Summer is when guests want the most ice and your machine makes the least.

An ice machine pulls heat out of water to freeze it. Then it dumps that heat into the air around it, or into a remote condenser outside.

When that air is hot, the machine sheds heat slowly. Each batch takes longer to freeze. Warm incoming water adds more work. The result is fewer pounds a day, right when you need more.

A dirty condenser makes it worse. Dust and grease on the coil act like a blanket.

1. Clean the condenser coil. On an air-cooled machine, brush or vacuum the coil with the power off. Check the remote condenser on the roof if you have one.
2. Clear the space. Keep boxes, mops and supplies away from the vents. Give it the clearance the manual calls for.
3. Change the water filter. A clogged filter slows the fill and starves the machine.
4. Descale and sanitize. Scale on the plate means slower harvests. Do it before the busy season, not during it.
5. Check the bin. Make sure the bin drain flows and the door closes.

Ice goes in drinks, so the health code treats it like food. Busy summer shifts are when handling slips. Keep these rules posted by the machine.

• Wash hands before scooping ice.
• Use the scoop, never a glass or bare hands. A glass can chip and leave shards in the bin.
• Hold the scoop by the handle, and store it outside the ice.
• Keep the bin door closed between scoops.
• Never put food, drinks or bottles in the ice bin to chill.
• Never return unused ice to the bin.

Clean the scoop daily, and clean the bin on the schedule the manual sets.

If the machine is clean and still can't keep up, plan around the peak.

• Fill clean, food-safe ice totes in the morning and store them in the walk-in freezer.
• Let the bin fill overnight, when the kitchen is cooler.
• Look at whether the machine is undersized for your summer business.

Call if the ice comes out small, soft or cloudy, if the machine runs but the bin stays low, or if it leaks or makes a new noise. Those are signs of scale, a failing part or a refrigeration problem.