Winterizing and Long-Term Storage Tips for Taylor & Icetro Machines

When winter arrives, protecting your food service equipment is essential. For operators using water-cooled Taylor soft serve machines, Taylor frozen beverage machines, or Icetro soft serve machines, proper winterization can save you thousands in costly repairs. Water left inside a soft serve ice cream machine or shake freezer can freeze, expand, and crack vital parts. By preparing your soft serve machine or frozen beverage machine for freezing temperatures, you’ll protect both your equipment and your bottom line.

At Rocky Mountains Distributing, we provide service and support for operators across Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Our service technicians are factory-certified to work on everything from Taylor soft serve freezers to margarita machines. Here’s what you need to know about winterizing your equipment.

Why Winterization Matters

Unlike air-cooled models, water-cooled soft serve ice cream machines and frozen beverage machines rely on a constant water source to keep the condenser cool. If water remains in the system and freezes, it can damage water lines, valves, and condensers.

This risk applies to all models—Taylor frozen beverage freezers, Taylor soft serve equipment and Icetro soft serve machines. Any water-cooled foodservice equipment is vulnerable. Without winterization, operators face expensive downtime, replacement of soft serve parts and Icetro parts, and even full machine replacement.

Note: Even if you operate an air-cooled unit, long-term storage requires care. Stadiums and seasonal venues that close for months should still drain, clean, and sanitize their Taylor or Icetro machines to prevent stale product buildup, mold, or mechanical issues.

Step 1: Shut Down and Disconnect

• Power down your soft serve machine or frozen drink machine.

• Disconnect the water supply line.

• For Taylor restaurant equipment and Icetro machines, this prevents new water from entering the system.

Step 2: Drain Remaining Water

• Remove all water from the lines, valves, and condenser.

• Make sure all water is removed from the hoppers and barrels. Any leftover water can freeze, expand, and damage internal components.

Whether it’s a Taylor frozen beverage freezer or a Taylor frozen yogurt machine, draining completely is critical.

Step 3: Clean and Sanitize Before Storage

Before you put your unit away for the season:

• Run a cleaning cycle with sanitizer.

• Disassemble and clean soft serve parts like o-rings, mix hoppers, and feed tubes.

This ensures your soft serve ice cream or slush maker will be safe and consistent when spring arrives.

For air-cooled machines that will sit unused for months, thorough cleaning and sanitizing are just as important. Product left behind in hoppers or lines can spoil, harden, or cause mold growth even if freezing isn’t a concern.

Step 4: Clear Out Hidden Water

Use compressed air to remove water from the condenser lines of your Taylor freezer or Icetro soft ice cream machine. This extra step protects against trapped water that could freeze inside delicate parts.

Step 5: Cover and Protect

After draining and cleaning your Taylor shake machines, frozen beverage machines, or soft serve machines, cover your equipment to prevent dust buildup. For machines stored in unheated spaces, ensure the environment stays dry and above freezing if possible.

Air-cooled machines stored for extended periods should still be covered and protected from dust, pests, and environmental conditions. A clean, dry environment helps ensure consistent operation when you restart in the spring.

Spring Startup Checklist

When it’s time to start up your soft serve ice cream machine or frozen beverage machine:

• Reconnect the water supply.

• Run a fresh cleaning and sanitizing cycle.

• Check seals, gaskets, and Icetro parts for wear.

• Verify frozen beverage and soft serve ice cream texture is consistent.

Prepare your machine for peak performance by installing a tune-up kit with new wearable parts before the busy season. Key components such as o-rings, naturally wear down and can become brittle, making replacements essential for a trouble-free startup.

From Taylor frozen beverage machines, slush and smoothie units, to Icetro ice cream machines and slush machines—smooth startup depends on proper winterization. No matter if your unit is water-cooled or air-cooled, always run a full sanitizing cycle and inspect seals, o-rings, and parts before returning to service.

Trust the Experts at Rocky Mountains Distributing

At Rocky Mountains Distributing, we’re your Taylor distributor in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming and a trusted provider of Icetro tech support and Taylor equipment service. From Taylor shake freezers, Taylor slushy freezers, and Taylor frozen cocktail machines to Icetro soft serve machines, we provide complete service and support with certified field service technicians and parts.

Our service technicians specialize in keeping your soft serve ice cream and frozen drinks flowing all year long. If you need help winterizing your Taylor frozen drink machine, frozen beverage dispenser, or Icetro ice cream machine, contact us today.

Protect your investment now—and enjoy hassle-free startup when warmer weather returns.