Do Commercial Ice Makers Work with RO Water?
A Practical Guide for Businesses Planning Commercial Water Purification

By LiquaGen Water Experts – Updated 2025

If you run a restaurant, café, hotel bar, brewery, or office space, you already know how important water quality is—especially when it comes to ice. Clear ice isn’t just visually appealing; it impacts taste, customer experience, and even your equipment’s lifespan.

So here’s the big question we hear all the time:

Can a commercial ice maker run on reverse osmosis (RO) water?
✔ Yes — and the ice is cleaner, clearer, and tastes better.

RO-purified water removes dissolved minerals and contaminants, producing ice that is:

Crystal clear

Harder, denser, and slower melting

Perfect for beverages and customer service

Free from chemical tastes, chlorine, and cloudiness

This is why premium food and beverage brands rely on RO water for their ice and drinks.

🧊 Why Some Technicians Say RO Doesn’t Work

You might hear a technician claim that “RO water won’t work in an ice machine.” The problem is usually not RO itself—it’s the system size and water pressure.

Many commercial ice makers use up to 80–90 gallons of water per day. Most residential RO units only produce 24–50 gallons per day, which isn’t enough volume or flow for a commercial setup.

⚠ Common Issues When the Wrong RO System Is Installed:
Problem    Cause
Slow or no ice production    Small residential RO unit
Machine shuts down    Low water pressure
Uneven ice size    Insufficient volume/flow
Excess RO tank cycling    Undersized system
💡 Solution: Install a properly sized commercial RO system with boosted pressure.
💪 Pressure Matters Just As Much As Volume

Modern commercial ice makers often require 30–40 PSI minimum. Standard RO systems reduce water pressure by 30–35% during filtration.

👉 If your feed pressure is 40–60 PSI, your ice maker may not run properly without help.
🔧 LiquaGen Fixes This Using:

Booster Pumps ⚙️ (Raises feed pressure before RO processing)

Demand Delivery Pumps 🧊 (Maintains 60–80 PSI to the ice maker)

High-Volume RO Systems 💦 (300–800+ GPD output)

🏢 Which Businesses Need Commercial RO for Ice?

RO water is ideal for any business requiring taste-critical or visually premium ice, including:

Restaurants & commercial kitchens

Coffee shops and cafés

Cocktail bars & lounges

Hotels & resorts

Breweries and distilleries

Corporate pantries & office cafeterias

Healthcare & laboratories

💧 Why Pair RO With a Water Softener?

If your business has hard water, scale buildup will destroy ice machines, increase service calls, and reduce ice quality. A commercial water softener:

Prevents calcium & scale damage

Extends equipment life by 200–400%

Reduces detergent & chemical use

Improves taste and clarity

⚡ The most reliable commercial ice setup is RO + Softening + Proper Pumping.

🏆 Why Choose LiquaGen Commercial Filtration Systems?

LiquaGen designs high-capacity water systems that deliver:
✔ Clear, premium-grade ice for food & beverage
✔ Consistent pressure & flow for commercial machines
✔ Scale prevention + advanced purification
✔ Configurations for hotels, restaurants, breweries, labs & more
✔ USA engineering, commercial components, 24/7 support

• Our flagship solutions include:
• LiquaGen Commercial RO (300–8000 GPD)
• High-Efficiency Salt-Based Water Softeners
• UV Sterilization Add-Ons
• Demand & Booster Pumps
• Complete Custom Ice Station Packages

📌 Final Takeaway

➡️ YES — commercial ice makers work perfectly with RO water.
But only when the system is properly sized, pressurized, and paired with the right pre-treatment.

🥇 Better Ice. Better Taste. Better Business.
🚀 Upgrade Your Ice Quality Today

Contact LiquaGen for a free water consultation and commercial system quote.

📞 Call: 1-855-LIQUAGEN
🌐 Visit: www.LiquaGen.com