FAQs

Ice House America has over 4,000 ice vending machines located throughout the US, Caribbean, Central America, Australia and Brazil.

Ice House America and Twice the Ice offer four models that vary in footprint, production and storage capabilities. Our models range from $60,000 to $150,000+. Prices do vary depending on optional equipment upgrades and installation costs. We have great success working with our clients to secure financing when necessary, and support you every step of the way. Talk to a location specialist to learn more.

Revenue potential depends on the equipment you choose, customer demand at your location, and the price you charge for ice and water. Your return also depends on expenses such as utilities, maintenance, land or lease costs, and financing. An IHA representative can help you review equipment options and the assumptions behind your business plan. Talk with our team about your location.

Every IHA vending model comes equipped with a one-year manufacturer warranty. In addition to this warranty each component also has its own warranty policy. Contact a sales consultant  for more information on how these warranties work.

Nope! Ice House America does not charge franchise fees. Once you buy your machine, it’s yours! 

Nope! Twice the Ice is the consumer-facing brand of Ice House America, but there are no franchise fees to use this brand. You are free to use the Twice the Ice brand, or your own, and there are no extra charges either way. 

Yes! Twice the Ice (TTI) is the brand name of Ice House America ice vending machines. We use this brand to build rapport with customers, and show that they can count on cold, clean, affordable ice and water when they see a TTI branded machine. However, business owners who purchase an Ice House America machine don’t have to use the TTI brand, though they are welcome to use it, free of charge, if they choose.

You can work with your local bank, credit union, or another lender, or we can help you obtain financing. We work with Ascentium Capital to help our business owners finance their machines. This lender is familiar with our business model, and it may be easier to obtain financing with them compared to other lenders.

When properly maintained according to IHA standards, IHA trusts that our vending machines should last 20 or more years. The patented design, ground breaking engineering, cutting edge technology and superior construction are what help our machines last so long.

• Ice House: Up to 1,300 bags/day with the two-ice-maker configuration.
• Ice Kiosk: Up to 450 bags/day.
• Ice Merchant: Up to 320 bags/day.
• Inline Merchant: Up to 320 bags/day.

Production is based on 10-lb bags and varies with configuration and operating conditions.

While both the size of your ice maker and ice bin are important, we recommend you consider bin size (i.e. storage capacity) first. The larger the ice bin, the greater the storage capacity. Greater storage capacity gives you the assurance that you will not run out of available ice during peak demand. Once you’ve honed in on the bin size that will best suit your needs, then consider production size. A 10,000 lb. icemaker is impressive but it does not ensure ample storage capacity. Size does matter in regards to bin capacity!

The target audience or target market for an ice and water vending machine are usually people who are working outside of a home or office (such as working outdoors, on the road, in a factory, at a construction site, warehouse, farm etc.) for long hours, and they need ice to keep their food or drinks cold. This is why it’s ideal to place your ice and water vending machine near a busy road; you’ll be most likely to catch the attention of these regular customers. We offer business plans through our app, ICE2U, to make ice vending machines more appealing to these customers. 

With our patented leveling and raking system, you never have to settle for a bagged ice block like the ones from the corner store again!  Our technology ensures that you receive fresh, loose ice with every purchase.

Thanks to our proprietary SmartIceTM remote management system, you can track your ice makers system conditions and business generation right on your laptop or smartphone! You can also be alerted when the system detects an issue. With this management system , your machine can make a bag of ice and drop it for the customer remotely in case a customer is having difficulty. Now that is remote management!

The short answer: YES! The interior parts and components of ice makers are made with food-grade stainless steel and HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic. We also use multi-level water filtration and a water softener (as necessary) to guarantee that customers’ ice and water are clean and taste great. The House and Kiosk models both provide ice that is as refreshing and easy to chew as the kind you would find with a snowball or snow cone. Plus, the only hands that ever touch our customer’s ice are the hands of the end consumer.

Our ice maker produces ice consistently throughout the day, depending on how busy that day is. Our food-grade stainless steel “rakes” ensure that the ice you receive is always loose and malleable. In turn, ensuring the freshest ice 24/7.

We provide careful maintenance instructions to each of our vending machine owners which shows them exactly how to keep the machine clean and ensure it vends safe, clean, pure ice and water. However, we do not police our owners. It is each owner’s responsibility to maintain their machine. If the machine is not maintained and we receive complaints, we may require the removal of any Twice the Ice branding—all of us and our business owners work hard to make sure our machines are clean and safe for customers, and we don’t want to be associated with any that aren’t. 

Ten quick and cool seconds – faster than a NASCAR pit crew can change out four tires.

All House and Kiosk structures are capable of withstanding 150 mph winds, and could continue producing ice and water, provided the water supply is not compromised.