--- title: "Ice Machine Cubes Coming Out Thin, Small or Hollow: Causes and Fixes" description: "Ice machine cubes small or hollow can look like half-formed cubes with a dimple in the face, thin slabs that break into shards, or a mix of full cubes on one…" url: "https://icemachinerepair.center/problems/ice-machine-ice-small-or-hollow/" --- # Ice Machine Cubes Coming Out Thin, Small or Hollow Ice machine cubes small or hollow can look like half-formed cubes with a dimple in the face, thin slabs that break into shards, or a mix of full cubes on one side of the plate and hollow shells on the other. ## What it usually means. A cube machine freezes water onto the evaporator from the back outward. The board ends the freeze when the ice reaches a set thickness, measured by a probe that the water touches, or after a set time based on temperature. A dimple in the middle of each cube is normal and wanted on many designs; what matters is that the cubes are full, even and form a slab that drops as one. Small or hollow ice has three families of causes. The first is water: a clogged filter, low pressure at a busy hour, a distribution tube with scale in its holes so part of the plate runs dry, or a sump that drains too early. The second is the thickness setting and its probe: a probe coated with scale, bent after cleaning, or set too thin. The third is cooling: a clogged condenser, a warm room or a low charge stretch the freeze until the board harvests on its timer before the cubes are full. A plate that is full on one side and hollow on the other almost always points at the water spreading unevenly. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Are all the cubes small, or are some full and others hollow, and on which side of the plate? 02 Is the dimple in each cube bigger than usual, or are the cubes hollow right through? 03 Does water flow evenly across the whole plate, or do some columns stay dry? 04 When was the thickness probe last cleaned, and has it been touched or bent? 05 When were the filter and the descale last done, and is the water in the area hard? ## Check these before you book. Ice machine cubes small or hollow: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Look at a full slab as it drops and note which part of the plate makes hollow cubes. 02 Watch the water flow over the plate through the front, without removing a panel, and note any dry columns. 03 Change the filter cartridge if it is due. ### Also worth checking - Run the maker's cleaning cycle with the approved cleaner if the descale is overdue, following the manual exactly. - Note the freeze time and the room temperature and photograph the data plate for the visit. ### How soon does it need a visit? Small or hollow cubes melt faster and waste output, but they are safe to use. Book at a normal pace; sooner if output is also falling. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things ice machine cubes coming out thin, small or hollow turns out to be, from a clogged filter or low pressure at busy hours to a low charge or a leaking hot gas valve. [The cost guide](https://icemachinerepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 lowest ### A clogged filter or low pressure at busy hours A filter at the end of its life or a pressure drop at lunch leaves the sump short, and the plate runs out of water before the cubes fill. The cartridge is changed and the pressure measured. [Fixed by ice machine water valve and filter repair](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-water-valve-and-filter-repair/) 2. 02 low ### Scale in the distribution tube Hard water closes the small holes in the tube over the plate, so some columns get little water. A descale with the maker's cleaner, on its schedule, opens them again. [Fixed by ice machine cleaning and sanitizing](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-cleaning-and-sanitizing/) 3. 03 low ### A thickness probe that is scaled, bent or set too thin The probe decides when the freeze ends. A coat of scale or a bent probe triggers harvest early; the gap is reset to the maker's figure on a visit. [Fixed by ice machine harvest repair](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-harvest-repair/) 4. 04 low to moderate ### A water pump losing pressure A pump with a worn impeller or scale inside it pushes too little water over the plate. The cubes come out thin and the water sheet looks patchy. [Fixed by ice machine water valve and filter repair](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-water-valve-and-filter-repair/) 5. 05 moderate ### A long freeze from a hot condenser When the condenser is dirty or the room is hot, the board can reach its maximum freeze time and harvest before the cubes are complete. Airflow and pressures are checked. [Fixed by ice machine condenser and fan repair](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-condenser-and-fan-repair/) 6. 06 moderate to highest ### A low charge or a leaking hot gas valve Too little gas, or a valve bleeding warm gas into the plate during the freeze, leaves part of the evaporator warm. That side makes hollow cubes; it is measured before repair. [Fixed by ice machine compressor and sealed system repair](https://icemachinerepair.center/services/ice-machine-compressor-and-sealed-system-repair/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with ice machine making too little ice for the rush, then cloudy, soft or wet ice from an ice machine. [All problems](https://icemachinerepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`E7` Atosa · Water supply](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/atosa-e7/) - [`Replace Filter` KitchenAid · Water supply](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/kitchenaid-replace-filter/) - [`SL#1` Koolaire · Harvest and freeze cycle](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/koolaire-sl1/) - [`E19` Manitowoc · Sensors and bin control](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/manitowoc-e19/) - [`E20` Manitowoc · Water supply](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/manitowoc-e20/) - [`E31` Manitowoc · Mode, not a failure](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/manitowoc-e31/) [8 more codes, by make](https://icemachinerepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Ice Machine Water Running Nonstop to the Drain** 6 causes](https://icemachinerepair.center/problems/ice-machine-water-running-constantly/) ### Ice Machine Making Too Little Ice for the Rush 6 causes ### Cloudy, Soft or Wet Ice From an Ice Machine 6 causes ### Ice Machine Not Harvesting: Ice Stays Stuck on the Plate 6 causes ## The makes it happens on. 20 makes on this site; ice machine cubes coming out thin, small or hollow can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 20 brands](https://icemachinerepair.center/brands/) ## Ice Machine Cubes Coming Out Thin, Small or Hollow, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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On many cube designs a small dimple is normal and shows the freeze ended at the right point. It is a problem when it grows into a hollow or a hole. ### Why is the ice full on one side of the plate and hollow on the other? Water is not spreading evenly, often from scale in the distribution tube, or one side of the plate is warmer than the other. ### Can we adjust the ice thickness ourselves? Some manuals show the probe gap and how to check it. Anything behind a panel with power on is left to a technician. ### Does hard water make ice machine cubes smaller? Over time, yes. Scale clogs the tube, coats the probe and slows harvest. A filter matched to the water and a regular descale keep the cubes full. --- **[Read on the site: Ice Machine Cubes Coming Out Thin, Small or Hollow: Causes and Fixes](https://icemachinerepair.center/problems/ice-machine-ice-small-or-hollow/)** **[Book a visit with IceMachineRepair.center](https://icemachinerepair.center/schedule/)**