Why do some ice machines consume more electricity than others?
Making ice is in general an electricity consuming undertaking. Water needs to be brought down to low temperatures in order to change the liquid state of water into its solid state: ice. An ice machine needs several electricity-driven components in order to function: • A seawater or tap water delivery pumps • One or more compressors • One or more ice crystallizers (also named evaporator) with a motor to rotate either a drum assembly, or assemblies with scrapers, knives or other cutting devices, depending on the type of ice machine • One or more fans to enhance heat air-cooled condensers • A grinder or chopper to crush solid ice, if applicable • A mixer to blend crushed ice with a salt solution to produce an ice sludge, if applicable • A slurry ice mixer in storage/mixing tanks, if applicable • A slurry ice delivery pump or a solid ice conveyor belt, depending on the type of ice machine Most ice machine produce between 5 and 12.5 kg of pure ice per kWh (between 0.0003 and 0.008 lb per Bt
