Ice-O-Matic Ice Machine Error 3: Fill or Purge Time Exceeded
Error 3 on an Ice-O-Matic Elevation Series cuber shows as the POWER light flashing red and the CLEAN light flashing yellow, both quickly. It means the machine exceeded the 5 minute maximum water fill time or the 2 minute maximum purge time. The manual lists no action in the code line.
Medium: the machine stops making ice until the water problem is cleared, but it is usually a supply or drain restriction.
- Code
- Error 3 (Power LED red and Clean LED yellow quick flash)
- Maker
- Ice-O-Matic
- Equipment
- Ice machines
- Applies to
- Elevation CIM board
What does Ice-O-Matic error 3 mean?
The control board gives the water side of each cycle strict time limits. When the sump is filling, the board allows a maximum of 5 minutes. When it purges the water, it allows a maximum of 2 minutes. If either limit is passed, the board records Error 3 and flashes the POWER LED in red together with the CLEAN LED in yellow, both quickly. The two lights flashing together is how you tell Error 3 from Error 1, which flashes only the POWER light. The code line gives no action and does not say which of the two limits was passed, so the display alone cannot tell you whether the water was slow to come in or slow to leave. Slow filling usually points toward the supply side, such as a closed shutoff, a clogged inlet screen or a water valve that opens weakly. Slow purging points toward the drain side, such as a restricted drain line or a pump that does not clear the sump. The time limits exist to prevent flooding and wasted water, so the machine stops ice making until the cause is found.
Affected models and control systems
This applies to the Ice-O-Matic Elevation Series CIM modular cubers, models CIM0320 through CIM2046, per the Technical Service Manual dated 1/2020. The display combination is POWER red and CLEAN yellow, both quick flash.
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
- POWER light flashes red and CLEAN light flashes yellow together
- The machine stops making ice
- Water may stand in the sump, or the machine may run dry
- The bin is not refilling
Possible causes
Likely causes — what usually sits behind error 3 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- The water supply shutoff is partly closed or the inlet screen is clogged with sediment, so filling runs past 5 minutes
- The drain line or the drain at the floor is partly blocked, so the purge takes longer than 2 minutes
- Scale on the water level sensing area makes the board think the sump has not filled or emptied
Safe checks before calling for service
- Check that the water supply valve to the machine is fully open and the supply hose is not kinked.
- Look at the floor drain and drain hose for backing up or a blocked end.
- Switch the machine off for several minutes, then restart it and watch whether both lights flash again.
- Tell the technician that both lights flash together, which cycle stage it was in, and whether there is water in the sump or on the floor.
How a technician diagnoses error 3
- Read the flashing pattern and confirm Error 3 rather than Error 1.
- Time the fill and the purge to see which limit is exceeded.
- Check supply pressure, the inlet screen and the water inlet valve.
- Check the drain line, pump and level sensing for restriction or scale.
- Replace the valve, pump or sensor that fails the test.
- Fill and purge parts are inside the machine near live wiring
- Slow supply and slow drain look the same on the display
- The code line lists no operator reset
How error 3 differs from similar codes
Error 3 is a water timing limit, with POWER red and CLEAN yellow together, whereas Error 1 is a freeze or harvest time limit with POWER red only.
Technical reference
- Maker documentation
- Ice-O-Matic owner support
- Edition
- 1/2020
- Models / control
- Elevation CIM board
- Section
- Control Board section, Error Codes (p. 27); Troubleshooting note on the High Pressure Cut-out
- 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.
Related Ice-O-Matic ice machine error codes
What do both lights flashing together mean?
On this control, POWER red and CLEAN yellow quick flashes together mean the fill time or the purge time was exceeded.
Is it a supply problem or a drain problem?
The display does not say. A technician times the fill and the purge to find out which limit is exceeded.
Can I keep the machine running?
It will not make ice reliably while the water side is outside its limits, and standing water can lead to leaks or scale.
Need help with Ice-O-Matic error 3?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.