Booking today · Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, New York and San Diego · three-hour arrival windows Independent commercial equipment repair · Every maker on this site Mon–Fri 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM · Sat 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
(844) 393-0816 Schedule a Visit
Error code · Follett · Ice machines

Follett Ice Machine HI AMPS Light: Drive Drawing Too Much Current

The HI AMPS light on a Follett Horizon Elite machine means the drive is pulling too much current, and the machine stops making ice. Clean the machine, clear a slow drain, and set the TDS switch to High TDS as the maker advises. If the light returns, leave the machine off and call us.

Medium · inspection needed

High: the machine stops and a jammed drive can damage the gearmotor if it is run again.

Schedule a Visit(844) 393-0816
Code
HI AMPS
Maker
Follett
Equipment
Ice machines
Applies to
Horizon Elite 710 / 1010 / 1410 PC board

What does Follett error code HI AMPS mean?

Follett Horizon Elite machines turn water into ice with an auger, driven by a gearmotor. The board measures how much current that drive draws. A normal load stays within limits; when ice jams around the auger, the motor works harder and the current climbs. If the reading goes above the allowed level, the board shuts the drive down and lights HI AMPS, which protects the gearmotor from burning out. The maker links the condition to poor water quality that causes an ice jam in the auger, a slow drain, a damaged shuttle, an intermittent drive output, an unplugged gearmotor, or a frozen evaporator. Of these, scale is the usual starting point, because mineral buildup narrows the passage the ice has to travel through. Until the cause is cleared the machine stays down. A repeat of the light soon after restart usually means the cause was not removed, not that the board is misreading the current.

Affected models and control systems

Follett Horizon Elite 710, 1010 and 1410 machines with the PC board indicator lights. Other Follett models differ.

Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.

What you may notice

  • HI AMPS light on
  • Machine stopped and no ice dropping
  • Grinding or labored sound before it stopped
  • Slow drain or scale visible in the area

Possible causes

Listed in Follett's documentation

  • Water quality and scale around the auger
  • Slow drain
  • Damaged shuttle mechanism
  • Gearmotor unplugged or drive output intermittent
  • Frozen evaporator

Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code HI AMPS on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.

  • Hard water supplying more scale than the current filter can handle
  • Ice formed in a transport tube that restricts the flow of ice leaving the auger

Safe checks before calling for service

✓ What an operator can do
  1. Turn the machine off and clean it as the maker describes.
  2. Set the TDS switch to High TDS, as the maker advises, if your water is hard.
  3. Clear the drain if it is slow.
  4. If you can see the gearmotor without tools, check that it is plugged in; do not open panels.
  5. If the light returns, leave the machine off and call us. Tell us your water quality and whether ice had been coming out thin or in chunks.

How a technician diagnoses error code HI AMPS

  1. Read the indicator and confirm the light is HI AMPS, not another lamp.
  2. Inspect the auger area for scale and ice jam and check the drain flow.
  3. Check the shuttle and transport tube for damage or poor routing.
  4. Verify the gearmotor connection and measure its current with a meter.
  5. Check the drive output on the board for intermittent supply.
  6. Descale and correct water treatment before replacing the gearmotor or board.
! Leave this to a technician
  • The gearmotor and drive output run on line voltage, so current measurements are made inside the cabinet with live wiring exposed.
  • A jammed auger can burn out the gearmotor if the machine keeps being restarted.
  • Water quality and scale correction needs the right chemistry and a proper descaling procedure.

Technical reference

Document
Horizon Elite 710 User Guide p.14
Edition
01266543R01
Models / control
Horizon Elite 710 / 1010 / 1410 PC board
Section
Troubleshooting, printed pp. 14-15 (nine numbered symptom rows: LED light states, possible causes, corrective actions). Our 1010/1410 guide 01252592R06 is a different document and is not in this PDF.
Checked
October 2026

We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.

→Same maker

Related Follett ice machine error codes

Drain clog / chassis (water leak) sensorFollett Ice Machine Drain Clog / Chassis Sensor Light: Drain or LeakHI AMP (hard error, HI AMP LED lit alone)Follett Ice Machine Error Code HI AMP: Hard Error LockoutHI PRESSUREFollett Ice Machine HI PRESSURE Light: Refrigeration Pressure Too HighLO WATER light on / blinkingFollett Ice Machine LO WATER Light On or Blinking: Not Enough WaterTIME DELAY without full binFollett Ice Machine TIME DELAY Light With Bin Not Full: Ice Jam
HI AMPSQuestions about Follett error code HI AMPS
Can I restart the machine after HI AMPS?

One careful restart after cleaning is reasonable, but repeated restarts risk the gearmotor.

Is HI AMPS always a bad motor?

No. The maker lists water quality, drain flow and the shuttle ahead of the motor.

Why does the manual mention the TDS switch?

It adjusts the machine for dissolved solids in the water, which affects scale in the auger area.

Book a visit

Need help with Follett error code HI AMPS?

A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.

(844) 393-0816
Open the booking form
☎ Call our office ▤ Schedule a Visit