How to Clean a JennAir Ice Maker to Prevent Scale and Mold

Why Ice Maker Cleaning Is Essential

Even though ice is frozen water, the machine that makes it is a warm, moist environment when not actively freezing — a perfect breeding ground for mold, slime, and mineral scale. JennAir undercounter ice makers draw in room air and use water continuously, which means dust, minerals, and microorganisms accumulate over time. The result is cloudy, bad-tasting, or smaller-than-normal ice cubes. JennAir recommends cleaning the ice maker every six months, or more frequently in areas with hard water.

Cleaning the Interior and Water System

1. Turn off the ice maker and allow any remaining ice in the bin to melt, or empty the bin manually.
2. Remove the ice bin and wash it with warm water and mild dish soap. Rinse thoroughly and set aside to dry.
3. Prepare a cleaning solution using a commercial ice maker cleaner (such as Nu-Calgon Ice Machine Cleaner) diluted per the product instructions, or use a solution of one part white vinegar to one part water.
4. If your JennAir ice maker has a “Clean” or “Wash” mode, activate it now. This mode circulates the cleaning solution through the water system, over the evaporator plate, and out through the drain.
5. If there is no clean mode, pour the solution into the water reservoir and run a manual ice cycle. The solution will flow through the system as it attempts to freeze.
6. Allow the cleaning solution to circulate for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Drain the cleaning solution by pressing the drain or purge button, or by manually draining the reservoir.
8. Fill the reservoir with fresh water and run two to three rinse cycles to flush all cleaning solution from the system.

Cleaning the Condenser

1. Unplug the unit or turn off the breaker.
2. Locate the condenser — on most JennAir undercounter ice makers, it is behind the front grille or on the back of the unit.
3. Use a condenser brush and vacuum to remove dust, lint, and debris from the condenser fins.
4. Dirty condenser coils reduce ice production and increase energy consumption. In dusty environments, clean the condenser every three months.

Sanitizing

After cleaning, sanitize all food-contact surfaces:

1. Mix a sanitizing solution of one tablespoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
2. Wipe or spray all interior surfaces — the bin, the water trough, the evaporator area, and the deflector plates — with the solution.
3. Allow the solution to remain on surfaces for two minutes.
4. Rinse all surfaces thoroughly with clean water. Do not allow bleach residue to remain.
5. Reassemble, restore power, and discard the first three batches of ice after cleaning.

Preventing Mold and Slime Between Cleanings

• Use the ice regularly — stagnant ice and standing water promote microbial growth
• Keep the area around the ice maker clean and free of food debris
• If the ice maker will be unused for an extended period, turn it off, empty the bin, drain the water system, and leave the door slightly open to allow air circulation