When a water cooled ice cream machine is in an environment where it may be exposed to below freezing temperatures, it needs to be "winterized" to prevent damage.

The winterization of a freezer is the process of removing water from a machines water coils. Water that is left in a machine and exposed to freezing temperatures will freeze, expand, and burst the coils. This Video is a great example of the damage caused to a machine by not winterizing it.

*** We recommend you have a certified technician do any adjustments or changes to machinery and always be careful because electricity can be dangerous & cause harm.

How To Winterize Your Machine

**Note: before winterizing, know that single compressor frozen dessert machines have 1 water coil and 1 hose to remove. A dual compressor machine has 2 water coils and 2 hoses to remove. Only winterizing one water coil in a dual compressor machine will still allow the other one to expand and crack.

Step 1

Take your side panels and rear panel off the machine.

Step 2

Locate which hose is to be removed to release the water. Every water cooled machine will have a water valve, pictured below. 

Step 3

The hose exiting from the water valve and traveling into the water coil is the hose to be removed. It is best to remove it from the water valve side. If you have a machine with two compressors you must remove 2 hoses and blow out both water coils.

Step 4

Disconnect the hose and blow through the hose to remove all water, leave the hose disconnected for the duration of the exposure. Water will exit from the drain hose.

Step 5

Reassemble the side panels. After you reconnect the hose to the water valve your machine is ready to be used again. Once water is hooked back up to the machine it would need to be rewinterized before you could expose it to below freezing temperatures again.

 * Follow all local and national health codes. Always refer to local and national rules. This article is just a suggestion.

Ⓒ copyright 2016
Joe Kearns
4-15-16