Commercial · LA · Orange · Ventura · San Bernardino · Riverside Counties
Follett Ice Machine Repair Los Angeles
Chewblet chewable ice, Symphony Plus + Maestro Plus dispensers, Ice Pro, 7Series, 25Series. Healthcare and restaurant operations across LA, OC, Ventura, Riverside. (424) 325-0520
Our Branches
8 service territories across Southern California
Follett Ice Machine Repair
Southern California
Follett ice machines
An independent Pennsylvania manufacturer that owns the chewable-ice and healthcare-dispenser categories.
Follett LLC is an independent commercial ice equipment manufacturer based in Easton, Pennsylvania, founded in 1948. They are not part of Welbilt (which owns Manitowoc) or Ali Group (which owns Scotsman and Ice-O-Matic). They compete in two specific segments where they hold strong positions: chewable Chewblet nugget ice for healthcare and premium beverage operations, and ice and water dispensers for hospital patient floors, dialysis units, and clinical environments. In LA's healthcare-heavy commercial appliance landscape, Follett is the brand we see at Cedars-Sinai outpatient clinics, UCLA Medical Center facilities, Kaiser locations, dialysis centers, and assisted-living buildings.
Follett's product lines fall into four families. Chewblet ice machines (Ice Pro Chewblet, 7Series, 25Series, Maestro Plus dispensers, Symphony Plus healthcare dispensers) produce the soft chewable nugget ice that's their flagship. Cube-format units exist but are secondary to the chewable line. Specialty water dispensing infrastructure for healthcare. Cleaning chemistry (Sanitizer 2.0) for the dispenser lines. The diagnostic approach on Follett equipment differs from Hoshizaki KM-Edge or Manitowoc Indigo cubers because the chewable mechanism has fundamentally different failure modes than mold-style cubers.
$120 commercial diagnostic, applied toward repair. BHGS #A49573 and EPA 608 Universal #1346255700410 for sealed-system work. We service Follett ice machines and dispensers across LA, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.
Product lines we service
Chewable, dispenser, and specialty Follett platforms.
Chewblet ice machines (Ice Pro, 7Series, 25Series, Maestro Plus, Symphony Plus)
The flagship line. Chewblet produces soft chewable nugget-format ice through an extruded auger mechanism rather than the cube-mold method used by Hoshizaki and Manitowoc cubers. Common service items: auger drive gear motor (year 5 to 8 typical wear), auger flights themselves (year 8 to 10), dispense valve actuators on dispenser variants, water inlet valve, condenser coil cleaning. The auger is the mechanical heart of Chewblet and gets the most wear. We carry replacement gear motors for current 7Series and 25Series and stock dispense valve assemblies for Symphony Plus and Maestro Plus.
Symphony Plus healthcare dispensers (hospital floors, dialysis, clinics)
Hospital-grade ice and water dispensers with antimicrobial agitator, optional UV sanitization, and Follett's Sanitizer 2.0 cleaning cycle. Common at Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, Kaiser, and most LA-area dialysis centers. Service items: control board (year 8 to 12), dispense actuator wear from high-cycle hospital use, water inlet, drain pump on integrated drain models, UV bulb replacement on UV-equipped units. Symphony Plus units in healthcare see continuous duty cycle which produces different wear patterns than restaurant operations.
Maestro Plus restaurant dispensers
Restaurant and beverage version of the Symphony platform. Same core mechanical architecture as Symphony Plus minus the healthcare-specific sanitization features. Common at higher-end LA restaurants, hotel pool bars, cocktail-focused operations where Chewblet ice is part of the menu specification. Service items mirror Symphony Plus: dispense valve, control board, water inlet, auger components.
7Series and 25Series compact countertop
Lower-volume Chewblet machines for office break rooms, small clinics, dental offices, executive suites. Single-piece countertop or undercounter form factors. Service items: auger gear motor, water inlet valve, condenser cleaning. Compact form factor means parts access is tighter than full-size units; allow extra labor time on these calls.
Common Follett failures
What we see on Follett service calls.
Auger gear motor failure (year 5 to 8 typical)
The auger gear motor drives the extrusion that produces Chewblet nugget ice. Years of continuous duty cycle wear the gear teeth and degrade the motor windings. Symptom: machine runs but ice production drops or stops, sometimes with audible motor strain or grinding. Replacement runs $385 to $625 with parts and labor depending on platform.
Dispense valve actuator wear
On Symphony Plus and Maestro Plus dispensers, the dispense valve actuator cycles every time a customer or patient operates the dispenser. In high-volume healthcare settings (hospital floors with dozens of patients) the actuator can see 200+ cycles per day. Year 4 to 7 typical replacement. $245 to $385 installed.
Control board failure (year 8 to 12 on Symphony, year 6 to 10 on Maestro)
Symphony Plus control boards are robust because the platform is designed for healthcare reliability. Maestro Plus boards see slightly more variable failure timing. We diagnose with multimeter at board input and output; replacement runs $485 to $785 depending on model and current parts availability.
Water inlet valve and condenser coil (annual maintenance)
Standard maintenance items across all Follett platforms. LA water hardness (300 to 400 mg/L TDS on LADWP supply) accelerates scaling on the water inlet valve and the evaporator coil. Annual cleaning + valve inspection extends component life noticeably. We bundle this with any service call when the unit is open for other work.
Pricing
Follett service costs.
| Repair | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic (waived with repair) | $120 |
| Auger gear motor replacement (Chewblet) | $385 to $625 |
| Dispense valve actuator | $245 to $385 |
| Control board (Symphony Plus, Maestro Plus) | $485 to $785 |
| Water inlet valve | $185 to $285 |
| Condenser coil cleaning + scale removal | $245 to $385 |
| UV bulb replacement (UV-equipped Symphony) | $185 to $285 |
| Auger flight replacement (year 8 to 10 typical) | $525 to $785 |
| Sealed-system refrigerant work (EPA 608) | $485 to $885 |
| Warranty | 90 days parts and labor |
FAQ
Follett ice machine questions.
Is Follett the same brand as Scotsman or Manitowoc?
No. Follett is an independent Pennsylvania manufacturer based in Easton, PA, founded in 1948. They are not part of Welbilt (Manitowoc), Ali Group (Scotsman, Ice-O-Matic), or Hoshizaki Corporation. Follett's specialty is chewable Chewblet ice and healthcare/laboratory ice dispensers. Their distribution and service network is smaller than the big three (Hoshizaki, Manitowoc, Scotsman) which means parts can take 3 to 7 days on uncommon items.
What is Chewblet ice and why is it a Follett specialty?
Chewblet is Follett's proprietary chewable nugget-format ice produced by an extruded auger system rather than the cube-mold method used by Hoshizaki KM-Edge or Manitowoc Indigo cubers. The result is soft, chewable ice that healthcare facilities prefer (patients with mouth sensitivity, post-surgical, hydration compliance) and that some restaurants and beverage operations specify for premium drinks. Follett didn't invent chewable nugget ice (Scotsman Brilliance and Manitowoc R-Series compete), but Follett's healthcare-focused engineering gives Chewblet a strong position in hospitals and clinics.
Do you service Follett Symphony Plus and Maestro Plus dispensers?
Yes. Symphony Plus is Follett's healthcare-focused ice and water dispenser line, common in hospital patient floors, dialysis units, and assisted-living facilities. Maestro Plus is the restaurant and beverage equivalent. Both share core mechanical components (auger, dispense valve, drip tray, control board) but Symphony Plus adds additional sanitization features (UV options, antimicrobial agitator) for healthcare environments. We service both lines including the Sanitizer 2.0 cleaning cycle on newer Symphony Plus units.
Are Follett ice machines worth the premium for a restaurant operation?
Depends on whether your customers care about chewable ice. If your menu features cocktails or premium beverages where ice texture is part of the value proposition, Chewblet on a Follett 7Series or 25Series compact countertop dispenser is a reasonable specification. If you're running a typical restaurant where ice is just ice, Follett's premium position over Manitowoc Indigo or Hoshizaki KM-Edge probably doesn't pencil out. Healthcare and laboratory operations where chewable ice is functionally required almost always specify Follett.
What's the typical Follett service call?
Most Follett service calls in our LA service area are healthcare facilities (Cedars-Sinai outpatient clinics, UCLA Medical Center facilities, Kaiser locations, dialysis centers across LA and Orange County) and the failure modes are different from restaurant ice machines. Common: auger gear motor failure on Chewblet units (year 5 to 8), dispense valve actuator wear, control board on older Symphony units (year 8 to 12), water inlet valve, condenser coil cleaning. Less common: compressor or full sealed-system work, because Follett units in healthcare see steady-state operation rather than the on-off cycling that stresses restaurant ice machines.
What's the parts availability on Follett?
Mixed. Common service parts (auger drive components, dispense valves, control boards on current models, cleaning chemicals, gaskets) are stocked through Follett's Easton PA distribution and typically arrive in 3 to 5 days. Less common parts (older Symphony control boards, specialty Chewblet auger flights, Maestro vintage components) can take 1 to 2 weeks on backorder. We pre-confirm parts availability when we diagnose so you have an accurate timeline before authorizing the repair.
What's your warranty on Follett repairs?
Ninety days SDAR labor and parts on the work we perform. Follett component warranties are processed separately through Follett's Easton PA service network. We help process warranty claims when applicable so you don't pay for parts that should be covered. BHGS #A49573, EPA 608 Universal #1346255700410, BBB A+ accredited.
Related
Ice machine service across the catalog.
Follett ice machine down? Healthcare + restaurant same-day.
Chewblet, Symphony Plus, Maestro, 7Series, 25Series across LA, OC, Ventura. $120 commercial diagnostic, waived with repair. BHGS #A49573 + EPA 608 #1346255700410.