Descale and delime
Evaporator plate, water trough, distribution tube and pump cleaned with the manufacturer's nickel-safe cleaner. Restores harvest time and cube weight that scale steals.
Typical all-in: $225–$385 all-in
Twin Cities water is hard, and scale is the main reason commercial ice machines slow down, make cloudy cubes and eventually stop. We descale, sanitize and inspect cube, nugget and flake machines on a schedule that keeps them making ice and keeps the inspector happy.
Reviewed by Mike Larson, Master Appliance Technician · 18+ yrs in-field · Last reviewed
Same-day priority
Commercial dispatch first.
EPA 608 certified
Sealed-system work in-house.
OEM parts on truck
True, Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Hobart.
1-yr written warranty
Parts & labor in writing.
$199 trip charge — waived with any repair. Approve the work on the same visit and the trip charge comes off the invoice. If you decline, you pay only the $199 and we leave a written scope. Every completed repair carries a 1-year written parts-and-labor warranty.
Quick answer
Commercial ice machine cleaning in the Twin Cities: a full descale of the evaporator and water system with a nickel-safe cleaner, a sanitize cycle, slime and mold removal from the bin, curtain and distribution tube, water filter replacement, and a condenser cleaning. Most kitchens need it every 6 months; high-volume bars and Twin Cities hard-water sites every 3–4 months. A single cleaning visit typically runs $225–$385 all-in. Written preventive maintenance contracts available. EPA 608 certified techs, so any refrigeration problem found during cleaning is fixed on the same visit.
Key facts
| Service | Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities |
|---|---|
| Common repairs | Descale and delime; Sanitize and slime removal; Water filter replacement; Condenser and air-flow cleaning; Nugget and flake machine auger service |
| Typical repair cost | Descale and delime: $225–$385 all-in · Sanitize and slime removal: Included with cleaning visit · Water filter replacement: Filter at cost plus install · Condenser and air-flow cleaning: Included with cleaning visit · Nugget and flake machine auger service: $285–$485 all-in (written quote before work) |
| Trip fee | $199 commercial trip fee, waived when you approve the repair |
| Warranty | 1-year written parts-and-labor warranty |
| Credentials | Factory-trained technicians; EPA 608 certified for refrigerant work |
| Availability | Same-day priority, plus after-hours and weekend emergency service |
| Brands | Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic, Cornelius, Follett, Kold-Draft, Blue Air |
| Phone | (651) 364-7466 |
Services covered
Evaporator plate, water trough, distribution tube and pump cleaned with the manufacturer's nickel-safe cleaner. Restores harvest time and cube weight that scale steals.
Typical all-in: $225–$385 all-in
Water curtain, splash panels, bin, deflector and ice chute taken apart and sanitized. Removes the pink and black slime that health inspectors write up.
Typical all-in: Included with cleaning visit
Cartridge filters sized to the machine's production. A clogged filter starves the machine of water and causes thin, hollow cubes.
Typical all-in: Filter at cost plus install
Air-cooled condensers vacuumed and brushed. A greasy condenser raises head pressure, cuts production and trips the high-pressure safety in summer.
Typical all-in: Included with cleaning visit
Scotsman, Hoshizaki F-series and Ice-O-Matic GEM nugget machines: evaporator delime, auger and bearing inspection, water-seal check.
Typical all-in: $285–$485 all-in
Repair vs. replace
A scaled evaporator can lose a third of its production before the machine shows an error. Regular cleaning keeps the bin full during a rush.
Every visit leaves a dated service record — useful for health inspections and food-safety audits.
Because our techs are EPA 608 certified, a failing valve, pump or sealed-system issue found during cleaning gets repaired the same day instead of waiting for a second vendor.
Quarterly or semi-annual cleaning schedules for restaurants, bars, hotels, clinics and senior living, with the visit booked before it's due.
Brands serviced
If your equipment is down right now
Store the ice scoop in a holder outside the bin. A scoop left in the ice is the most common source of bin contamination.
Wipe the door, gasket and handle daily with a food-safe sanitizer. Hands touch these more than any other part.
Cloudy, thin or fused cubes are an early sign of scale or low water flow. Note it and book a cleaning before production drops.
Don't stack boxes against the machine's air intake or exhaust. Blocked air flow raises head pressure and cuts production.
FAQs
Manufacturers call for at least every 6 months. On Twin Cities hard water, bars and high-volume restaurants usually need a descale every 3–4 months. If cubes turn cloudy or harvest slows, it's due.
A standard cleaning, descale and sanitize visit typically runs $225–$385 all-in depending on machine size and how much scale has built up. Nugget and flake machines with auger service run $285–$485. Quoted in writing first.
It's bacteria and mold growing on the water curtain, splash areas and bin. It grows faster in warm, humid kitchens. A sanitize cycle with the parts taken apart removes it; a wipe-down alone does not.
No. Vinegar and household descalers can pit nickel-plated evaporators and may void the warranty. Use only the cleaner the manufacturer lists for that machine.
Yes. Written quarterly or semi-annual contracts with scheduled cleanings, filter changes and a dated record for each visit. Repairs found during a visit are quoted before any work.
Yes. We issue COIs naming your property manager, hospitality group, hospital facilities office, or municipal account as additional-insured at no charge — typically the same business day. General liability and workers' comp are in force year-round; we can raise limits per contract on request.
First visit is card-on-file or COD. Once an account is established, we invoice Net-15 or Net-30 with itemized statements aligned to your accounting cycle. We accept POs from restaurant groups, hotel brands, property management firms, school districts, and city and county accounts. ACH and card payments both fine.
Yes — quarterly, semi-annual, and annual PM plans tiered by equipment count and equipment class. Every visit includes condenser cleaning, drain flushing, gasket and hinge inspection, electrical-tightness verification, controller and setpoint check, and a written report you can hand to insurers, health inspectors, or franchisors.
Every technician holds EPA Section 608 Universal certification covering R-404A, R-448A / R-449A (Solstice N40, Opteon XP40), R-290 hydrocarbon systems where code permits, and legacy R-22. Cooking-equipment techs are gas-certified for natural gas and LP on ranges, fryers, ovens, and combi-ovens.
Yes. We coordinate dock and freight-elevator windows in advance, badge in through hotel or hospital engineering, and work around banquet, service-window, and clinical-department timing. Overnight and pre-open service is available when a daytime window won't work.
Yes — after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergency dispatch is available for refrigeration, ice, and warewashing failures across the Twin Cities metro. A published after-hours premium applies and is confirmed in writing before the tech leaves the shop.
A 1-year written parts-and-labor warranty on every commercial repair — the same failure mode, on the same unit, within 12 months is covered at no additional charge. Some sealed-system components carry an extended manufacturer warranty on top; those terms are itemized on the invoice.
Yes. Truck-mounted reach-ins, undercounter units, generator-fed ice machines, and mobile prep tables are all serviceable — we typically shop-visit at your commissary or overnight parking rather than roadside so the unit can stabilize before diagnosis.
Yes. Written estimates are issued before any sealed-system, compressor, or major-component work. On request we provide inspector-ready documentation: repair scope, part numbers, refrigerant type and charge, and the date service restored the unit to spec.
Full Twin Cities metro — Minneapolis (55401–55488), Saint Paul (55101–55155), Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Eagan, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Roseville, Burnsville, and the surrounding suburbs — plus Hudson, WI 54016 and Western Wisconsin. Commercial dispatch runs a daily route across the metro.
Related coverage
Who we serve
Commercial Ice Machine Cleaning and Sanitizing — Twin Cities covers foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and institutional accounts across the Twin Cities metro. Multi-location operators get one dispatcher, one COI on file, and Net-15 / Net-30 invoicing.
Service area
Daily route across Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding metro. ZIP coverage: 55401–55488 (Minneapolis), 55101–55155 (Saint Paul), 55420–55439 (Bloomington/Edina), 55304–55449 (north metro), 55044–55124 (Lakeville/Apple Valley/Eagan), 55125–55129 (Woodbury), and 54016 (Hudson, WI).