curtain inside the machine, you'll find a Water Level Adjustment Arm.
Check page 37 of the Ice-O-Matic service manual for a picture of the adjustment arm.
Move the arm up for a thinner ice bridge or down for a thicker ice bridge.
Let the ice machine run once or twice and judge the new thickness of the ice.
Adjust again as necessary.

Koolaire

Koolaire doesn't specify the warranty status of changing ice bridge thickness. However, we can't guarantee that fiddling with the inner workings of your ice maker won't impact your warranty.
To adjust ice thickness on a Koolaire machine, locate the ice thickness float switch adjuster, which is the leftmost nob beneath the reservoir. A picture can be found on page 53 of the Koolaire service manual.
Turn the ice thickness float switch clockwise to increase bridge thickness or counterclockwise to decrease bridge thickness.
Let the machine run through two ice cycles and analyze the new ice thickness. Adjust further to change the results.
Koolaire recommends a ¹⁄₈-inch-thick ice bridge.