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A low view behind a stainless modular ice machine on its bin in a tiled back room, a clear plastic drain line from the ice machine ending above a round floor drain with a steady stream of water pouring into it, the bin above closed.

Ice Machine Water Running Nonstop to the Drain

Ice machine water running constantly sounds like a steady trickle into the floor drain all night, a hiss from the inlet valve that never stops, or a water-cooled unit pouring warm water down the drain whether it makes ice or not.

(844) 410-9163

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 6 causes, cheapest first

Book a visit

Three short steps, about a minute.

or call (844) 410-9163

What it
usually means.

An ice machine uses water in bursts: a fill at the start of each freeze, a purge or flush at the end, and on a water-cooled machine a flow through the condenser that should follow the cooling demand and stop when the compressor stops. Water running without a pause means one of those has stuck open. The most common are an inlet valve with scale or debris on its seat, which overfills the sump and sends the extra down the overflow, and a purge or dump valve that does not close. On a water-cooled machine the regulating valve controls flow through the condenser according to pressure; out of adjustment or worn, it can run all day and waste a large amount of water. A float or level sensor that sticks can call for water without end. High water pressure in the building can force a valve open, and very low pressure can keep a board calling for more. A running machine that wastes water still makes ice, so the water bill is sometimes the first sign.

A close view of the lower back corner of a stainless ice machine in a restaurant back-of-house, a braided water line running from a quarter-turn shutoff valve through a plain white filter cartridge on the wall into the ice machine, clear ice cubes in a stainless bin in soft focus nearby. The 6 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Where does the water go: into the sump and over its overflow, straight to the drain, or from a water-cooled condenser outlet?
02

Does it run with the machine idle and the bin full, or only while it is making ice?
03

Is the machine air-cooled, water-cooled or remote?
04

Has the water bill risen, and has any plumbing work been done in the building?
05

Is the inlet valve hissing all the time?

Check these
before you book.

Ice machine water running constantly: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Make sure the selector is on ice, not clean or rinse.

02

Note whether the water runs with the bin full and the machine idle.

03

If the running water is spilling onto the floor, close the supply valve and follow the leaking water page.

Also worth checking

  • On a water-cooled machine, feel whether the water going to the drain is warm, without opening any panel.
  • Note any plumbing work done recently and photograph the data plate for the visit.

How soon does it need a visit?

Water running to the drain wastes water and money but is not dangerous on its own. Book at a normal pace; if the water spills past the drain, close the supply valve and treat it as a leak.

The causes,
cheapest first.

6 things ice machine water running nonstop to the drain turns out to be, from a clean cycle left running or a setting changed to a board holding a valve open.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    A clean cycle left running or a setting changed

    A machine left in clean or rinse mode keeps flushing water. Setting it back to ice as the manual shows stops the flow.

    No repair: check it yourself
  2. 02 low to moderate

    An inlet valve held open by scale or debris

    Grit from a water main repair or scale on the valve seat keeps the valve cracked open. The valve and its screen are replaced.

    Fixed by ice machine water valve and filter repair
  3. 03 low to moderate

    A purge or dump valve that will not close

    The valve that empties the sump after each freeze can stick open with scale, so fresh water goes straight to the drain.

    Fixed by ice machine water valve and filter repair
  4. 04 low

    A float or water level sensor stuck

    Scale or slime keeps the float or probe from reporting a full sump, so the board keeps filling. The sensor is cleaned or replaced.

    Fixed by ice machine cleaning and sanitizing
  5. 05 moderate

    A water-cooled regulating valve out of adjustment

    The valve that feeds the water-cooled condenser can wear or drift and run all day. It is set to the maker's pressure or replaced.

    Fixed by ice machine condenser and fan repair On a modular ice machine
  6. 06 moderate to highest

    A board holding a valve open

    A failed output on the control board can energize a valve without end. The outputs are tested before the board is replaced.

    Fixed by ice machine control board repair

The makes
it happens on.

20 makes on this site; ice machine water running nonstop to the drain can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 20 brands

Ice Machine Water Running Nonstop to the Drain,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family filling glasses with nugget ice from an ice machine in a large home kitchen.
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
ice machine water running nonstop to the drain.

How much water should an ice machine use?
The maker's spec sheet gives water use per amount of ice for each model, and water-cooled machines use far more than air-cooled. Constant flow with the bin full is not normal.
Why does water run to the drain at the end of every cycle?
That is the purge, which flushes mineral-heavy water out of the sump. It should last a short time, not run nonstop.
Is a water-cooled ice machine supposed to run water all the time?
Only while the compressor runs. When the machine stops, the regulating valve should close and the flow stop.
Can a water main repair make an ice machine run water?
Yes. Grit stirred up by the repair can lodge in the inlet valve and hold it open.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing ice machine water running nonstop to the drain?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 410-9163
(844) 410-9163 Schedule a repair